A hat-trick from Nic Dolly, along with doubles from Carlo Tizzano and Harry Potter, powered the Western Force back into the Super Rugby Pacific winner’s circle with a dominant 52-15 victory over Fijian Drua.
After winning their first two games of the season, the Force had suffered three consecutive defeats, but they took control from the outset at Perth’s HBF Park on Sunday afternoon. The team ran in eight tries, matching their Super Rugby try-scoring record set in 2009 against the South African Lions.
The emphatic win lifted the Force to sixth place on the competition ladder, positioning them alongside other Australian teams—Queensland in third, NSW in fourth, and the Brumbies in fifth.
With their forward pack overpowering the Drua in hot conditions and their backline bolstered by the return of Test stars Nic White, Ben Donaldson, and Hamish Stewart, the Force built a commanding 33-5 lead by halftime.
Force Execute Game Plan to Perfection
Captain Jeremy Williams said the team stuck to their strategy.
“It was great to let the ball move around a bit, which we focused on in training this week,” Williams said. “We wanted to start strong and keep the momentum, which we did in the first half. We dropped off a little at the start of the second, but we regained control and finished well.”
Dolly was the standout in the opening half, scoring three of the Force’s five tries. He opened the scoring in the second minute off a rolling maul and added his second 12 minutes later, capitalizing on a wayward Drua line-out throw. His third, also from a maul, came in the 35th minute, with Donaldson’s conversion pushing the lead to 33-0.
The Drua finally got on the board just before halftime, as fullback Ilaisa Droasese capitalized on a well-placed cross-field kick to score.
Drua’s Fightback Falls Short
Fiji showed urgency early in the second half, with center Taniela Rakuro scoring in the second minute. However, their progress was short-lived as Tizzano struck back three minutes later, diving on quick ruck ball for his second try.
As fatigue set in, the Force became undisciplined, conceding six consecutive penalties. The Drua took advantage when a loose Donaldson pass gifted flanker Etonia Waqa a try.
Force coach Simon Cron responded by making several substitutions to refresh his side and prevent further momentum shifts.
Potter, who had earlier scored a brilliant 55-meter solo try, struck again in the 67th minute, breaking the line before grubbering ahead and regathering to score. Donaldson then sealed the game with the Force’s eighth try in the closing minutes.
With the win secured, the Drua will return to Fiji for a much-needed bye, while the Force prepare to take on the Reds in Queensland.
Drua captain Tevita Ikanivere admitted his side was outplayed.
“The Force came out firing. We talked about starting fast, but we didn’t execute, and they kept coming at us from the start,” he said. “We prepared well, but it just didn’t come together on the field.”
