As the Western Force kept their final hopes alive, Simon Cron’s men killed off the Waratahs once and for all by sealing a 27-7 win in Perth on Saturday night.
Despite conceding an early try, the Force scored 27 straight points and rarely looked troubled against a sloppy Waratahs side.
The victory was set up off the back of a starring role from Ben Donaldson in the first half, with the former Waratahs playmaker coming back to haunt his old side.
The incumbent Wallabies fly-half scored 17 points, including his side’s second try as he burst onto a ball from Kurtley Beale to score midway through the second half and open up the match.
“I don’t know what he’s having for breakfast, so I might have to get on that,” said roommate and Force captain Jeremy Williams.
Ben Donaldson scored a try and bagged 17 points in the Force’s win over the Waratahs at HBF Park, on May 18, 2024. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
His fine performance came off the back of a forward pack that got complete dominance at the scrum.
Indeed, the Force won the penalty count 15-9 with replacement tight-head prop Bradley Amituanai shown a yellow card just moments after coming onto the field for Waratahs debutant and Argentine international Enrique Pieretto in the 65th minute.
But it wasn’t just the Waratahs’ ill-discipline that killed off their chances, with the visitors guilty of turning the ball over on 18 occasions.
Waratahs coach Darren Coleman could only sit back in his chair and run his hands through his hair as he witnessed his side’s tenth loss of the year, which has them pitted at the bottom of the standings.
“I thought the Force were good, put a lot of heat around the breakdown,” said Waratahs captain Jake Gordon following his 100th Super Rugby match.
“We weren’t clinical enough at all. The amount of time we turned the ball over first and second-phase, it’s just not good enough.”
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