Aussie rugby riding high as Harry Potter weaves his magic for red hot Western Force
Updated . First published at
Australia has four teams in the top six of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder after the Western Force demolished the Fijian Drua in Perth.
The Force scored eight tries in the 52-15 romp over a Drua side that beat the ladder-leading Chiefs earlier this month.
That haul equalled their club record eight tries scored in a match against the Lions in 2009.
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Harry Potter of the Force runs towards the try line. Getty
Hooker Nic Dolly, who played one Test for England in 2021 and will soon be eligible for Australia, led the way with a hard earned hat trick in the Sunday afternoon sun at nib Stadium.
Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano continued his breakout campaign with a brace and is now the leading try-scorer in the competition after six rounds.
Tizzano has scored a remarkable eight tries to sit ahead of Crusaders wingers Sevu Reece and Macca Springer, who both have six.
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Harry Potter of the Force dives for the try line as Caleb Muntz of Drua tackles him. Getty
But the biggest highlight moments came from his Wallabies teammate Harry Potter, who scored two spectacular tries.
The first will be a contender for try of the season and came after Potter received the ball inside his own half.
Force fullback Mac Grealy found the winger from a quick lineout throw and Potter set off on a weaving run to leave multiple Drua defenders clutching at air on his way to the line.
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Potter's second was nearly as good.
He found space off the inside shoulder of No.10 Ben Donaldson and kicked ahead and regathered to score.
The Force led 33-5 by halftime.
"Excellent from the Western Force, underlined by their beginning where they were ruthlessly efficient in the first half and controlled the game well from there," Morgan Turinui said on Stan Sport.
"They measured the Drua and then reaccelerated to post one of the most impressive scores in their history."
The Force have never qualified for the Super Rugby finals but now sit sixth with a 3-3 record.
The top six of 11 teams make the playoffs.
"I thought we did some great stuff out there today. We held possession well in big patches and that wore them down a little bit," Force coach Simon Cron said.
"Donno (Donaldson) played some awesome footy for us but he's only as good as the players around him who help create that space.
"He had a really good game. He got some good front foot ball. We've been able to score points but the key this week was we had more people on their feet, a bit of width in our defence and we stayed connected.
"The forwards did a great job, hard carries, hard cleans and a little bit of skill play."
The win broke a run of three straight losses and the Force will now tackle the third placed Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Saturday.
