MATCH REPORT: Strong start followed by late drama as Force claim Round 10 win in Perth
Saturday night in Western Australia carried plenty of significance, with the Crusaders looking to consolidate their place inside the top six against a Force outfit searching for consistency but showing signs of momentum.
The Crusaders made an assertive start and opened the scoring inside five minutes. Taha Kemara placed a brilliant chip kick over the defensive line and regathered it before the ball was recycled quickly, allowing George Bell to power through close to the posts.
Kemara converted to give the Crusaders an early 7-0 lead.
The momentum stayed on the Crusaders side when Force loose forward Nick Champion de Crespigny was shown a yellow card for repeated infringements.
The Crusaders immediately capitalised on playing 14 men when Leicester Fainga’anuku surged through contact to score, extending the lead to 14–0 and showing why he is second in the competition for defenders beaten.
Midway through the half, Johnny McNicholl produced a highlight moment in his first game against the Force since 2016. Chasing a perfectly weighted kick into the in‑goal, McNicholl won the fast foot race and stretched out to ground the ball one‑handed right on the corner. The commentators are already calling it a contender for try of the season.
The try was awarded after a TMO review and pushed the Crusaders’ advantage out to 19–0.
The Force worked their way back into the contest late in the opening period. A well‑constructed play down the left edge saw halfback Henry Robertson back up in support to score in the 34th minute, with Ben Donaldson converting to narrow the margin to 19–7 at halftime.
That score gave the home side momentum heading into the second half. Under penalty advantage early on, Robertson struck again, stepping down the short side to reduce the deficit to just 5 points.
The pressure continued to build and in the 53rd minute the Force were rewarded, working patiently from a lineout before shifting the ball wide where Zac Lomax finished confidently in the corner to bring the scores level at 19‑all.
Four minutes later, the Crusaders responded and pulled away yet again from the Force. Macca Springer broke clear down the left touchline before linking with Noah Hotham, who dotted down under the posts.
Rivez Reihana converted to restore a seven‑point buffer.
Another shift followed when lock Tahlor Cahill was shown a yellow card for collapsing a maul.
The Force capitalised immediately, working patiently from close range before Dylan Pietsch was awarded a try in the corner.
Donaldson was unable to add the conversion, leaving the Crusaders narrowly ahead at 26–24.
The lead changed hands for the first time in the 70th minute. In his 100th Super Rugby appearance, Wallabies prop Harry Johnson‑Holmes forced his way over from close range, with Donaldson’s conversion giving the Force a 31–26 advantage.
Late drama followed when the Crusaders crossed the line out wide through Macca Springer with five minutes remaining, only for the TMO to identify a knock‑on in the build‑up and rule the try out.
The Force held on and won just their fourth game over the Crusaders in Super Rugby history. Their first win at HBF park this year, and their first back-to-back wins over the Crusaders in Australia for the first time in the competition’s history.
The focus now shifts to this coming Friday night as we enter our new home at One New Zealand Stadium, and host New Zealand's first ever Super Rugby Super Round as we take on the NSW Waratahs.
Full-time: Crusaders 26 – Force 31