Western Force coach Dave Wessels praised his team’s fighting spirit after his players dominated for long periods in their 34-12 loss to the Hurricanes in Saturday night’s Super Rugby clash in Perth.
A boilover was on the cards when Force fullback Dane Haylett-Petty scored a 44th-minute try to reduce the margin to just five points in front of 10,384 fans.
The Force had dominated field position and possession until that point, and it was only the Hurricanes’ resolute defence that had kept the home side at bay.
But the Hurricanes ran in four tries within the space of 17 minutes in the second half to blow the game apart and secure the bonus-point win.
Inside centre Ngani Laumape scored a double, while scrumhalf TJ Perenara starred with a try and an assist.
The result means Australian teams are now 0-23 against NZ outfits this season.
The Kiwis can make it a regular-season whitewash if the Highlanders beat the Reds in Dunedin on July 14 and the Chiefs down the Brumbies in Waikato on July 15.
“I’m very proud of the effort the boys put in,” Wessels said.
“The Hurricanes are a very good side, and we played with guts and determination.
“The frustrating thing was not being able to convert when we were inside their 22.”
Force veteran Matt Hodgson will undergo scans after limping off in the 25th minute with a left calf injury.
Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd was disappointed with his team’s effort, despite securing a valuable bonus-point win.
“You can’t win games of football on 80 per cent possession and territory to the other fellas,” Boyd said.
“We were lucky we got two or three quick tries from broken play to get the bonus point. But it was a long way from a complete performance.”
The Force’s mathematical chances of reaching the finals were extinguished before kickoff on Saturday when the Brumbies beat the Rebels 32-3 to wrap up top spot in the Australian conference.
And the Perth-based franchise was caught napping in the second minute when Hurricanes fullback Jordie Barrett made a break to set up Laumape for the opening try.
The Hurricanes are renowned for their attacking flair.
But the defending champions were on the ropes for long periods of the opening half as the Force threatened to cross time and again.
The Hurricanes seemed impenetrable at ground level, so the Force turned to the air in the 44th minute – with great effect.
Flyhalf Peter Grant unleashed a high bomb. And when three Hurricanes defenders clattered together in an attempt to mark the ball, Haylett-Petty scooped up the crumbs to touch down.
But the joy was short-lived, with the Hurricanes piling on four tries from the 55-minute mark up until the 72nd minute.
The Force dominated most of the key statistics, and Wessels questioned why the Hurricanes didn’t receive a yellow card for committing a glut of penalties inside their defensive 22.
Hannes
Guest
The Force is a young developing team, with a lot of locally developed players. All they need is a fair go to play together for a couple of years to develop in the team they can be. It is not the first time that Hoffman was found wanting at Super level, remember the Sharks game is earlier this year, the game of continuous scrum resets and penalties early this year (as he did not have the guts to give a yellow card) and the controversy in almost ev ry Force game he officiates. I cannot remember the Force winning any game that he officiated. He is biased and does not belong at this level.
Hannes
Guest
As Tony said above, can you please explain why at 20:40 a yellow card was not given but the DHP incident deserved one. It is this lack of consistency that is killing the Force. Also, what was wrong with Tessman's try at 20:00? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g85JYO4HEKk
Hannes
Guest
Hofman has always been out of his depth but pushed by Queensland. I reviewes the Force game in detail and believe that the Force would have won if Hoffman and/or the TMO was just a little bit better.
Hannes
Guest
At 20 minutes Tessman had control of the ball, dived over the goal line and a taken back decision was made! Not only by Hoffman but even by the TMO on review. At 20:40 there were obvious obstruction of the Force wing by Jane, but no penalty nor yellow card was given! The difference here was the lack of gamesmanship by the Force wingee to milk the penalty and the reluctance of the TMO to get involved. If DHP incident was a yellow card then Jane should have got one as well. If Jane's obstruction is not a yellow, as he clearly changed his line, the DHP shoul not be yellow either. There is a case for a penalty try as well.
Tony
Guest
I don't think a yellow was unreasonable, TWAS. But on the subject of players deviating 2m sideways to take out an opponent, what do you think about what goes on at 23:40 here? (20 min mark of the same game). https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g85JYO4HEKk Why isn't this a penalty, possibly even a penalty try? And, even if the AR missed it (despite us seeing it clearly from the opposite end of the ground), why not a word from the TMO?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
To me watching the video DHP blatantly tries to make contact. He plants on his left despite the ball being down his right to enable contact, then drives through it.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML3TUDFcJAk#action=share 2:36 in this video you clearly see DHP move left 1-2m in the process of "bracing" to his left then making contact and moving 1-2m left in the process. Consider the ball is kicked to his right, there is no reason why he would brace and move this way unless he's trying to block Perenara.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Perenara kicks to DHP's right. DHP moves left for contact and moves further left into the contact. What DHP is supposed to do is not move away from the direction of the ball.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yeah I heard about and expected some innocuous his. Perenara runs at DHP, kicks to DHP's right. DHP turns to his left, hits Perenara whilst moving 1-2m to his left in the process. Clearly goes out of his way to make contact as if he was turning to chase, he would have moved to his right - the side the kick was made to.
Tamaolevao
Guest
Look great effort by the force but the fact every comment and complaint about the ref and Hurricane offside and dives are accompanied by the hurricanes would of won anyway but.... We can alll se that the force don't have the attacking abilities of even the tahs or brumbies let alone a kiwi super side but they played hard but never looked like scoring anything other than a rolling Mall try..... On the apparent dive by perenara....did you see his momentum stop legs lifted off the ground nearly knocking himself out upon landing?...it was definitely a body check as the slow motion replay showed Hartley-petty not turn his head and look For the ball which was long past him ...... that unfortunately guys is a professional foul and sadly a card .........but where is he supposed to go I hear you all say?........play the ball not the man and he would of still been there he knew all the momentum was with the chasers and so he had to do the next best thing take a chaser out and run the risk I guess his gamble didn't pay off ..... he knew he had time Good game but different class of players unfortunately and no relief in sight......it seems a age ago since the good old days of pinching reds players aye.....
ScottD
Roar Guru
I didn 't think he was biased but definitely reluctant to carry out the yellow carding of thr canes offside play despite his threats
ScottD
Roar Guru
Actually the Canes infringed offside inside their defensive 10m repeatedly The ref told them to "stop doing it or next time I will escalate" after the 3rd time. They then did the identical infringement 3 more times within their own 10m and ref didn't follow through Poor refereeing and should be criticised for it
sittingbison
Guest
Nope But it might get rid of some of the ridiculous refereeing going on in Super rugby
sittingbison
Guest
Colliding is fine, flopping on the ground as if poleaxed, playing "possum" to milk a yellow is not. TWICE from kiwis at nib this year You guys need a serious rethink
rebel
Guest
Distintion or your interpretation. Don't you think if he wss realky going out of his way to be biased against the Force then he woukd have jumped on the opportunity to card the player who made head contact with the Canes hooker. Or he would not have waited for the TMO to card DHP. It's not bias, it's poor reffing. .
rebel
Guest
I love how you are now rating your own posts at the end.
rebel
Guest
That was nothing like a football dive. Gee we are grasping now.
rebel
Guest
Almost as good as DHP acting that he couldn't pull out. Oh hang on, it was just two players that collided playing rugby. Your insinuation is as poor as the TMO's.
sittingbison
Roar Pro
Bad for both sides. Biased ahainst force There is a distinction
cuw
Guest
i dont think THE HOF is biased - he is just not "SUPER" class. i think an issue is the retirement of Joubert has made a big hole in the panel. AND the reluctance of the silly guys not to use KUBO and RASTAMAN more often , which i have been harping on since the early rounds. it seems they want to spread the meal tickets on an equitable basis - rather than performance ... DUH