Five things we learnt from Force-Reds

Sun, Mar 5, 2023, 8:12 AM
Nathan Williamson
by Nathan Williamson
Suli Vunivalu impressed for the Reds in their thumping victory. Photo: Getty Images
Suli Vunivalu impressed for the Reds in their thumping victory. Photo: Getty Images

What a difference a week makes.

This time last week, the Force were riding high after a narrow win over the Rebels whilst alarming bells were ringing at Ballymore after a defeat to the Hurricanes.

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Now the roles are switched after Brad Thorn's men thumped the Force 71-20 to close out Super Round.

So what did we learn?

1.No Flook for Josh and Suli

Suli Vunivalu returns to AAMI Park with style after a pair of brilliant plays in the second half.

He showed the playmaking ability to hit fellow winger Filipo Daugunu in stride with a looping cut-out ball.

Vunivalu then raced the length of the field, giving Reds and Wallabies fans a heart attack as he pulled up with cramps, only to shrug it off minutes later.

He was joined in kind by Josh Flook, who continues his development with another starring performance in the centres.

He had elite speed and great game awareness, continuing to show why he is rated so highly by the Reds.

2. Don’t forget about Harry

On a weekend dominated by number eights, it took one key play from Harry Wilson to remind everyone of his class.

The crash ball off Fraser McReight to score early in the match was picture-perfect and shows the constant growth in his game over the past 12 months.

The hard work was undone to a degree by a soft yellow card just before the break, however, the Reds made sure it meant little on the scoreline when Flook crossed just before the break.

Wilson finished the game strong, completing a mountain of work defensively with a game-high 18 tackles.

Super Round was a great reminder of the talent pushing for a spot in the Wallabies back row, with Langi Gleeson and Pete Samu strong in their teams’ victories whilst Namibian International Richard Hardwick was once again immense for the Rebels.

3. When it's not your day

The Force just couldn’t build any sustained pressure from the start, allowing the Reds to keep applying scoreboard pressure and run away with the game.

In the blink of an eye, they were down 14-0 after eight minutes and whilst they worked their way back into the contest, a bizarre head clash between Tim Anstee and Michael Wells allowed Josh Flook to score the easiest of tries.

It finished Wells' day, failing his HIA as he joined Jeremy Williams on the sidelines, with the Force crumbling in the second half as they struggled to deal with the Reds’ firepower.

The red card to Ollie Callan compounded a horror day and one Simon Cron will want to forget as they prepare for the dangerous Moana Pasifika.

4. Beware the bouncing ball 

Force fullback Chase Tiatia got a valuable lesson as to why you never trust the gilbert.

After a Josh Flook break set up Liam Wright, a hoofing clearance from Jordan Petaia found space, leaving the former Chief scrambling to collect the ball.

Filipo Daugunu showed great awareness to sprint through and get a toe to the ball, setting up Petaia to complete an incredible individual try.

It was the highlight of a strong first half from Petaia, breaking the Force’s line almost instantly whilst he looked controlled in attack.

Despite missing a key tackle on Zach Kibirige, it was another tidy performance from the 22-year-old as he pushes for the Wallabies 15 jersey.

5. The dangers of technology

Usually, when Rugby fans bemoan to use the technology, it’s got something to do with the TMO or endless replays.

However, it was spider cam that took centre stage when it blocked a Kalani Thomas clearance kick in the 64th minute.

The cam had been flying low throughout the week and nearly got cleaned up on a number of occasions, showing the cost of getting a little too close to the action

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