SYDNEY – The Melbourne Rebels played the last 11 minutes with 14 men but held on for their first win of the Super Rugby AU campaign with a 10-7 victory over the Western Force at Perth Oval on Friday evening.
Unconverted tries from Lachlan Anderson and Joe Powell either side of halftime proved enough to secure the victory even after Ross Haylett-Petty had been shown a red card in the 69th minute for a dangerous tackle.
The Force had got their first win in two seasons of the competition -- and a first in Super Rugby since 2017 -- last week but their core of test veterans from around the world were unable to inspire a repeat.
The Rebels had failed to score a try in their first two matches this year but finally got a five-pointer on the board when winger Anderson touched down in the corner in the 27th minute for the only points of the first half.
The Force were defending with intensity but struggling to create anything in attack, relying heavily on kicks to the corner but unable to get their catch-and-drive moving properly from the ensuing lineouts.
Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete looked dangerous every time he touched the ball and he stormed through the Force defence in the 62nd minute before firing a rocket of a pass out to Powell on the wing for the scrumhalf to double the lead.
The Force finally found some fluency in the backline to put replacement back Jack McGregor over in the corner 12 minutes from time, however, and the Rebels were immediately reduced to 14 men.
Former Force lock Haylett-Petty was the fifth player in seven Super Rugby AU matches this season to be sent from the field when he clattered into the head of Argentina flanker Tomas Lezana.
A floodlight pylon failure with seven minutes on the clock added to the drama of the last act but although the Force came within inches of the try line, they were unable to cross for a winning score.
Reuters