The Reds have played the Western Force 18 times in Super Rugby since 2006, the Queensland Reds have won eight matches, lost nine times and drawn once.
The Reds’ eight wins out of 18 matches gives them a record of winning 44% of their games against the Western Force regardless of venue.
- The Western Force have won seven of their last 10 Super Rugby games against the Reds, including their last three on the bounce (D1, L2); their last meeting (Force 40-26 Reds in Rd 14, 2017) featured 66 total points–the most in the history of this fixture.
- The Reds have won four of their six previous fixtures the game after having been held to a draw in Super Rugby.
- The last time the Force opened a Super Rugby campaign with back-to-back defeats was in 2014 when they lost to the NSW Waratahs (Rd 2) and Brumbies (Rd 3).
- The Perth-based franchise finished their last Super Rugby encounter with Queensland with a 100% success rate at both the lineout and the scrum, one of just seven times they have managed to do so in the last decade of Super Rugby.
- Liam Wright (Reds) has attended 49 effective rucks so far in Super Rugby AU, more than any other player in the competition; he’s been the first or second hitter in 51 of the 64 rucks so far this tournament.
Match detail
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1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. The conditions are good, there’s not too much dew and the temperature is mild.
2.00: Queensland gets penalised for ‘shepherding the jumper’ at an attacking lineout. Referee Nic Berry was quick to blow the whistle.
3.00: Brynard Stander gets over the ball and wins the penalty for the Western Force.
4.00: Another penalty goes the way of the Force after Taniela Tupou is caught not rolling away at the breakdown. The visitors decide to kick for touch; they have an attacking lineout eight metres out.
6.00: Good defending by the Reds. Hamish Stewart saves the day, winning the turnover before Tate McDermott clears the danger. A chance missed by the Force, but they are up for this Super Rugby AU derby.
9.00: Both teams playing for territory and going to the boot to look for the advantage. The Force launch an attack from deep, but the ball is passed into touch.
11.00: TRY! Jack McGregor dives over in the corner following Tevin Ferris’s earlier break. The Force recycle quickly before shifting the ball to the left. Jono Lance threw a flat pass, which was knocked on by Harry Wilson. Mr Berry played a good advantage, the ball was collected and sent to the fullback to score. 0-5
12.00: CONVERSION! Ian Prior adds the extras. 0-7
14.00: TRY! Byron Ralston goes over in the corner after Lance’s chip-kick was collected by Marcel Brache to set-off the attack down the right. Brache combined with Henry Stowers to put the winger away. 0-12
16.00: CONVERSION! Prior makes no mistake. 0-14
18.00: Force wins another penalty; the Reds are struggling at the breakdown and their tackling has been shoddy.
19.00: TRY! A counter-attack from deep inside their half ends with Brandon Paenga-Amosa crashing over in the left corner following Filipo Daugunu’s strong run down the right-hand touchline, bouncing defenders. 5-14
20.00: CONVERSION! James O’Connor lands the sideline kick. 7-14
22.00: The game is really open, both teams looking to go wide at every opportunity. You cannot blame them because the outside defending is poor, especially Queensland’s.
23.00: TRY! Jock Campbell dots down under the posts following Hunter Paisaimi’s scything midfield break from a scrum. Paisaimi burst through the defenders, cutting inside before playing McDermott on his inside. The scrumhalf raced into the 22 before sending a long pass to Campbell to score. 12-14
25.00: CONVERSION! O’Conner levels from in front. 14-14
26.00: O’Conner lands a perfect 50-22 to give the Reds another attacking opportunity.
27.00: TRY! Taniela Tupou gets help from Paenga-Amosa and Angus Scott-Young, crashing over next to the posts from close-range. Queensland leads for the first time. 19-14
28.00: CONVERSION! O’Connor makes no mistake. 21-14
31.00: The Reds are in full control now, going through the phases inside the opposition’s 22; however, the ball is spilt forward by Paisaimi on the angle.
34.00: It’s all Reds at the minute, they go through the phases after winning a scrum for holding up a maul.
37.00: Daugunu cannot latch onto O’Connor’s banana kick, but the Reds win a penalty for a high shot, which they kick to the corner.
39.00: TRY! INTERCEPT! Ralston pounces, taking O’Connor’s pass, and races 70 metres to score. What a blow! The Reds blew that opportunity. 21-19
40.00: CHARGED DOWN! Lance has his conversion charged down by Daugunu from in front of the posts. The standoff took too long with the conversion attempt and is charged down. That could be massive in a close, high-scoring game. 21-19
The halftime score was Reds 21 Western Force 19
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway down under for the second stanza of this thrilling Super Rugby AU clash.
44.00: Brad Thorn’s men have started well, they are inside the opposition’s 22 and going through the phases, patiently.
45.00: TRY! The red wave keeps coming and the visitors cannot withstand the pressure. Daugunu takes Stewarts catch-and-pass under pressure before cutting inside off his left foot to beat Stowers and score his third try in three games. 26-19
46.00: CONVERSION! O’Connor makes it four from four. 28-19
48.00: Paenga-Amosa concedes a penalty at the ruck, but Campbell does not find touch, allowing the Reds to counter-attack.
50.00: Both teams going to the boot at the moment.
53.00: The Reds go 17 phases before winning a penalty after Andrew Ready falls foul of the ref. Chris Feauai-Sautia almost dots down but is tackled into touch by two defenders. Queensland opts to kick to touch.
54.00: The Reds hammer away at the door; huffing and puffing before losing possession. We have a TMO for a try by Liam Wright. This is interesting.
55.00: NO TRY! It was quick-thinking by the skipper, who tried something similar two weeks ago, but instead of a being offside, he wins a 5m-scrum because Jacob Abel had placed pressure on the ball before the flanker. 28-19
57.00: The visitors survive a massive scrum by the hosts. Somehow, they withstand the pressure and clear the danger.
59.00: ALMOST! Campbell could not hold onto the ball as he was stripped of the ball with the try-line beckoning. Reds are in full control, here.
60.00: Another massive scrum by the hosts ends with the visitors winning the scrum-penalty – bizarre call by the ref.
63.00: We have a little break while the medics see to some injured players. Scrum to the Force near the sideline inside their half.
65.00: Tupou collects a loose ball and thinks he’s away, but the ref blows up the play, giving the Force a scrum for a knock-on. Tupou was away!
67.00: The Force is starting to get some momentum and have had a few chances in the last few minutes.
70.00: YELLOW CARD! Hunter Paisaimi is sin-binned for a tip-tackle, leaving his side short-staffed for the final minutes of the game.
71.00: TRY! Ready flops over the whitewash after a powerful driving maul by the Force’s pack. Game On! 28-24
71.00: MISS! Lance’s conversion hits the post and bounces out. OH, NO! 28-24
73.00: Another penalty goes the way of the visitors, who are all over the Reds. Lance sets up a lineout deep inside Reds territory.
76.00: The Reds win the wayward lineout and clear their lines.
79.00: DROP-GOAL! O’Connor lands a dropkick at the death, but the Force can still take this to Super time. 31-24
81.00: The hooter sounds, the Force keep coming, but cannot find a way over the whitewash. The Reds hold on for the win.
FULL TIME
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The final score is Reds 31 (21) Western Force 24 (19)
Scorers
Reds
Tries – Paenga-Amosa, Campbell, Tupou, Daugunu
Pen –
Con – O’Connor (4)
Drop – O’Connor
Cards – Paisaimi (Yellow, 70′)
Western Force
Tries – McGregor, Ralston (2), Ready
Pen –
Con – Prior (2)
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 1: Damon Murphy
Assistant Ref 2: Jordan Way
TMO: Brett Cronan
Teams
Reds
15 Jock Campbell, 14 Chris Feauai-Sautia, 13 Hunter Paisaimi, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Filipo Daugunu, 10 James O’Connor, 9 Tate McDermott, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Liam Wright (captain), 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Angus Scott-Young, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Harry Hoopert.
Replacements: 16 Alex Mafi, 17 Dane Zander, 18 Jack Straker, 19 Ryan Smith, 20 Tuaina Taii Tualima, 21 Scott Malolua, 22 Josh Flook, 23 Bryce Hegarty.
Western Force
15 Jack McGregor, 14 Byron Ralston, 13 Marcel Brache, 12 Nick Jooste, 11 Brad Lacey, 10 Jono Lance, 9 Ian Prior (captain), 8 Brynard Stander, 7 Tevin Ferris, 6 Henry Stowers, 5 Fergus Lee-Warner, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Kieran Longbottom, 2 Feleti Kaitu’u, 1 Angus Wagner.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Ready, 17 Chris Heiberg, 18 Greg Holmes, 19 Ollie Atkins, 20 Ollie Callen, 21 Jacob Abel, 22 Henry Taefu, 23 Kyle Godwin.
