Waratahs beat Western Force in Sydney

The Western Force have won six of their last 10 Super Rugby games against the NSW Waratahs (L4), including their last two on the bounce; they had won only two of all their 12 meetings before that 10-game period (D1, L9).

The Waratahs’ last win against an Australian opponent in Super Rugby came in Round 9 of the 2020 Super Rugby AU campaign when they defeated the Melbourne Rebels 38-32; NSW have lost 10 consecutive Australian derbies since then.

• The Western Force will be looking to log back-to-back away wins in Super Rugby for the first time since May 2017 after securing a 28-3 win over the Melbourne Rebels in Victoria (Round 2, Super Rugby Pacific).
• The Force have won four of their last six regular-season games against Australian opposition in Super Rugby (L2) after having won only once in their 13 (L12).
• NSW have kicked to exit their 22m zone 30 times in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the most of any team in the competition, and 11 more times than the Force (19).
• The Tahs have beaten 22 defenders per game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the third-most of any team in the competition, and more than any other Australian side.
• The Force have conceded 10 penalties per game this season, the fewest of any Australian side, four per game fewer than NSW (14), who have conceded more than any other side.
• The Perth team have beaten 21 defenders in the 71st minute or later in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the joint-most of any team in the competition and three times as many as the NSW Waratahs (7).

Players to watch

• Will Harris (NSW Waratahs) has scored one try in each of his last three games in Super Rugby after having scored just two tries in all his 13 games in the competition prior.
• Manasa Mataele (Western Force) has made more carries (10), gained more metres (134), and beaten more defenders (7) from within his own team’s 22m zone this Super Rugby Pacific season than any other player.

Match detail

We are waiting for the kick-off.

In the meantime, why not have a look at the match preview.

1.00: PEEEP! We are underway at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney

3.00: MISS! Jake Strachan can’t open the scoring. 0-0

5.00: Jack Grant’s high tackle gives the Force a penalty inside their 22 to clear.

8.00: Waratahs concedes another penalty, Force kick to the 22.

9.00: TRY! Manasa Mataele slips Harry Johnson-Holmes and Izaia Perese’s tackles and beats Jack Grant to the try line. 0-5

10.00: CONVERSION! Strachan’s kick is good. 0-7

14.00: Lots of reset scrums – as you’d expect from the Australian teams – before the Tahs’ front-rowers are pinged.

15.00: Force throw is not straight, which gives the Tahs an attacking scrum near the visitor’s 22.

17.00: TRY! Charlie Gamble flops over the line after a powerful driving maul. 5-7

18.00: MISS! The kick is well wide. 5-7

21.00: PENALTY! Will Harrison MAKES NO MISTAKE THIS TIME. 8-7

24.00: Both teams giving away penalties in important areas.

27.00: Jed Holloway knocks-on while going through a big hole in midfield, but the Tahs get another penalty for offside. Ben Donaldson boots to the opposition’s 10m.

28.00: Tom Horton’s throw is skew, oh dear, what is happening with the lineouts today? NSW, however, do win the penalty at the following scrum.

29.00: PENALTY! Harrison slots the long-distance goal. 11-7

32.00: This game is very scrappy, both teams with lot s of errors. Harrison calls for the tee after offside by Santiago Medrano and Fergus Lee-Warner.

33.00: PENALTY! The kick is good. 14-7

36.00: Another big scrum by the home team will allow Harrison another shot at goal.

38.00: PENALTY! Harrison splits the uprights. 17-7

39.00: YELLOW CARD! Feleti Kaitu’u is off for 10 minutes after a totting up process. 17-7

40.00: TRY! Harrison dots down in the corner, taking Jack Grant’s skip-pass before beating Fergus Lee-Warner to the flag. 22-7

41.00: MISS! The fullback cannot convert his try. 22-7

The halftime score was NSW Waratahs 22 Western Force 7

41.00: PEEEP! We are back underway down under.

43.00: NSW dominating the second stanza as the visitors continue to struggle.

47.00: NSW win a couple of penalties, another from the scrum when Andrew Ready stood up after the engagement.

48.00: Harrison goes to the corner.

50.00: Nothing comes from the attack after Tom Horton comes through the ruck illegally.

54.00: Jake Strachan goes over, but he is held up by several defenders. The Force did, however, have a penalty advanatge, and opted for a scrum.

57.00: The Force win another penalty, and scrum again. They need to take something from this pressure.

59.00: Oh dear, the Tahs wheels the scrum, and get the penalty to clear their lines.

60.00: Another sustained attack ends for the visitors as they concede another penalty to let their hosts off the hook.

63.00: It’s very disjointed out there, both teams cannot hang onto the pill.

66.00: Izaia Perese hauls in Mataele, who saved his side with a timely interception. The try-scorer raced from 22 to 22, but could not out run Perese.

69.00: More pressure by the visitors leads to the Perth men kicking a penalty to the lineout only to lose the ball after a maul.

73.00: TRY! Finally, the Force get a try after a series of pick-and-drives sees Harry Lloyd go under the posts for five. 22-12

74.00: CONVERSION! Ian Prior adds the extars. 22-14

76.00: Waratahs earn an important penalty outside their 22. That might be it for the Force.

78.00: It’s all Force, who search for a bonus point.

82.00: YELLOW CARD! Carlo Tizzano is off for a dangerous spear tackle on Richard Kahui. 22-14

83.00: PENALTY! Prior slots the kick to earn the point. 22-17

FULL TIME

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The final score is Waratahs 22 (22) Western Force 17 (7)

Scorers

Waratahs
Tries – Gamble, Harrison
Pen – Harrison (4)
Con –
Drop –
Cards – Tizzano (Yellow, 82′)

Western Force
Tries – Mataele, Lloyd
Pen –
Con – Strachan, Prior
Drop –
Cards – Kaitu’u (Yellow, 39′)

Match Officials
Referee: Damon Murphy
Assistant Ref 1: Graham Cooper
Assistant Ref 2: Matt Kellahan
TMO: James Leckie

Teams

Waratahs

15 Will Harrison, 14 Dylan Pietsch, 13 Izaia Perese, 12 Lalakai Foketi, 11 Alex Newsome, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Jack Grant, 8 Will Harris, 7 Charlie Gamble, 6 Hugh Sinclair, 5 Jeremy Williams, 4 Jed Holloway (captain), 3 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 Tom Horton, 1 Angus Bell

Replacements: 16 Mahe Vailanu, 17 Te Tera Faulkner, 18 Archer Holz, 19 Geoff Cridge, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Carlo Tizzano, 22 Henry Robertson, 23 Mark Nawaqanitawase

Western Force

15 Jake Strachan, 14 Toni Pulu, 13 Kyle Godwin, 12 Bayley Kuenzle, 11 Manasa Mataele, 10 Reesjan Pasitoa, 9 Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, 8 Tim Anstee, 7 Ollie Callan, 6 Fergus Lee-Warner, 5 Izack Rodda, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Feleti Kaitu’u, 1 Tom Robertson

Replacements: 16 Andrew Ready, 17 Harry Lloyd, 18 Greg Holmes, 19 Jackson Pugh, 20 Brynard Stander, 21 Ian Prior, 22 Jake McIntyre, 23 Richard Kahui