Charlie Cale and Declan Meredith spark Brumbies comeback win over Force

The ACT Brumbies have turned up the heat to gas the Western Force 56-24 in a sapping season-opening Super Rugby Pacific clash in Perth.

Temperatures exceeding 35 degrees forced officials to apply Heat Stress protocols and it was the home side who wilted when it mattered most on Saturday.

The Force relinquished a 10-point lead and conceded 28 straight points mid-match as the benchmark Brumbies overcame the loss of a glut of Wallabies stars to once again claim derby bragging rights.

The victory was the perennial Australian super power’s sixth out of six in season openers against the WA franchise which has yet to make the finals since entering the competition 20 years ago.

Reigning John Eales Medallist Len Ikitau and fellow Test players Noah Lolesio and Tom Hooper departed in the off-season, while fellow Wallabies Tom Wright (knee) and inspirational captain Allan Alaalatoa (back) remain sidelined.

But the Brumbies clinically showed the more things change, the more they stay the same as two-time Australian player of the year Rob Valetini led the visitors’ fightback at HBF Park.

While Valetini offered the physical presence and power, fellow back-rower Charlie Cale played a fine role, showing pace and footwork down the left flank to drag the Brumbies into the contest with his side’s first try, then turning unlikely provider with another vital second-half try.

The Force had enjoyed all the early running, camping themselves in the Brumbies’ half and bagging the opening try through flanker Vaiolini Ekuasi.

A Ben Donaldson penalty goal immediately after the first of two three-minute water breaks skipped the hosts out to a 10-0 lead after 21 minutes.

It took the Brumbies 22 minutes to even enter the Force’s quarter but, as soon as they did, Cale crossed.

Livewire flyhalf Declan Meredith then left Wallabies stars Carlo Tizzano and  Brandon Paenga-Amosa clutching at air to give the Brumbies a 14-10 halftime lead that never looked likely.

Any home hopes of a second-half turnaround were snuffed out when Rhys Van Nek forced his way over a minute after the resumption and then Cale put Meredith over for his second try with a deft face ball.

Veteran Kurtley Beale did his best to inject some enterprise into the Force’s play, combining with fellow former NSW Waratahs playmaker Donaldson to create a try for energetic Argentine lock Franco Molina to briefly cut the deficit to 11 points.

But second tries each for Meredith and Cale, a typically opportunistic strike for speedster Corey Toole and one for fellow winger Ollie Sapsford after the siren secured the Brumbies an emphatic first-round bonus point victory.

On debut for the Brumbies, Wallabies flyhalf and yet another former NSW Waratah, Tane Edmed, nailed his first points for the ACT franchise with three conversions from three attempts after being thrust into the action late on for Meredith.