The Western Force have been forced to settle for a 17-all draw with the Hurricanes after a remarkable evening in Perth, where neither side could be split despite going to Super Point on Easter Saturday.
After Ben Donaldson levelled the score in the 79th minute with a pressure-cooker penalty, the Hurricanes had one last chance to win in regular time after the Force couldn’t clear their line, but once again turned the ball over.
Having kicked the Force into extra time, Donaldson had the chance to win the game as he stepped up for another long-range penalty attempt in golden point. But the Wallaby’s 52 metre effort just missed the left-hand upright.
It looked like being a fatal miss as the Hurricanes managed to set up camp deep inside the Force’s 22-metre line.
But the Hurricanes couldn’t put the Force away, as they were repelled in defence before Ruben Love missed a drop goal attempt from just outside the 22-metre line.
“Awesome game, but I’m sure they’re just as frustrated as we are – and deservedly so,” said Hurricanes skipper Du’Plessis Kirifi, who was superb for the visitors on both side of the ball.
“It’s probably a fair result. They played some awesome and so did we in parts, but both teams made a lot of mistakes and didn’t capitalise on momentum.”
Ben Donaldson in action during the Force’s 17-17 draw with the Hurricanes on Easter Saturday in Perth. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Force skipper Jeremy Williams was as shocked as anyone at the result, admitting he didn’t know it was full-time after Love missed with his field goal effort after ten minutes of extra time.
“It’s the first time I’ve played in extra time, I thought we had another half. I didn’t even know it was full-time,” Williams said.
“I thought ‘Donno’ did a really good job, just playing territory. Just unlucky there. But what a battle.”
Simon Cron couldn’t hide his frustration with the missed opportunity.
“Bitterly disappointed, mainly for the players with the amount of work that they put in there,” he said. “But we put ourselves into a position to win it, and unfortunately, we didn’t get there.”
The Force were led by their Wallabies, with Carlo Tizzano a stand out. The flanker made 23 of 25 tackles, won a turnover and regularly won the contact battle with ball-in-hand, while his head-to-head match-up with Kirifi was worth the price of the ticket alone.
He was well supported by Williams, who was strong at the lineout and across the park, while Tom Robertson won the scrum battle over Xavier Numea.
Earlier, the Hurricanes scored first through powerful winger Fehi Fineanganofo after 11 minutes.
But the Force hit back immediately, with Bayley Kuenzle scoring on his return match from an ACL injury as the winger ran a beautiful line from a well-worked move off a lineout to score.
Both sides then had several chances to post points, but neither side could land a blow.
The Hurricanes weren’t helped by some scrum issues, with Numea regularly pinged for collapsing the scrum.
Eventually, however, the Force got some pay as the ever-reliable Mac Grealy scored out wide after Nic White put some width on the ball and found space. Donaldson’s sideline effort saw the Force lead 14-5 at half-time.
Cron would have been livid with the way his side started the season half, with the men in blue passive in contact.
Nick Champion de Crespigny remonstrates with Hurricanes during their draw at HBF Park on April 19, 2025. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
It allowed the Hurricanes to win the contact zone and seize the momentum.
Fullback Callum Harkin cut the margin in the 48th minute and it looked like the fleet-footed back was to score a second soon after but instead bottled a certain try as he attempted an unnecessary ball back on the inside for Cam Roigard.
The Hurricanes eventually got their third try though as Fineanganofo grabbed his second. Along the way, White was forced off with a concussion after a nasty head clash.
The visitors looked like they would run away with the game as Billy Proctor entered the fray and looked threatening, but the New Zealanders couldn’t put the Force away.
Needing a sniff, Donaldson landed a match-leveling penalty but couldn’t add a second soon after with both sides forced to settle for two points each.
The draw saw the Force leapfrog the Waratahs into fifth on 22 points, while the Hurricanes moved to within three points of NSW on 18 points.
Despite failing to walk away with the win, Williams said he thought they were “heading in the right direction” ahead of their two-week two of New Zealand.
“We see the growth there,” he said.
“Although we would have loved to have come away with the win, we’ll take those lessons and we’ve got two weeks in New Zealand now.
“Every week’s crucial, everyone’s beating everyone in the competition, so we’re really excited to get over to New Zealand and take the lessons moving forward.”
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, take on the Brumbies in Canberra next Saturday.
“It doesn’t get any easier for us, and I’d say the Force are in a similar vote,” Kirifi said.
“We’ve just got to win. We’ve got to be inward focussed and be internal. Canberra’s a massive task, we haven’t won there in a long time.”
