Super Rugby: Melbourne Rebels beat Western Force 30-23 in Perth
The Melbourne Rebels won their battle with fellow Super Rugby strugglers Western Force with a 30-23 success in Perth.
Last Updated: 06/04/13 12:47pm
Both sides had only one win for the season coming into Saturday's game, with the Rebels' only success so far being a home win over the Force - and they deservedly repeated that result in the away tie.
Jason Woodward scored two tries for the Rebels, with Hugh Pyle and Richard Kingi added the other two to go along with two penalties and two conversions from James O'Connor.
The Force had kept in the game with tries from Winston Stanley, Will Tupou and Pat Dellit along with a conversion from Kyle Godwin and two penalties from Sias Ebersohn, but the rebels just had enough to come good in the end.
The Rebels dominated the early stages and went 15-0 up after just 20 minutes, with Pyle barging over to score in the corner and then a slip by Tupou handing Woodward his first try of the match.
The hosts got back into the contest and after some sustained pressure they got on the board when Stanley went over in the corner after 34 minutes.
Melbourne led 15-11 at the break but also started the second half brightly with O'Connor, having moved to fly-half from full-back, slipping a short pass to Kingi for another try.
The Force produced a strong comeback though from 23-11 down to tie the match, with Tupou redeeming himself by going over after picking the ball up at the ruck.
Woodward thought he had scored his second try soon after only for O'Connor's flicked pass was adjudged to have gone forward by the TV official.
Force then levelled when winger Dellit picked up Stanley's grubber kick through and touched down, after a slightly nervy fumble.
Woodward had the final say though, as he hit back almost immediately with his second try making sure Melbourne enjoyed a second win against the Force by exactly the same scoreline as the first.
