Force run riot in Tokyo

Sat, May 7, 2016, 6:58 AM
Matt Lewis
by Matt Lewis
Check out all the action from an entertaining match in Japan.

The Western Force have snapped a seven-game losing streak, defeating the Sunwolves 40-22 for their second 2016 win.

The Force have averaged less than 16 points a game this season and 1.2 tries a match but showed their attacking flair in Toyko, scoring six tries in the rout.

A Marcel Brache hat-trick was the spark in the first half, with the winger clinching the mark just  20 minutes into the match.

It was the Sunwolves who jumped out to an early lead through some brilliant backline play as Akihito Yamada crossed for the first five-pointer of the match, before the Force racked up the points, with four unanswered tries.

Brache crossed for his first of the afternoon from an intercept pass in the sixth minute, crashed over for his second six minute later and his third was set up by prop Francois Van Wyk, who made a barnstorming break through the middle of the ground.

Backrower Brynard Stander was the beneficiary of their fourth try finishing off some impressive passing to score out wide.

The Sunwolves came agonisingly close to scoring just shy of the break but fullback Riaan Viljoen knocked the ball on just shy of the line.

The second half started slowly as both teams continued to take on the defence but it took until the 54th minute for Ben McCalman to extend the Force lead.

The Sunwolves were determined to narrow the margin, spending five minutes in their attacking 22 eventually scoring through Derek Carpenter to narrow the margin to 18 points with 10 minutes left. 

Angus Cottrell sealed the victory for the Force when he ran 60m from an intercept to score a sixth for the Western Force while Yamada scored consolation try for the Sunwolves in the dying minutes but it was little too late.

SUNWOLVES 22

(Tries: Yamada 2, Pisi, Carpenter Cons: Pens:)

FORCE 40          

(Tries: Brache 3, Stander, McCalman, Cottrell Cons: Prior 4, Grant)

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