The Western Force came agonisingly close to a first win this Super 14 season against the Waratahs on Saturday night and the improved performance leaves them in a positive frame of mind ahead of next week's clash against the Bulls.
The Force came into the clash without a point and facing a Waratahs team that had just piled on 73 points against the Lions and that task seemed a big one after the WA-side had allowed the Reds to score 50 the week before, but from the outset they showed they were primed for battle.
The Force had the better of the opening period of the match before Drew Mitchell came back to haunt his former club with the opening try. Scott Staniforth then brilliantly intercepted a Berrick Barnes pass to put the Force courtesy of a James O'Connor conversion.
Two Waratahs penalties had the visitors back in front 14-10 and that's where it stayed, but the Force ferociously attacked for the last 20 minutes to only narrowly avoid the match-winning try thanks to strong defending from the visitors and pedantic refereeing from Jaco Peyper.
Coach John Mitchell wouldn't discuss the refereeing, but was proud of his team's effort and felt they deserved the victory. There was at least some consolation for the Force though with the bonus point gained from the loss handing them their first point of the season.
"We'll just leave that to our review and we'll go through the proper process. It's too emotional at this stage to discuss that area so we'll have a look and be objective about it," Mitchell said.
"I think the boys did deserve to win that in the end. They hung in there for a long time, got plenty of possession toward the end and just didn't get any conversion for that pressure. I'm thrilled with the way they initiated and it's a really good point for us to go from. It's pretty tough to swallow now considering the effort and amount of work that went in, but we gave ourselves a chance."
The Force's injury problems haven't improved though, with Dane Haylett-Petty a late withdrawal with an ankle injury.
He was replaced at full-back by Mark Bartholomeusz and during the game try-scorer Staniforth hurt his quad and lock Sam Wykes suffered a badly corked thigh, while David Pocock, Cameron Shepherd and Richard Brown are all still on the sidelines.
Captain Nathan Sharpe wasn't sure if his communication with the South African referee was helping, but he was proud of his team's performance and is looking forward to locking horns with his old sparring partner Victor Matfield and the Bulls at ME Bank Stadium next week.
"There was definitely communication out there as to what was going on, whether or not his interpretation was similar to mine maybe not, but that's the way football goes. Some nights you get that rub of the green and certainly I don't think we got that," Sharpe said.
"We've got a great opportunity this week with the Bulls at home and that's a big challenge. I know that all the guys have now had a taste of playing some good attacking football with good defence, so hopefully that continues."
"We are in a situation now where each week for us is all about getting better and better. The Bulls are on top of the table still and they have been the benchmark the last year or two so it's a great opportunity for us to get them on their first trip away."