Super Rugby - Round 9
O'Connor guides Force to victory
ESPNscrum Staff
April 16, 2011

James O'Connor put the speculation over his future to one side as he led the Western Force to a 27-19 victory over the Brumbies at the Canberra stadium on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Australian international, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Melbourne Rebels in recent days, scored a try and kicked two conversions and two penalties in a 15-point haul for the Force as they recorded their first win over Australian opponents this season. Australia playmaker Matt Giteau scored all the points for Brumbies with a try, conversion and four penalties.

O'Connor, operating at inside centre for the Force, crossed the line in the 37th minute to haul the Force back into the game following Giteau's converted try and penalty. Force fly-half Willie Ripia converted O'Connor's try before the young utility back took over the kicking duties in the second half.

He was first pressed into action when winger David Smith scored early in the second half to nudge the Force into the lead again following another Giteau penalty. And he landed two further penalties before converting Smith's second try in the 77th minute which finally put pay to the Brumbies' hopes after they had kept in touch with two more penalties from Giteau.

The win was not sufficient to lift the Force off the bottom of the Australian conference but it did close the gap to the second-bottom Brumbies just a point.

The Reds cemented their place at the top of the Super Rugby standings with an impressive 39-30 victory over the Bulls at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Fullback Luke Morahan grabbed two tries but fly-half Quade Cooper controlled proceedings with a superb display that included his side's first try. Flanker Radike Samo, winger Digby Ioane and lock James Horwill also crossed as the hosts strengthened their grip at the top of the Australian conference. The Reds' sixth straight win also sees them edge ahead of the Crusaders in the overall standings.

A first-half try from winger Bjorn Basson and the boot of fly-half Morne Steyn kept the Bulls in touch at the break but they had little answer to the free-flowing Reds in the second period. A late try for replacement Danie Rossouw and Basson's second added a little gloss to the result but the defending champions' fourth defeat leaves them trailing their South African rivals.

The Blues kept the pressure on New Zealand conference leaders the Crusaders with a 31-17 bonus point victory over the Waratahs at Eden Park. The hosts scored five tries through props John Afoa and Tevita Mailau, centre Jared Payne, winger Rene Ranger and scrum-half Alby Mathewson in a sizzling first half display to overrun their opponents with a mix of aggression and slick interpassing that the Waratahs had no answer to. With five-eighths Stephen Brett and Luke McAlister controlling the game in the first half and the forward pack in the ascendancy, the Blues backline was able to show its considerable wares.

The second half failed to live up to the lofty heights of the first stanza, but it was effectively over as a contest at the break with the Blues leading 31-7. They must have thought that too, as they were kept scoreless after the interval as the Waratahs tested them with all they could muster. And they were rewarded with tries for winger Drew Mitchell and centre Ryan Cross, following an earlier score from centre Daniel Halangahu, to add a little respectability to the scoreboard.

First-half tries by Danie Poolman and Jaque Fourie proved decisive as the Stormers bounced back from a first loss of the season seven days ago with a 33-19 win over the Lions in Johannesburg. Warren Whiteley also scored for the hosts in a busy opening period in which the visitors laid the foundations for victory. The second half was a much tighter affair, with the outcome in the balance until late on when Johann Sadie crossed to seal the points and help his side leave behind the memory of losing to the Reds last week. It also meant the Stormers solidified their position at the top of the South African conference with 33 points from eight games, four more than closest rivals the Sharks.

In the day's final game, the Hurricanes out-gunned the Cheetahs 50-47 in an 11-try thriller in Bloemfontein. Two tries from fly-half Sarel Pretorius either side of another from winger Riaan Smith along with the prolific boot of centre Robert Ebersohn propelled the hosts into a narrow 33-30 lead at the break. The Hurricanes more than played their part in an entertaining opening period with winger Hosea Gear, flanker Jack Lam, fullback Andre Taylor and winger Alapati Leiua all crossing.

The kicking exploits of fly-half Daniel Kirkpatrick and another try fro Gear saw the visitors reclaim the lead only for the game to swing back in the hosts' favour with Smit's second score. Kirkpatrick edged the Hurricanes ahead once more before Pretorius completed his hat-trick just past the hour mark. But there was one more dramatic twist to come with 'Canes lock Jeremy Thrush crashing over for the match-winning score in the final minute.

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw made a winning return to action as the Crusaders dug deep to beat the Chiefs 34-16 in their clash in Mt Maunganui on Friday night. The flanker, who has not played this season after picking up a stress fracture in his foot, entered the fray in the 50th minute and despite having a hand in a try was understandably subdued in a match which was big on endeavour but littered with errors despite the perfect conditions. Poor handling, turnovers and misplaced passes meant the match lacked quality but it was keenly contested to the end which made for compelling viewing.

The Crusaders on the back foot for much of the match, used their counter-attacking prowess to score four tries through centre Robbie Fruean, winger Sean Maitland, scrum-half Andy Ellis and replacement Luke Romano, netting a valuable bonus point in the process, while the Chiefs, who caused their opposites plenty of problems at the breakdown could only manage a solitary try to winger Lelia Masaga.

In the day's second game, the Highlanders kept the pressure on their Kiwi rivals with a 40-18 demolition of the Rebels at AAMI Park in Melbourne. But their joy was over-shadowed by another injury to fly-half Colin Slade who seems destined for another lengthy stint on the sidelines after he suffered another nasty facial injury in the fourth minute. The Highlanders exploited some inexcusably weak defence from the hosts - who were stripped of the services of captain Stirling Mortlock through injury - to rack up six tries. Wing Kade Poki emphasised the Rebels porous alignment when he beat six would-be tacklers after collecting a bounce pass from Shaun Treeby outside the 22-metre line and forging ahead. Despite losing his balance he managed to evade Mark Gerrard, Greg Somerville, Lipman, Cooper Vuna - twice - Danny Cipriani and Nick Phipps before crashing over in the corner.

Fellow wing Siale Piutau also had a night to remember - he scored in first Super Rugby try on the stroke of half-time and then produced the Highlanders bonus point four minutes after the resumption after some excellent lead-up work by Adam Thomson. Lock Hugh Pyle crossed for a consolation try for the Revels with 15 minutes remaining that was soon negated by the second of Thomson's two tries. Flanker Alando Soakai was also on the scoresheet for the Highlanders while a 78th minute barge under the posts by former All Black prop Greg Somerville also salvaged some respectability for the home side.

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