- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Wallabies hooker Folau Fainga’a returned from a long layoff with a bang as the Force won a fifth straight game at their HBF Park fortress.
The hosts overcame a clearly tired Fijian team 34-14, keeping the Fijians scoreless in the second half.
The win helped the Force leapfrog Drua on the table, going to 18 points and eighth position thanks to a late bonus point. They can be passed by the 10th-placed Rebels on Saturday should the Melbourne team beat the Waratahs.
The Drua’s consistency issues were on show again and although they led shortly before halftime, they were a shadow of the team that beat the Hurricanes last week.
“We were looking at the table and Fiji were ahead of us so essentially it was a double point game taking points from them,” said Force skipper Michael Wells.
“Starts were an issue for us at the start of the year but we’ve remedied that. So now it’s putting together a full 80.”
Coach Simon Cron, who had slammed his players’ lack of professionalism over poor boot choice a week ago in New Zealand, was happy with the squad depth shown by his team and their bounce back from that loss to the Crusaders.
“Our first contact was a lot better tonight,” he added. “Everything is a playoff now and to win playoffs you have to step up five or 10 percent.”
The Drua have never won back to back matches in their short history, and they’re a different team playing away. “So hard to beat at home when they’re surrounded by their family, but Mick Byrne has to find a way to motivate this team when they’re away,” said Tim Horan on the Stan coverage.
Folau Fainga’a of the Force looks to make his way down the field during the round 12 Super Rugby Pacific match between Western Force and Fijian Drua. (Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)
The Force were off to a flyer when Fainga’a – who is leaving for France after the World Cup – threw to Ryan McCauley and went close to scoring off the maul.
Issak Fines-Leleiwasa sent a long pass left for Fiji Test winger Manasa Mataele to score against his compatriots.
Fainga’a added a second and the Force looked to be running away with it before tries to Eroni Sau and Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta and Frank Lomani’s double conversions gave the visitors the edge.
A penalty just on the siren gave the Force a slender halftime lead but the Drua didn’t come out for the second half as the Force claimed a bonus point with Fainga’s second and Carlo Tizzano’s late try and added 19 unanswered points.
“It was a good team performance, coming off the last two weeks,” said Tizzano, who led the tackles against an imposing Drua lineup.
“It’s great to be back in front of the sea of blue and it’s actually a bit of a fortress here at the moment.
“We were saying during the week every game’s a final and the bonus point was important – we’ve got keep ripping in.”
English import Sam Spink was outstanding at outside centre, his combination with Hamish Stewart showing plenty of promise.
And the Force have been boosted in their push for finals footy by the return of Fainga’a – who will be aiming to be in Eddie Jones squad for the Rugby Championship.
“The lungs were tested getting to that 65th minute bu tit felt good to get back on the field and hopefully build into next week,”said the Test No.2. “Very proud of the performance the boys put in following last week’s defeat.”