The Western Force are still daring to dream of a first Super Rugby finals appearance after Saturday night's sensational, spine-tingling 31-26 comeback win over defending champions Crusaders at HBF Park.
The Force stunned the 13-times title holders in a do-or-die game in Round 10 of the Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific competition.
The Force can keep that dream on hold for a week as they head into a bye next weekend before games in Sydney and Canberra and a strong run home with games against the Queensland Reds, Fijian Drua and NSW Waratahs all at HBF Park.
The result means the Force close the gap on the finals spots, moving to 14 points, seven behind the Crusaders in sixth.
They produced their fourth win against the Crusaders in Super Rugby history and their first win at home this year, producing their best performance of the season after going 19 points down midway through the first half.
Zac Lomax, on his starting debut, was among the try scorers along with Henry Robertson with a double and Dylan Pietsch, while 100-gamer Harry Johnson-Holmes dotted the go-ahead try in the final 10 minutes.
The Crusaders were dominant in the first 40 minutes, the Force playing against one way traffic, under a massive weight of possession, territory and a yellow card.
They were only awarded their first penalty on 25 minutes after conceding six consecutive straight arms.
The Crusaders were rewarded with three tries from George Bell, Leicester Fainga'anuka and Johnny McNicholl.
The Force replied before the break with a sensational 50-metre effort, the ball going through several pairs of hands and finished off by scrum-half Henry Robertson.
After the interval an invigorated Force launched their fightback and Robertson grabbed a second.
And then the moment Force fans had been hoping for, star signing Zac Lomax diving over in the corner in his starting debut to level the scores.
The game swung back and forth, Crusaders reserve Noah Hotham, Force winger Dylan Pietsch and prop Harry Johnson-Holmes on his 100th Super appearance all added five pointers.
And, as the Crusaders piled on pressure in the dying seconds, local hero Carlo Tizzano clinched the winning turnover and a penalty to end the game.
The Force competed hard at the breakdown, searching for crucial turnovers and were quick to bring Lomax into the game with his skills under the high ball.
The Crusaders went ahead early when All Black hooker Bell charged onto a pass from Sevu Reece for his sixth try of the season. Converted by Taha Kemara.
They kept up the pressure with back-to-back line-outs from penalties and after flanker Dom Gardiner and centre Fainga'anuka were both held up over the line, a couple more penalties saw the Force playing under a yellow card threat.
🥳 WE WIN, YOU WIN! 🥳
— Western Force (@westernforce) April 18, 2026
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And on 15 minutes referee Reuben Keane sent Nick Champion de Crespigny to the bin.
The Force held the visitors up for a third time soon after in a huge defensive effort, but the penalties kept arriving and the line was finally broken when Fainga'anuku bulldozed over after a quick tap. Converted.
And they went further ahead when Macca Springer kicked ahead and McNicholl won the race against Force scrum-half Henry Robertson for an incredible finish, getting his fingertips to the ball just before it crossed the dead ball line.
The Force finally got on the scoreboard just before the break with a fantastic, flowing 50-metre move involving Ben Donaldson, Dylan Pietsch, Lomax popping up on the left wing, Mac Grealy and finally Robertson. Donaldson converted.
Robertson put the Force firmly back in the game four minutes into the second-half, sniping from a good rolling maul for his second. Donaldson converted.
And then Lomax went over in the corner, taking a long pass from Donaldson after the forwards laid a great platform at a maul.
But the Crusaders hit back almost immediately, reserve Hotham put the visitors ahead again.
Crusaders second row Tahlor Cahill was sin-binned, Pietsch somehow dotted down in the corner and Johnson-Holmes went over for his crucial five-pointer.
The tension rose when Springer was denied a try after a midfield knock-on was picked up by the officials and a few minutes later the Sea of Blue erupted.
Western Force 31
Tries: Robertson (34', 44'), Lomax (53'), Pietsch (62'), Johnson Holmes (70')
Conversions: Donaldson 3/5
Penalties: Nil
Crusaders 26
Tries: Bell (4'), Fainga'anuku (18'), McNicholl (21'), Hotham (57')
Conversions: Kemara 2/3, Reihana 1/2
Penalties: Nil
Crowd: 6,659 @ HBF Park
