Matt Giteau secures a draw for Brumbies at Perth Oval against Western Force – Super Rugby
Matt Giteau’s 72nd minute efforts have helped ACT Brumbies to draw their last game against the Western Force at Perth on Saturday May 21.
Earlier in the season, Force defeated the Brumbies 19 – 27 at Canberra and were close to repeating the feat at the Perth Oval, Perth. The result has little or no impact on the super xv play offs finalist as both Western Force and Brumbies are currently placed
12th and 13th with 27 and 24 points respectively.
The match was a typical Australian Conference match dominated by lots of physical, close contact and arm wrestle play. Both teams enjoyed their passages in the game that remained more about ball possession and occasionally were able to go deep in the opposition’s
half.
Brumbies started the match strongly and put up 12 phases on attack before winning a penalty. Instead of kicking the penalty, they opted to take a quick kick as their winger Henry Speight got the pass and crossed the line to score the first try of the game.
Brumbies fly half Matt Giteau followed with his conversion to put the visitors in lead by seven points.
Force regrouped and maintained the ball possession and looked threatening to the goal line. Force lock Sam Wykes scored a try during the 13th minute, followed by O’Connor’s conversion to level the score again.
Brumbies replied with a penalty as Giteau nailed the penalty to take the scorecard to 10 – 7 in favour of the visitors. Both teams played at a fast pace as they were open to attack and ran the ball up and down the field. Alfi Mafi substituted Force’s first
choice winger Nick Cummins during the 27th minute of the game.
In the remaining passage of the first half, Force enjoyed more ball possession and kept the Brumbies defence under pressure. However, Brumbies defence held on. Apart from conceding the penalty during the 34th minute of the game on which O’Connor
capitalised to take the scorecard reading 10 – 10, there were no other points scored. The score remained the same at the end of the first half.
Western Force carried forward their first half form in the start of the second half but the Brumbies defence was up to the task. Force dominated the ball possession in the second half but Brumbies kept them behind from the scoring zone. Force was able to
win the two penalties in the first 25 minutes of the second half but on both occasions, O’Connor failed to score.
O’Connor eventually scored on the penalty during the 70th minute of the game to put the hosts in lead for the first time in the game. However, the lead proved to be short lived as Giteau nailed a penalty for Brumbies during the 72nd
minute to even the scores again.
The score remained the same until the end of the second half. However, during the last minute of the game there was more drama as Giteau first went for the drop goal but was charged down making way for the Force to make a run that helped them win a penalty.
O’Connor had a tough task on his hands as he had to kick the penalty from 52 meters that ultimately landed short just before the final whistle.
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