Acting Western Force head coach Will Eggleston admitted Saturday’s 73-19 win over Perth Gold was scrappy but left relatively happy before the team flies out for their three-game South Africa tour.
The Force hit the park competitively for the first time since June on Saturday, overcoming the best of the WA Fortescue Premier Grade in a 11 tries to three display at UWA Sports Park.
The game was the side’s final tune-up prior to flying out for South Africa on Wednesday where they’ll face the Toyota Cheetahs, Emerging Ireland and DHL Western Province XV.
“We won’t pick the bones out of it too much, but there were some good tries out there and some good individual performances too, so we were relatively happy with what we got out of it,” Eggleston said.
“It’s a chance for everybody to get some rugby under their belt, whether it was 40 minutes or 80.”
Forward Will Harris played the full 80 and impressed with a first-half hat-trick, while newcomer Coby Miln also managed a treble after coming at half-time.
Miln was the 2024 leading point scorer in the NSW Shute Shield for Warringah Rats and the fly-half found himself on the end of moves to score three times.
“I thought Will was brilliant today,” Eggleston said. “He took on a bit of leadership role.
“He ran our lineouts for the majority of the game. He just did his job and did the simple things well.
“Coby just backed up really well through the middle. We played simple, we played through them.
“He managed to get on the end of some of those tries on the edges. Pleased for him, he’s another who did his job.”
New signings Nic Dolly and Nick Champion de Crespigny both stated for the Force and impressed with their physicality and tackling.
“The Nicks just flew into it didn’t they?” Eggleston said. “Anything that was running towards them they just hit at full pace.
“That’s what we expect from those two. There will be plenty more to come.”
There were five new faces in the Force starting line-up and mass changes at half-time, so cohesion was always going to be a challenge, particularly given the side hadn’t played competitively in over three months.
But it was important to get game-time into the side ahead of the tests that will come in South Africa.
“Obviously we want to go out there and put our best foot forward,” Eggleston said about the South African tour.
“That comes with performances and playing the rugby we want to play. You saw that in patches today. But patches won’t be good enough to win over there.”
The Force depart for South Africa on Wednesday with the side’s first game against the Cheetahs from 1am WST Thursday 3 October live on Stan Sport.
2025 Force Memberships are due to go on sale in October at westernforce.rugby.
Western Force spring series tour squad:
Forwards: Albert Alcock, Sam Carter (vc), Nick Champion de Crespigny, Nic Dolly, Lopeti Faifua, Will Harris, Harry Hoopert, Tom Horton, Titi Nofoagatotoa, Marley Pearce, Reed Prinsep (c), Tom Robertson, Dane Sawers, Darcy Swain, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Josh Thompson, Silafono Titiuti
Backs: Max Burey, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Mac Grealy, Justin Landman, Ronan Leahy, Coby Miln, Divad Palu, Doug Philipson, George Poolman, Harry Potter, Isaac Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Henry Robertson (vc), Patelesio Tomkinson
Western Force spring series tour matches:
Thursday 3 October, 1am WST: Cheetahs vs Western Force, Bloemfontein (Stan Sport)
Sunday 6 October, 7pm WST: Emerging Ireland vs Western Force, Bloemfontein (Stan Sport)
Saturday 12 October, 9pm WST: DHL WP XV vs Western Force, Stellenbosch (behind closed doors)
2025 Force Memberships are due to go on sale in October at westernforce.rugby.
