Highlanders feel the Force
Western Force picked up their second victory in a row with a six-try Super 14 demolition of the Highlanders in Queenstown.
Last Updated: 11/04/10 10:51am
Western Force picked up their second Super 14 victory in a row with a six-try demolition of the Highlanders in Queenstown.
Just a week after picking up their first win of the season against the Stormers, Force out-scored their opponents by six tries to three with Ryan Cross and the returning Cameron Shepherd picking up two apiece.
Young full-back James O'Connor also crossed and added four conversions and a penalty for a personal tally of 16 points, while replacement Jason Turner completed the try haul.
For the Highlanders, prop Chris King scored a try on his 50th appearance for the franchise while loose forward Steven Setephano and wing Fetu'u Vainikolo also went over.
Poor handling and discipline hampered both teams in the first half, Highlanders captain Jimmy Cowan handed a yellow card in the 22nd minute for a professional foul while props Clint Newland and Pek Cowan were also sin-binned for fighting.
Tackle
The hosts moved 6-0 up early on through the boot of Matt Berquist and were denied an early try when flanker David Pocock tackled Vainkolo with the line in sight.
But Cowan's absence saw a power-shift with Shepherd finishing off a set move from a five-metre scrum with O'Connor giving his side the lead with the extras.
A penalty from O'Connor late in the half gave Highlanders a 10-6 lead at the break but the hosts, who had been on the back foot for much of the first 40 minutes, came out firing after the interval to re-take the lead.
Berquist kicked a third penalty before King touched down for a score that was confirmed by the TMO, although Berquist was unable to convert.
With 50 minutes gone Highlanders scored again through Setephano following a fine offload from Vainikolo, and although Berquist pulled the conversion left again the hosts held an improbable 19-15 lead.
Cross came in on the angle to score his first on 61 minutes, but O'Connor's miss and a fourth Berquist penalty meant Highlanders held a slender 22-20 lead with 17 minutes left.
But a burst from Pocock put Turner away for his first Super 14 try, which O'Connor converted, and Cross sauntered over between the posts five minutes later for the match-winning try.
There was still time for Shepherd to score his second following a lengthy absence with a thigh injury, while Vainikolo squeezed over in the corner for a consolation try that went unconverted.
