March 23 (Reuters) – The Melbourne Rebels held on
desperately to edge Western Force 30-29 and break a 12-match
losing streak in their Super Rugby match on Friday.
The Rebels charged out to a 21-0 lead by the 22nd minute at
home but trailed 29-27 with eight minutes to play as the Force
ratcheted up the pressure with two second-half tries.
Mark Gerrard slotted home a penalty in the 73rd minute to
snatch back the lead and the Rebels defended grimly to notch up
their first win of the season after being denied the previous
week by an 81st-minute try against the Cheetahs.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Rebels captain Gareth Delve.
“It was a bit of a hairy moment right there at the end, a bit of
deja vu… To get the win means a lot to us and we can kick on
from here.”
The Rebels stunned the Perth-based Force with three early
tries, the first from outside centre Lachlan Mitchell who
bustled over by the right post in the eighth minute after
receiving a sharp, flat pass from flyhalf Danny Cipriani a few
metres from the line.
Bullocking inside centre Lloyd Johansson got the Rebels’
second seven minutes later, bursting through the line with a
deft sidestep after linking up with fullback Julian Huxley.
Gerrard received after a turnover deep in defence and burned
down the right touchline to set up the Rebels’ third, the winger
giving two defenders the slip before steering a neat pass inside
to the charging Cipriani who bolted 40 metres to cross beneath
the posts.
Cipriani appeared to injure a hamstring during his dash over
the line and came off soon after, stalling the Rebels’ momentum.
Force captain David Pocock capitalised on a howling mistake
by winger Cooper Vuna, who toe-poked a loose ball near the
try-line that the flanker simply scooped up and crossed for the
softest of tries.
Continued…
