Hodgson double helps Force trump Lions

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MAY 24: Ross Cronje of the Lions gets tackled by Sias Ebersohn of the Force during the round 15 Super Rugby match between the Western Force and the Lions at nib Stadium on May 24, 2014 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MAY 24: Ross Cronje of the Lions gets tackled by Sias Ebersohn of the Force during the round 15 Super Rugby match between the Western Force and the Lions at nib Stadium on May 24, 2014 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Published May 24, 2014

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Perth - Captain Matt Hodgson scored his second double of the season to help the Western Force to a 29-19 win over the Lions on Saturday, clinching a club-record eighth win this year and lifting the Force to second place in the Australian conference.

Hodgson scored the Force's first try in the 35th minute and their fourth and final, bonus point try two minutes from fulltime. Three tries - two to the Force and one to the Lions - came in a frenzied last five minutes.

Until then, the match had been notable for the solidity of the Lions defense. Though the Force had huge advantages of territory and possession, they struggled to score tries until the Lions were reduced to 14 men late in the first half.

The match looked like going either way at 15-12 to the Force after 75 minutes, before the late flurry of tries created a thrilling finish. Hodgson and center Chris Tuatara-Morrison scored for the Force during that period while Elton Jantjies grabbed a try for the Lions who, even with a tiny share of ball, refused to give the game up for lost.

“I think at the back end of both halves we scored our tries,” Hodgson said. “I think we put a bit too much pressure on ourselves in the goal zone and weren't patient enough and I think that showed.”

The Johannesburg-based Lions led 9-3, with three penalties to Marnitz Boshoff, after 35 minutes until the Force scored two tries against 14 men in the late stages of the first half.

Lions prop Corne Fourie was sent to the sin bin in the 34th for a shoulder charge and, in his absence, the Force scored 12 points from tries to Hodgson and Jayden Hayward to take a 15-9 lead to halftime.

That was the only period, until the late avalanche of scoring, in which the Force were able to impose any real strain on a rigid Lions defense.

Though they tried attacking up the middle, with effective rolling mauls, and occasionally out wide where winger Nick Cummings ran strongly, the Force were unable to unlock a defense which was stiff and unyielding.

Cummings had a try disallowed in the 45th for a technical obstruction and replacement Zac Holmes was held up in the 73rd. The defense then finally cracked for the first time in 35 minutes to allow a try by Tuatara-Morrison and Hodgson barged over just before the fulltime siren.

Jantjies scored between those tries, pulling the Lions back into the match at 22-19, but they at last succumbed to their fourth straight loss on their tour to Australia and New Zealand.

“It was a tough one for us but I'm proud of the boys,” Lions captain Warren Whitely said. “I think we showed a lot of guts. Again it's the small things. This is a tough competition and the little errors crept in and cost us in the end.”

Western Force 29 (Matt Hodgson 2, Jayden Hayward, Chris Tutara-Morrison tries; Sias Ebersohn conversion, penalty; Jayden Hayward 2 conversions), Lions 19 (Elton Jantjies try; Marnitz Boshoff conversion, 4 penalties). HT: 15-9. - Sapa-AP

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