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'One of the stupidest things I've done': Force star's relief after almost costing his side victory over Rebels

By Sam Smith
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Western Force star Jack McGregor says his blunder at the end of his side’s tight Super Rugby AU victory over the Melbourne Rebels “was probably one of the stupidest things” he has done in his playing career.

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The Force emerged from AAMI Park with a crucial 16-15 win that keeps their hopes of play-offs football alive with two rounds remaining in the regular season.

That victory could well have been snatched from them after the clock had expired, though, as the Rebels were handed a golden opportunity by McGregor to clinch a late win.

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With time up on the clock, the Force had possession at a breakdown near their own 22 and McGregor ran into cover at halfback, where attempted to kick the ball into touch to bring the match to an end.

However, a desperate charge down by Rebels prop Lucio Sordoni kept the ball alive and sparked a furious onslaught towards the Force’s line.

The hosts’ bid to conjure up a late winning play ended up luckless, though, as Reece Hodge’s 83rd minute drop goal attempt sprayed well wide of the mark.

That didn’t stop McGregor from conceding that his botched kick for touch wasn’t his finest moment on the rugby field.

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“Very happy, it was probably one of the stupidest things I’ve not only seen, but done on a rugby field at the end there with the kick,” the fullback told Stan Sport after the match.

“Just lucky to get away with it and win the game. So very happy.

“Relief – a lot of stress on my shoulders there in the last couple of minutes when I gave the ball back to them after the whistle. Very happy that we got the win and a lot of relief now.”

The result hasn’t forced any alterations to the Super Rugby AU table, but the Force now lie one point astray from the Rebels, who sit in a preliminary final spot in third place.

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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