The Melbourne Rebels moved into the top 10 in the Super Rugby standings when they beat the Force 31-32 in Perth with a bonus point.

The victory was the Melbourbe Rebels fourth win of the season and the first time that they have won on the road this year.

The Rebels scored four first half tries which earned them a bonus point while the Force also earned a bonus point for finishing with seven points of the Rebels.

The Rebels are coming into their own in Super Rugby as they are now above the Waratahs in the standings and have had three consistently good performances in as many weeks.

Although they lost to the Bulls they came away from that match with a four-try bonus point and last week they shocked the Crusaders.

This week's away bonus point victory albeit against the 13th placed Force shows that they are becoming a team which must not be taken lightly.

Kurtley Beale continued to give Australia coach Robbie Deans a selection headache with another controlled performance at flyhalf, kicking the game-winning penalty from the sideline.

Beale, who has principally played at fullback for the Wallabies, slotted into the pivotal role at flyhalf after Danny Cipriani was released from his contract last month.

The Rebels backline responded, operating with more direction and purpose since the 23-year-old Beale took the number 10 jersey with his deft passing, linebreaking ability and tactical kicking keeping them going forward.

With Reds playmaker Quade Cooper only returning on Saturday from a serious knee injury and Rebels utility James O'Connor recovering from a lacerated liver, Beale's form is putting pressure on Deans to pick him in the position for their tests against Scotland and Wales next month.

On Sunday, Beale again proved to be the fulcrum of the Rebels' attack as they scored four tries in the first half, two to lock Cadeyrn Neville, and continued their momentum from their 28-19 upset win over the Crusaders.

The Force, who had lost their previous five games, also played their part in providing a spectacle of high-tempo running rugby in extremely warm conditions, with first half tries to Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga and number eight Ben McCalman.

The visitors went in at halftime with a 26-15 lead that was reduced shortly after the break when Force replacement winger Alfie Maafi jinked his way through some porous defence.

Force scrumhalf Brett Sheehan then slotted a penalty from about halfway to bring the score to 26-25, though Beale extended the gap again with his first penalty as the standard of the match degenerated through poor handling and decision making.

Force flyhalf Ben Seymour then added two further penalties to give the Force a 31-29 lead with six minutes remaining before Beale struck his second penalty with three minutes left to seal the win.

"It was a really good performance in that first half," Rebels captain Gareth Delve said in a pitchside interview.

"We looked really good in attack but the second half we are really disappointed. "

"They came back at us and it was pretty tense in the end," he added.

Final Score Force 31 (15) Rebels 32 (26)

Force
Tries - N. Nalaga, B. McCalman, A.Mafi
Pen - D Harvey, B Sheehan, B. Seymour 2
Con - D Harvey 2
Drop -
Cards - M.Hodgson (69th min Yellow)

Rebels
Tries - C. Neville 2, G Delve, C Vuna
Pen - K Beale 2
Con - K Beale 3
Drop -
Cards -

Match Officials
Referee: Marius Jonker
Assistant Ref 1:Francisco Pastrana
Assistant Ref 2:Rohan Hoffman
TMO : George Ayoub

Teams

Force

1 Pek Cowan,2 Nathan Charles,3 Salesi Ma’afu,4 Toby Lynn,5 Nathan Sharpe,6 Matt Hodgson,7 David Pocock,8 Ben McCalman,9 Brett Sheehan,10 Ben Seymour,11 Napolioni Nalaga,12 Rory Sidey,13 Will Tupou,14 Sam Wara,15 David Harvey

Reserves16 Salesi Manu,7 Elvis Taione,18 Phoenix Battye,19 Lachlan McCaffrey,20 Josh Holmes,21 Winston Stanley,22 Alfie Mafi

Rebels

1. Nic Henderson, 2. Ged Robinson, 3. Rodney Blake, 4. Cadeyrn Neville, 5. Hugh Pyle (VC), 6. Tim Davidson, 7. Michael Lipman, 8. Gareth Delve (C), 9. Nick Phipps, 10. Kurtley Beale, 11. Cooper Vuna, 12. Lachlan Mitchell, 13. Mitch Inman, 14. Mark Gerrard, 15. Julian Huxley

Replacements: 16. Adam Freier, 17. Jono Owen, 18. Al Campbell, 19. Hugh Perrett, 20. Nic Stirzaker, 21. Stirling Mortlock, 22. James Hilgendorf