The ACT Brumbies turned up the heat to gas the Western Force 56-24 in a sapping season-opening Super Rugby Pacific clash in Perth, with Charlie Cale and Declan Meredith each bagging doubles as the visitors ran riot in the second half.
Key moments
7 mins – TRY WESTERN FORCE: Vaiolini Ekuasi opens the scoring after a powerful start from the hosts. The Force defend the five-metre maul initially, but there is no stopping the flanker from close range as the forward pack goes about its work. Ben Donaldson converts. (Western Force 7-0 Brumbies)
21 mins – PENALTY WESTERN FORCE: Ben Donaldson slots a penalty immediately after the first drinks break in the sweltering conditions. The Force have spent most of the first 20 minutes camped in the Brumbies’ half. Referee Jordan Way has already spoken to Brumbies skipper Ryan Lonergan about his side’s discipline—the penalty count stands at 5-0. (Western Force 10-0 Brumbies)
22 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Charlie Cale produces against the run of play to drag the visitors into the contest. It takes the Brumbies 22 minutes to even enter the Force quarter, but as soon as they do, quick ball after James Slipper and Rob Valetini’s runs puts the No 8 in space. Cale shows pace and footwork down the left flank, burning the cover defence to score. Ryan Lonergan converts. (Western Force 10-7 Brumbies)
35 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Declan Meredith spots a gap and darts through. The Brumbies win a strong scrum and earn a penalty, with Meredith firing a dummy left before bursting forward close to the ruck. The livewire flyhalf leaves Wallabies stars Carlo Tizzano and Brandon Paenga-Amosa clutching at air as he wrestles the ball down under the posts. Ryan Lonergan converts. (Western Force 10-14 Brumbies)
Half-time: Western Force 10-14 Brumbies. The Force enjoy all the early running but relinquish their lead. The Brumbies benefit more from the water break and shift their style, moving the ball wide at every opportunity. Force lose No 8 Nick Champion de Crespigny to injury seven minutes before the break.
42 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Rhys van Nek forces his way over just a minute after the resumption. The Brumbies turn down three points and head for the line, rewarded when the tighthead prop spins and finds the whitewash. Ryan Lonergan converts. (Western Force 10-21 Brumbies)
48 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Ryan Lonergan scores the most unlikely of crash ball tries. The Brumbies have several advantages after sustained pressure, with Charlie Cale finding his skipper lurking outside. Lonergan drives low, bursts the tackle and scores under the posts. He converts his own try. (Western Force 10-28 Brumbies)
52 mins – TRY WESTERN FORCE: Franco Molina announces himself with a try on debut. Ben Donaldson beats a couple of tackles and puts a clever grubber kick through for his galloping Argentine lock, who does enough to collect and score under the posts. Veteran Kurtley Beale, on from the bench, helps inject enterprise into the Force’s play. Ben Donaldson converts. (Western Force 17-28 Brumbies)
58 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Declan Meredith completes his double with silky work down the short side. Ryan Lonergan unleashes Ollie Sapsford, who draws the fullback before releasing his flyhalf. Meredith streaks home wide out on the left. Lonergan converts. (Western Force 17-35 Brumbies)
67 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Corey Toole shows his trademark opportunism. The Force try to throw it around but the loose ball lands in the speedster’s hands, and he won’t be caught, running 60 metres without a finger laid on him. Tane Edmed, on debut for the Brumbies, converts. (Western Force 17-42 Brumbies)
75 mins – YELLOW CARD BRUMBIES: A tough way for Tevita Alatini’s debut to end as he earns an early shower. The prop clearly trips Ben Donaldson as the flyhalf kicks the ball away, leaving referee Jordan Way no option. (Western Force 17-42 Brumbies)
77 mins – TRY WESTERN FORCE: Carlo Tizzano gives the fans something to celebrate on his 50th Super Rugby game. The Force rumble from 20 metres out with a rolling maul and the flanker is the man who dots it down. Ben Donaldson converts. (Western Force 24-42 Brumbies)
78 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Charlie Cale completes his double with the quick tap. The Force infringe from the kickoff and the No 8 does it all himself, proving unstoppable as he strolls through some poor tackles. Tane Edmed converts. (Western Force 24-49 Brumbies)
80+2 mins – TRY BRUMBIES: Ollie Sapsford puts the exclamation mark on the win after the final siren. Tane Edmed is the ring general, putting the kick in for Kadin Pritchard before finding Corey Toole, who is dragged down just short. Sapsford picks and goes over the line from the ruck. Edmed converts his third from three attempts. (Western Force 24-56 Brumbies)
Full-time: Western Force 24-56 Brumbies
Temperatures exceeding 35 degrees forced officials to apply Heat Stress protocols at HBF Park, and it was the home side who wilted when it mattered most. The Force relinquished a 10-point lead and conceded 28 straight points mid-match as the benchmark Brumbies overcame the loss of a glut of Wallabies stars to once again claim derby bragging rights.
The victory was the perennial Australian superpower’s sixth out of six in season openers against the WA franchise, which has yet to make the finals since entering the competition 20 years ago. It was a statement performance that silenced the doubters.
Reigning John Eales Medallist Len Ikitau and fellow Test players Noah Lolesio and Tom Hooper departed in the off-season, while Wallabies Tom Wright (knee) and inspirational captain Allan Alaalatoa (back) remain sidelined. But the Brumbies clinically showed the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Two-time Australian player of the year Rob Valetini led the visitors’ fightback, offering physical presence and power throughout. But it was fellow back-rower Cale who stole the show, playing a fine role with pace and footwork down the left flank to drag the Brumbies into the contest with their first try, then turning unlikely provider with another vital second-half score.
The Force had enjoyed all the early running, camping themselves in the Brumbies’ half and bagging the opening try through flanker Vaiolini Ekuasi in the seventh minute. A Ben Donaldson penalty immediately after the first of two three-minute water breaks skipped the hosts out to a 10-0 lead after 21 minutes.
It took the Brumbies 22 minutes to even enter the Force’s quarter, but as soon as they did, Cale crossed. Quick ball after Slipper and Valetini’s carries put the No 8 in space, and he showed his trademark pace down the touchline to open the visitors’ account.
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Stephen Larkham’s decision to back Meredith to start ahead of incumbent Wallabies flyhalf Tane Edmed paid immediate dividends. The 26-year-old found a gap close to the ruck in the 35th minute, firing a dummy before leaving Tizzano and Paenga-Amosa clutching at air to give the Brumbies a 14-10 halftime lead.
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The Force suffered a significant blow when No 8 Nick Champion de Crespigny limped off seven minutes before the break, replaced by Will Harris.
Any home hopes of a second-half turnaround were snuffed out within minutes. Rhys van Nek, stepping into the boots of injured captain Alaalatoa at tighthead, forced his way over a minute after the resumption. Then Lonergan, the most unlikely of crash ball runners, sliced through a hole after the forwards had laid siege to the line.
At 28-10, the game was effectively over as a contest.
Veteran Kurtley Beale did his best to inject some enterprise into the Force’s play, combining with fellow former Waratahs playmaker Donaldson to create a try for energetic Argentine lock Franco Molina in the 52nd minute. The debutant’s score briefly cut the deficit to 11 points, but the Brumbies had too much class.
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Meredith completed his double with a sharp finish down the short side after being released by Ollie Sapsford, before Corey Toole produced a typically opportunistic strike—intercepting loose ball and running 60 metres untouched to extend the lead to 25 points.
Debutant Tevita Alatini’s afternoon ended sourly with a yellow card for tripping Donaldson in the 75th minute, and the Force took advantage with a rolling maul try for Tizzano on his 50th Super Rugby appearance. But the Brumbies were not finished—Cale grabbed his second with a quick tap before Sapsford went over after the siren to secure an emphatic bonus-point victory.
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On debut, Edmed nailed his first points for the ACT franchise with three conversions from three attempts after being thrust into the action late for Meredith. The succession planning continues.
For the Force, there were bright spots. Molina and Tizzano were busy up front, while George Bridge and Hamish Stewart linked nicely in midfield. But they could not cope with the speed and power of the Brumbies in the second half, and the 20-year wait for a finals appearance goes on.
Match details
Western Force 24 (Tries: Vaiolini Ekuasi, Franco Molina, Carlo Tizzano; Conversions: Ben Donaldson 3/3; Penalties: Ben Donaldson 1/1)
Brumbies 56 (Tries: Charlie Cale 2, Declan Meredith 2, Rhys van Nek, Ryan Lonergan, Corey Toole, Ollie Sapsford; Conversions: Ryan Lonergan 5/5, Tane Edmed 3/3)
Halftime: 10-14
Venue: HBF Park, Perth
Referee: Jordan Way (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Damon Murphy, Jeremy Markey
TMO: James Leckie
Yellow Cards: Tevita Alatini (Brumbies, 75′)
Attendance: 5,255
What’s next
The Western Force host the Blues in the historic first-ever game at Arena Joondalup’s HIF Health Insurance Oval next Saturday, desperate to bounce back from this heavy defeat. The Brumbies face a tough trip to Christchurch to take on the Crusaders.
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