Titi Nofoagatotoa scored a last-play try to secure the Western Force a thrilling 21-19 victory over the Queensland Reds in the side’s first pre-season trial game on Fridya afternoon.
It was a see-sawing and entertaining contest played in front of approximately a thousand supporters in sunny but windy conditions at Scotch College.
The Reds appeared destined for victory, leading 19-14 heading into the final minute, before the Force found their way up field, earning a 10m lineout.
After probing the try line and Reds scrum-half Kalani Thomas being yellow carded for cynically kicking the ball away, the Force scrum got rolling, with Nofoagatotoa diving on it to score.
Justin Landman held his nerve from a slight angle to put through the winning conversion.
Earlier, off-season recruit Darby Lancaster and Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa dotted in an enterprising opening half hour of the game played as three 30-minute periods.
There were plenty of highlights for the Force, underlined by the opening third where scrum-half Nathan Hastie combined with fly-half Ben Donaldson, pulling the strings, while experienced midfield duo George Bridge and Kurtley Beale were bullocking threats.
It was the Reds who went ahead in the 14th minute when Lukhan Salakaia-Loto barged over after Josh Canham combined with Matt Faessler.
Donaldson was denied a 50-22 by an unfortunate bounce, before Hastie released Lancaster who burst out of a pocket of space to square the game up at 7-7.
Hastie’s clever grubber led to a Force opening when a Reds line-out fell into Sef Fa’agase’s lap, only for the returning Harry Johnson-Holmes to be held up.
But the Force kept pressing, with Will Harris’ line break leading to Paenga-Amosa scoring with an inside support run.
The changes commenced after the first period, with a nearly entirely new Force backline on. The game became disjointed, before Reds scrum-half James Martens scored from a quick tap.
The Force had some almost moments, with Ronan Leahy leaping high to take Henry Robertson’s box kick on the right edge, before the threat of a Boston Fakafanua line break was ended by an errant pass to Henry Palmer on the left.
In the final third, Jackson Ropata thought he’d scored the go-ahead try with a burst under the sticks after Ryan McGloin’s dart down the right, but the referee intervened for a forward pass in the lead-up.
With barely five minutes to go, the Reds re-claimed the lead with Carter Gordon combining with John Bryant to score. Gordon missed the conversion, leaving the door ajar.
And the Force made the most of their opportunity, advancing the ball forward in the final minute, before Nofoagatotoa and the Force scrum rumbled over, with Associates speedster Landman keeping his cool on the tee.
The Force are next in action on Friday 30 January from 4:35pm WST against the ACT Brumbies at Scotch College with free entry. The game will be live streamed on the Force’s Facebook page. Follow here.
Western Force 21
Tries: Lancaster (24’), Paenga-Amosa (30’), Nofoagatotpoa (90’)
Conversions: Donaldson 2/2, Landman 1/1
Penalties: Nil
Queensland Reds 19
Tries: Salakaia-Loto (14’), Martens (42’), Bryant (82’)
Conversions: McLaughlin-Phillips 2/2, Gordon 0/1
Penalties: Nil
@ Scotch College
