The Force came back from being 13-0 down at halftime to upset the powerful Crusaders 24-16 in their Super 14 clash in Perth on Friday, preventing the Crusaders from taking the top spot on the table.
The home side scored three tries in the second half through Pek Cowan, Matthew Hodgson, and Ben Whitaker, with a late penalty by David Hill preventing the Crusaders from picking up a crucial bonus point.
The Force, who were second from bottom before kickoff, delighted their loyal home crowd who once again packed the stadium and were rewarded with a great upset that will give the Crusaders a bit of a shake up ahead of the fight for semi final places.
The try of the match came from a great run from replacement hooker Nathan Charles, who then found Cameron Shephered in support, who then popped to Matt Hodgson.
The Crusaders Dan Carter afterwards said the Force were simply too good on the night.
“They played on the front foot and we struggled to get our game going. We turned it over and we can’t afford to do that.”
In other news, 22 year old Wallaby flanker David Pocock has re-signed for the Force for another two seasons. Pocock has been at the Perth-based franchise since he was 17, so has shown his loyalty by sticking around, despite them not doing too well this year.
“I do feel like I’ve improved a lot as a player here and I think there’s more opportunity to improve. There were a few different options to think about and I did consider other things but the best decision for me at the moment is the Force,” he said.
“My decision was based more on rugby and where I felt where I could develop more but it’s definitely a bonus living in Perth. The beaches are good, there’s hardly any traffic, it’s good to get around,” he added.
Time:
07:10
Sign In