WATCH: Bryce Hegarty with well-taken try in Western Force’s win over Highlanders

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Western Force fly-half Bryce Hegarty caught the eye with a well-taken try in his team’s 30-17 victory over the Highlanders in their Super Rugby Pacific clash in Perth on Saturday.

In the fifth minute, the Force launched an attack on the Highlanders’ 10-metre line and Toni Pulu did well to beat a couple of defenders before throwing an inside pass to Hegarty just outside the Highlanders’ 22.

The fly-half still had plenty of work to do but did brilliantly to beat Mitch Hunt with a superb side-step before crossing the whitewash for the first points of the match.

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Hegarty dusted himself off before adding the extras and increased the home side’s lead when he slotted a penalty in the 13th minute to give his team a 10-0 lead.

Sam Gilbert then opened the Highlanders’ account when he added a three-pointer off the kicking tee shortly afterwards but that was the last time the visitors would score points during the half as the Force took control of proceedings.

On the half-hour, mark Manasa Mataele went over for the home side’s second try, which Hegarty converted, and just before half-time referee Nic Berry awarded a penalty try to the Force after repeated defensive infringements from the Highlanders.

That gave the Force a 24-3 lead at the break but the Highlanders came out firing in the second half and narrowed the gap to seven points courtesy of converted tries from Connor Garden-Bachop and Andrew Makalio during the early part of the second half.

Despite that comeback, the Force finished stronger and sealed their win when Hegarty succeeded with two further penalties in the game’s final quarter.

Video credit: Super Rugby Pacific