Western Force suffered a heartbreak, last-minute 26-21 loss to reigning champions Waratahs in Round 2 of the SMARTECH Super Rugby Women’s season at Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
The Force looked to be heading for a historic first win over the Waratahs in Sydney, leading by two points with 60 seconds remaining, but they could not hold out the home side after putting in a huge defensive effort.
The Force scored three tries from No.8 Ashley Marsters, fellow back-rower Anneka Stephens and centre Cecilia Smith. Grace Freeman converted two and Nicole Ledington one.
The Waratahs crossed four times and converted three. The Force heads home with a bonus point before the Round 3 bye, where they'll play a development fixture against Penina Pasifika.
Force coach Dylan Parsons made two changes to the starting side that drew 29-29 with the Brumbies in Round 1.
Seven-cap Black Ferns forward Tapsell Pia and Wests Scarborough winger Haylee Hifo replaced the injured Wallaroo Michaela Leonard and Brooklyn Teki Joyce (head injury protocols).
The Waratahs, looking to bounce back from their 23-17 loss to Fijian Drua, made eight changes, bringing in a number of high-profile names.
In a frenetic first quarter, both sides pushed the defensive lines hard and after three minutes the Force were stretched through the centre and gave away a penalty.
The home side turned down three points, went to the line-out and after a maul, winger Desire Miller stepped through some poor tackles to stretch out and score.
The try lifted the Force who dented the Waratahs line with plenty of close interplay and pressured the Waratahs into unforced errors.
They hit back from a line-out, with devastating ball-runner Marsters powering through several tackles to force her way over. Grace Freeman converted.
They went further ahead after a series of phases, direct running and inside passing saw Stephens crash over just before the half-hour. Freeman converted.
At the other end they showed their defensive tenacity in the shadow of their posts but could not stop Miller grabbing her second. McKenzie converted.
The Force went into the break with a 14-12 lead, the first time they had ever led the Waratahs at half-time.
They lost hooker Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke just 90 seconds into the second period, leaving the field with a huge head bruise from a tackle.
A couple of handling errors and sloppy offloads spoiled some good-looking Force attacking moves in a slow start for both sides.
The second-half turned into an arm wrestle and a couple of Force chances out wide were snuffed out by a scrambling Waratahs.
The Force mounted sustained pressure and with 15 minutes to go their forward pack rumbled ahead from a line-out out and Smith split the defence with a great angled run and footwork. Nicole Ledington increased the lead to nine points with the conversion.
But Leilani Nathan closed the gap with a bullocking run, converted by McKenzie, with 10 minutes remaining.
And, despite a huge defensive effort, the Force were finally broken open with Adiana Talaki on the end of a rolling maul. McKenzie converted.
NSW Waratahs 26
Tries: Miller (4',35), Nathan (70), Talakai (79')
Conversions: McKenzie 3/4
Penalties: Nil
Western Force 21
Tries: Marsters (14'), Stephens (27'), Smith (64),
Conversions: Freeman 2/2, Ledington 1/1
Penalties: Nil
