Waratahs get the better of Force on Gold Coast

David Skippers
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The Waratahs continued their superb recent Super Rugby AU form when they claimed a 28-8 win over the Western Force on the Gold Coast on Friday.

As the scoreline suggests, the Sydney-based outfit were full value for their triumph and they outscored their opponents three tries to one with Alex Newsome, Jack Maddocks and Harry Johnson-Holmes crossing the whitewash for the Tahs, while Brynard Stander scored the Force’s only try.

Will Harrison finished with a 13-point haul after kicking three penalties and two conversions for the Waratahs and the Force’s only other points came via a penalty from Ian Prior.

The opening exchanges were cagey with both sides trying to take control of proceedings by kicking for territory during that period and the Waratahs opened the scoring when Harrison slotted a penalty in the ninth minute.

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The match came alive in the 15th minute when Stander went over in the left-hand corner after gathering a perfectly-weighted grubber kick from Richard Kahui inside the visitors’ 22.

Prior failed with the conversion attempt and midway through the half the Waratahs regained the lead when Harrison added his second penalty.

That lead did not last long though as the Force were back in front by the 27th minute when Prior succeeded off the kicking tee but that was the last time they would score points as the visitors held the upper hand during the half’s closing stages.

In the 32nd minute, Harrison slotted his third penalty and shortly afterwards Newsome had an easy run-in out wide after Jake Gordon laid the groundwork with a strong run in the build-up.

Harrison added the extras which meant the Waratahs had their tails up with the score 18-6 in their favour at half-time.

Shortly after the restart, Maddocks intercepted an ambitious long pass from Jono Lance just inside the Waratahs’ half and he raced away before crossing for his side’s second five-pointer.

In the 53rd minute, a strong Force scrum on the Waratahs’ five-metre line resulted in Henry Stowers crossing the whitewash off the back of the set-piece but he failed to ground the ball after being held up by two defenders.

Soon after, Maddocks ran a perfect line before dotting down under the posts but his effort was disallowed after an infringement in the build-up from Johnson-Holmes.

The Waratahs continued to dominate but had another try disallowed during the game’s closing stages. This, when Harrison delivered an excellent chip kick which Karmichael Hunt gathered just outside the Force’s 22. He offloaded to Gordon, who dotted down but television replays revealed that the scrum-half was in an offside position in the build-up.

Despite that setback, the Waratahs finished stronger and sealed their win just before full-time when Johnson-Holmes made up for his earlier indiscretion by barging over for his side’s third five-pointer from close range.

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