Giteau on top as Force beat Reds - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Giteau on top as Force beat Reds

By Tim Clarke 07/02/2008 11:15:36 PM Comments (0)

Matt Giteau has won the first round of his battle with Queensland's Berrick Barnes for the Wallaby number 10 jersey, driving the Perth side to a 39-15 over the Reds in the final trial before next weekend's Super 14 opener.

While Giteau was involved in all that was good about the Force, Barnes did not have the same impact and also floated out a pass intercepted by Drew Mitchell for the home side's fourth try.

By then Giteau had already created one try for Cameron Shepherd and put the Force back on the front foot after being battered in the early exchanges.

And although Chris Latham showed his quality and skipper John Roe eased his way back in after a nine-month absence, Queensland positives were more fleeting on a chilly night.

The end result was a far cry from the start, which the Reds bossed mercilessly.

With Force prop Gareth Hardy forced from the field after the first passage of play, Latham burrowed over the line for the opening score before a Force hand had touched the ball.

With high kicks the only pressure Force backs were applying, Latham was safe, but when Barnes took his eye off a Shepherd chip to meet it with knee rather than hand, momentum shifted.

With Giteau constantly driving the Force forward with kicks from hand, the advances in territory brought the equalising try from young scrumhalf James Stannard, a late replacement for Matt Henjak.

And with confidence flowing, the move of the night was started by Shepherd inside his own half and finished by a David Pusey romp over in the corner.

The five point Force lead at halftime was instantly increased when Giteau's delicate chip two minutes after the break set up Shepherd for the gamebreaker.

With the Reds playing catch-up, Barnes' hopeful infield pass was perfectly read by Mitchell, who streaked under the posts untouched.

It was to prove Barnes' last meaningful act as he was replaced by Quade Cooper, and with Latham also given the last twenty minutes off, Reds centre Chris Siale capped off a solid performance with a try in the corner.

James Horwill's decking of Mitchell after a chip down the touchline cost him a yellow card, and ended any remaining Reds' resistance.

And after Nick Cummins scored a welcome try on his first home appearance in Force colours, Lachlan MacKay scored the night's most welcome try, trotting over after two years in Perth almost entirely ruined by injury.

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