Chiefs crush Western Force with ruthless 56-22 victory
Luke Jacobson was one of the try scorer for Chiefs
©Steve Haag
The Chiefs delivered a powerful statement of intent as they demolished the Western Force 56-22 in a high-paced Super Rugby Pacific encounter.
The match, played at Tauranga's Bay Oval, saw the table-toppers overcome a competitive first half to storm home with a blistering second-half performance that left the visitors chasing shadows.
The Chiefs struck first with an early penalty from Josh Jacomb, setting the tone for what promised to be an intense contest. However, the Force hit back almost immediately, capitalizing on a stolen lineout to send Bayley Kuenzle charging over for their first try of the night.
Refusing to be rattled, the Chiefs responded when Shaun Stevenson cleverly set up Emoni Narawa to cross the line. Yet, the Force stayed in the fight, with Harry Potter finishing in the corner after exploiting a rare lapse in the Chiefs' defensive line.
The tide began to turn when Sio Tomkinson was yellow-carded for a high tackle on Jacomb. The Chiefs didn’t waste their numerical advantage, with Samisoni Taukei’aho bulldozing over from a close-range scrum.
Even though Ben Donaldson slotted a penalty to level the scores at 15-15, the Chiefs were gaining the upper hand.
A crucial and somewhat controversial moment before halftime saw Kaylum Boshier awarded a try despite suspicions of a knock-on. That gave the Chiefs a valuable 25-15 lead heading into the break, with momentum firmly swinging their way.
Whatever was said in the Chiefs' changing room worked wonders. They returned to the field with renewed purpose and ferocity. A searing break from Jacomb created space for Ollie Norris to crash over early in the half, stretching the Chiefs’ lead.
The Chiefs’ tempo went up another notch as Cortez Ratima darted over for their fifth try. The Force did manage to respond through Harry Potter, who grabbed his second try, but it was merely a brief interruption to the Chiefs’ onslaught.
Ratima completed his brace soon after, showcasing slick support play, and captain Luke Jacobson added his name to the scoresheet by controlling the ball expertly at the back of a dominant scrum.
Daniel Rona then capped off the night, finishing off an eighth try as the Chiefs closed the game with a commanding 56-22 margin.
