Darby Lancaster delivered the moment of magic that saved the NSW Waratahs’ season, scoring a spectacular 90th-minute try to snatch a dramatic 22-17 victory over the Western Force in one of Super Rugby Pacific’s most compelling encounters at HBF Park.
Key moments:
4′ – Triston Reilly intercept try from deep (Waratahs 7-0)
10′ – Carlo Tizzano powers over for record-breaking 13th try (Waratahs 7-5)
19′ – Darby Lancaster finishes brilliant Waratahs move (Waratahs 14-5)
32′ – Mac Grealy capitalises on slick Force passing (Waratahs 14-10)
37′ – Hamish Stewart glides through for controversial try amid post-score fracas (Force 17-14)
44′ – Taniela Tupou yellow card for professional foul on Stewart (Force 17-14)
73′ – Tiaan Tauakipulu sin-binned for repeat infringements (Force 17-14)
75′ – Jack Bowen penalty levels scores in driving rain (17-17)
81′ – Kurtley Beale misses 55-metre penalty to force Super Time (17-17)
89′ – Darby Lancaster spectacular corner try wins it for Waratahs (22-17)
With the Waratahs’ finals hopes hanging by the finest of threads and their woeful away record threatening to condemn them to another failed campaign, Lancaster’s acrobatic finish in the corner during Super Time proved the difference in a match that transformed from promising spectacle into a brutal arm-wrestle under driving Perth rain.
The visitors made the perfect start when Triston Reilly demonstrated his predatory instincts with a stunning intercept try after just four minutes that caught the Force completely off guard. The hosts had pressed the Waratahs line following an offside penalty and appeared to have constructed a promising attacking opportunity when Ben Donaldson attempted a second-phase block play.
However, Reilly’s anticipation was flawless as he read the move perfectly, stepping across to snatch the pass from midair before Dylan Pietsch could react. The winger then showcased his pace, racing 50 metres downfield past his former teammate to score under the sticks. Tane Edmed’s straightforward conversion gave the Waratahs the ideal platform at 7-0, seemingly justifying coach Dan McKellar’s decision to start Lancaster on the wing in place of the injured Andrew Kellaway.
The Force response was swift and showcased the forward power that has characterised their season under Simon Cron. Carlo Tizzano’s moment of history came in the 10th minute when the flanker became the first forward in Super Rugby Pacific to reach 13 tries in a single season. The record-breaking score came from a well-constructed lineout drive five metres from the Waratahs line, where the Force had chosen to kick for touch rather than take easy points.
From the resulting maul, quick ball was spun wide where Tizzano showed impressive footwork to wrong-foot Joey Walton’s defensive rush. The flanker then displayed his renowned finishing ability, muscling his way through the centre’s tackle and stretching over the whitewash despite the attention of covering defenders. Donaldson’s conversion attempt from wide on the left struck the upright and bounced away, keeping the Waratahs ahead by two points but serving notice that the Force meant business.
The game’s momentum swung dramatically in the 19th minute when the Waratahs produced their most polished attacking sequence of the half. It began with another Reilly intercept as the Force again attempted to move the ball wide from inside their own territory. This time, the winger’s intervention sparked a sweeping counter-attack that showcased the visitors’ attacking potential when given space and time.
Edmed collected Reilly’s pass and immediately spotted Lancaster advancing down the left flank. The fly-half’s perfectly weighted grubber kick sat up invitingly for the winger, who gathered cleanly before drawing fullback Mac Grealy. As Lancaster approached the touchline, he delivered a perfectly timed pass back inside to Jake Gordon, who had tracked the play brilliantly.
The scrum-half’s quick hands found Hugh Sinclair in support, and the flanker demonstrated wonderful vision and skill to execute a pinpoint pass that sent Lancaster flying over in the corner for his first try of the match. The quality of the move drew appreciative gasps from the sparse HBF Park crowd, with Edmed’s touchline conversion extending the Waratahs’ advantage to 14-5.
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However, the Force’s response highlighted their ability to strike from anywhere on the field. In the 32nd minute, a sparkling passage of play began when Donaldson’s deft hands put Hamish Stewart through a half-gap in midfield. The centre’s acceleration and footwork created the initial breach, drawing two defenders before offloading to Pietsch in support.
The winger’s pace took him to the Waratahs’ 22-metre line before he found Bayley Kuenzle with a sublime inside pass. The centre drew Lawson Creighton before releasing Grealy, who had timed his run to perfection. The fullback collected the pass at pace and dove over near the left corner flag, beating Reilly’s desperate cover tackle by inches. Donaldson’s conversion attempt from the touchline again failed to find its mark, leaving the Force trailing 14-10 as the half-hour mark approached.
The defining moment of the first half arrived five minutes later when Stewart produced a piece of individual brilliance that epitomised his growing influence on the Force’s attack. Receiving the ball 30 metres from the Waratahs line, the centre initially appeared to have limited options with defenders rushing up to close the space.
However, Stewart’s change of pace and direction was sublime, stepping off his left foot to beat Jake Gordon before accelerating through the gap. His power and balance allowed him to shrug off Fergus Lee-Warner’s attempted tackle, with the lock’s desperate lunge as Stewart dived for the line sparking the match’s first serious confrontation.
As Stewart grounded the ball, Lee-Warner’s late contact with the centre’s legs drew an immediate reaction. Stewart took exception to what he perceived as unnecessary contact, rising to his feet and throwing the ball directly at the Waratahs lock. Players from both sides quickly converged, with pushing and shoving ensuing before referee Angus Gardner restored order.
Gardner awarded the try after consulting with his assistants but penalised Stewart for his retaliation, a decision that would prove crucial as it handed the Waratahs possession from the restart. Donaldson’s conversion from in front of the posts gave the Force a 17-14 half-time lead, setting up a compelling second half.
The interval brought no respite from the deteriorating conditions, with steady rain beginning to fall as the players returned for the second half. What followed was a scoreless 40-minute arm-wrestle that tested both teams’ composure and discipline as handling errors multiplied and scoring opportunities became increasingly rare.
The Waratahs’ discipline problems began early in the second half when Taniela Tupou’s frustrations boiled over in the 44th minute. Stewart had again found space in midfield and was accelerating towards the Waratahs’ 22 when Tupou, having been beaten for pace, made a desperate sliding tackle that caught the centre around the ankles.
Gardner had no hesitation in producing the yellow card for what was a clear professional foul, leaving the Waratahs to defend with 14 men for the next 10 minutes. The situation deteriorated further when Angus Bell’s petulant reaction to a penalty decision saw him throw the ball directly at a prone Force defender, prompting Gardner to reverse his initial ruling and earning Bell an immediate substitution from an incensed McKellar.
Despite their numerical advantage, the Force struggled to breach a desperate Waratahs defence marshalled superbly by Hugh Sinclair and Joey Walton. The hosts repeatedly drove close to the line through their forward pack, but crucial turnovers and penalties allowed the visitors to clear their lines and survive the most dangerous period of pressure.
The pattern continued for much of the second half, with both teams struggling to maintain possession in the increasingly slippery conditions. Handling errors became endemic as the rain intensified, turning what had been a free-flowing first half into a kicking battle where territory became more valuable than possession.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 73rd minute when the Force’s frustrations manifested in repeated infringements on their own goal line. Tiaan Tauakipulu became the second player to see yellow when Gardner ran out of patience with the hosts’ spoiling tactics, warning captain Jeremy Williams that the next offence would result in a card.
True to his word, Gardner produced the yellow when Tauakipulu failed to release immediately after being tackled just metres from his own line. The Waratahs, now with the numerical advantage for the first time in the match, immediately opted for the posts rather than risk another attacking scrum.
Jack Bowen, who had replaced the struggling Edmed as the rain worsened, stepped forward to take the crucial kick. The young fly-half, making just his second start of the season, showed nerves of steel to slot the penalty from directly in front, levelling the scores at 17-17 with five minutes remaining on the clock.
The final minutes of regulation time produced heart-stopping drama as both teams sensed the opportunity to claim victory. Harry Potter’s crucial turnover in the 80th minute handed the Force a gilt-edged chance when Kurtley Beale, on as a replacement for Grealy, lined up a 55-metre penalty attempt in driving rain.
The veteran’s strike had the crowd on its feet as the ball sailed towards the posts with plenty of distance, but it faded right at the crucial moment, hitting the upright and bouncing away to groans from the home supporters. With the scores locked at 17-17 and time expired, the match headed into Super Time, where the first score would prove decisive.
The extra period began with both teams adopting a cautious approach, clearly aware that the slightest mistake could prove fatal. The Waratahs had the first meaningful possession, building eight phases deep in Force territory through patient pick-and-drive rugby that slowly gained ground towards the hosts’ try line.
However, the Force’s defence held firm, with Williams and Tizzano combining to force a crucial turnover that relieved the immediate pressure. The hosts then earned back-to-back penalties, first against Daniel Botha for collapsing a scrum and then from the ensuing lineout that handed rookie fly-half Alex Harford an opportunity to become the match-winner.
The 22-year-old’s kick from 48 metres on the left touchline had the angle but lacked the distance, falling well short of the crossbar to keep the contest alive. The Waratahs immediately counter-attacked, working their way upfield through a series of drives that tested the Force’s resolve.
The crucial moment came in the 88th minute when a penalty against Williams for not rolling away handed Bowen a chance to win it from 35 metres, slightly to the left of centre. The young fly-half, who had been outstanding since his introduction, took his time over the kick but pushed it wide of the right upright, ensuring the contest would continue.
What followed was pure chaos as the ball was kept alive through multiple phases. Jamie Adamson’s crucial break down the left touchline created the space that would prove decisive, with the substitute flanker bursting through two tackles before passing to Daniel Botha. The prop’s quick hands found Teddy Wilson, who immediately shipped the ball wide to where Lancaster was hovering on the right touchline.
What happened next will be replayed for years to come. With two Force defenders converging and the corner flag seemingly an impossible target, Lancaster launched himself through the air in a gravity-defying leap that seemed to suspend him above the sodden turf. His outstretched right hand somehow found the ball as he crashed to earth, grounding it with millimetres to spare as his feet remained tantalizingly close to the touchline.
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The stadium fell silent as referee Gardner consulted with TMO Brett Cronan, with replays showing just how close the winger had come to stepping into touch. After what felt like an eternity, Gardner’s arm raised to signal the try, sparking wild celebrations from the handful of Waratahs supporters who had made the journey to Perth.
“I was unsure whether it popped up but lucky enough with the big screen behind us here for the referee to give it,” Lancaster admitted post-match, his relief evident after what had been a grueling encounter. “I’m absolutely stoked – that was a hell of a grind. Credit to Western Force, they took us all the way.”
Bowen’s conversion from the touchline was a formality for such a composed performer, sailing through the uprights to seal a 22-17 victory that keeps the Waratahs’ season alive by the narrowest of margins. The win closes the gap on sixth-placed Blues to just two competition points, setting up a winner-takes-all clash at Eden Park next week.
Lancaster was quick to praise his halves partner’s contribution in the decisive moments: “Jack Bowen sort of took over there in Super Point. He’s really coming into his footy and it’s a pleasure to be playing behind them.” The young fly-half’s performance under pressure had been exemplary, providing the composure and game management that proved crucial in the final stages.
For the Force, already eliminated from finals contention, this agonising defeat leaves them at risk of finishing bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder with their upcoming bye. It was a valiant effort that showcased their never-say-die attitude and attacking intent under Cron’s guidance, with Stewart outstanding in the playmaking role and Tizzano’s record-breaking performance highlighting the quality in their forward pack ahead of their historic clash with the British & Irish Lions.
This was far from a classic encounter, with both sides struggling in deteriorating conditions that turned the second half into a war of attrition. Yet for all its technical shortcomings, the match delivered drama in abundance, with momentum swinging repeatedly between two teams desperate for different reasons – the Force to play spoiler, the Waratahs to keep their season alive.
The victory represents the Waratahs’ first away success of 2025, a statistic that had threatened to define their disappointing campaign. As Lancaster acknowledged, divine intervention seemed necessary to keep their finals aspirations breathing. Whether the rugby gods will smile upon them again at Eden Park, where they must defeat the Blues to reach the finals, remains the final chapter in what has become an increasingly unlikely survival story.
