'Fantastic' Force pull together
Western Force coach Michael Foley credited an immense team effort for his team's shock victory over the Crusaders.
The Force had won just one match this season prior to the encounter in Perth on Saturday, but dug deep to manufacture their second victory over the seven-time champions.
Looking to respond following last weekend’s disappointment against the Rebels, a resilient defensive effort from the Force paved the way for the victory with the home side repelling countless waves of Crusader attack and holding their nerve in the final 25 minutes to maintain the eventual two-point advantage.
In an often brutal, physical contest, the Force was well served by the front-foot ball provided by man of the match Richard Brown, while newcomers Ed Stubbs, Junior Rasolea and Rory Walton made their presence known against a significantly more experienced opposition.
Foley said he was impressed with his side’s team performance and determination to respond following last weekend’s loss to the Rebels.
“We weren’t happy with what we put on the field last week and the players led the way in terms of critiquing themselves and making the decision that they wanted it to be a lot better this week,” he said.
“It’s a real testament to them to see that difference out there tonight – I thought they were fantastic.
“Every player that took part in the game, which was the whole 22, did very well. You can look at games in different ways but to me there was a real unity in terms of what the players did on the field and it didn’t matter who we put out there, they were aligned to that drive that the team had to get the result,” aded Foley.
