Classy Chiefs too strong for Force in Hamilton

Sat, May 4, 2024, 8:45 AM
AAP
by AAP

The Western Force's disappointing Super Rugby Pacific campaign has hit another low point, thrashed 56-7 by a merciless Chiefs outfit.

It proved easy work for Chiefs (7-3), taking the lead inside two minutes and rarely taking their foot off the gas in the nine-tries-to-one beating in Hamilton on Saturday.

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The bottom-ranked Force's poor away record against the New Zealand-based sides never looked like being overturned as their season record dropped to 2-8.

They've lost all three of their encounters across the ditch - by an average margin of 32 points.

Chiefs winger Daniel Rona was the biggest beneficiary of the Force's soft defence with an impressive hat-trick.

Discipline was a big problem, the Force conceding seven unanswered penalties in the opening 25 minutes.

A Damian McKenzie penalty and a try in each corner for wingers Emoni Narawa and Rona had the visitors on the ropes in just 14 minutes.

And when All Blacks playmaker McKenzie crossed untouched off a scrum play soon after, alarm bells were truly ringing.

The visitors only found their feet in the contest when their pack forced a penalty try on the half-hour that saw Chiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. 

But any hope of a comeback was quashed when Bradley Slater punched in an early second-half try foe the Chiefs from a lineout maul.

The Chiefs ran rampant late, scoring three tries in the last 11 minutes as the wheels really fell off for the visitors.

McKenzie was in sparkling form, with his fancy footwork helping him run rings against the Force and create the bulk of his side's attacking opportunities.

The Force return to Perth after their two-game trip to NZ, set for a two-game homestand against the Fijian Drua and the NSW Waratahs.

CHIEFS 56

Tries: Narawa, Rona 3, McKenzie, Vaa'i, Slater, Thompson, Ioane

Cons: McKenzie 4/5, Narawa 0/1, Ioane 0/3

Pens: McKenzie 1/1

FORCE 7

Tries: Penalty Try

CHIEFS v WESTERN FORCE TEAMS

CHIEFS (1-15): Aidan Ross, Bradley Slater, George Dyer, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Tupou Vaa'i, Samipeni Finau, Kalyum Boshier (c), Wallace Sititi, Cortez Ratima, Damian McKenzie, Daniel Rona, Quinn Tupaea, Anton Lienert-Brown, Emoni Narawa, Etene Nanai-Seturo

RESERVES: Tyrone Thompson, Ollie Norris, Kauvaka Kalvelata, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Luke Jacobson, Simon Parker, Xavier Roe, Josh Ioane

FORCE (1-15): Josh Bartlett, Tom Horton, Santiago Medrano, Tom Franklin, Jeremy Williams (c), Will Harris, Carlo Tizzano, Reed Prinsep, Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Ben Donaldson, Chase Tiatia, Hamish Stewart, Sam Spink, Bayley Kuenzle, Kurtley Beale

RESERVES: Feleti Kaitu’u, Marley Pearce, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Izack Rodda, Michael Wells, Henry Robertson, Max Burey, Henry O’Donnell

Referee: James Doleman

Assistant Referees: Jono Bredin, Fraser Hannon

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