Rugbyu: Force demolish Tonga

PERTH: The Western Force beat Tonga 47-17 in their World Series Rugby match in Perth on Sunday.

Controversially kicked out of the Super Rugby competition last year but revived by Australian mining magnate Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest for a series of exhibition matches that he hopes will be a precursor to a new Indo-Pacific championship, the Force dominated the match.

Having beaten Fiji 21-14 in the first match of the series last weekend, the Force came up against a Tongan side about which little was known prior to the match.

It was essentially a second-string Tonga side and it was no match for the Force, with injuries and a couple of yellow cards not helping the cause of the visitors.

The home team ran in six tries, and also earned a penalty try, while the Tongans were only able to cross twice.

The Force started brightly, running in three tries in the first 20 minutes through Rod Davies, Andrew Deegan and Marcel Brache, who finished with a brace.

At 21-3 and with Tonga under siege it looked like a lopsided encounter, but the visitors then struck back with successive tries in the last 10 minutes of the first half through James Faiva and Kelekolio Hifo, only to trail 21-17 at the half.

However, the second half was again one-way traffic as the Tongans tired and the Force pulled away with tries to Clay Uren, Brache and Brad Lacey.

The Force also won a penalty try as the Tongan injury toll continued to mount and the visitors spent most of the half defending grimly.