The Western Force left gio stadium with a 32-15 loss to the ACT Brumbies on Saturday, but Simon Cron still said his side can fight its way into the finals. The defeat kept the Force nine points outside the top six with three games left, and their next chance to cut that gap comes against the sixth-placed Queensland Reds at HBF Park.
Cron Keeps Finals Hope Alive
Cron did not hide from the result. “It’s disappointing. I thought in the first half we made a couple of bad decisions. We got inside the 22 and we flung it wide too early rather than going through the front door,” he said.
He pointed to a few moments around maul time and discipline as the breakdowns that helped the Brumbies stay in control. “A few key decisions around maul time, we let them off the hook. A little bit of discipline and collision. They won the collision I felt tonight and we gave away quite a few penalties that put us back in our 22,” Cron said.
When asked if the Force were still in finals contention, he answered: “One hundred per cent,” and added, “We’ve got three games at home. I think the boys will be keen to get back home in front of the crowd back in Perth.”
Jeremy Williams Targets Perth Return
Williams tied the mood to the team’s return home. “Can’t wait to get back to Perth in front of the Sea of Blue,” he said, after the Force completed their latest away trip.
He also said the side must reset quickly. “We’ve got to get on with it. Next up is the Reds,” Williams said. “We’ve got to prepare like we do every week and start back at the bottom of the mountain and work our way up.”
The captain added that the Force had already beaten Queensland in Brisbane a month ago, a result that gives Saturday’s meeting at HBF Park a clear edge. Win that match, and the gap to the top six shrinks to four points with two more home games still to come.
HBF Park Run Starts Against Reds
That run begins on Saturday 16 May at 5:35pm against the sixth-placed Queensland Reds, before the Fijian Drua arrive on May 23 and the NSW Waratahs on May 30. All three matches are at HBF Park, and the Force now need the sort of home stretch Cron and Williams both believe is still in reach.
