The tone was set from the opening kick-off. The Force struggled to bring the ball in cleanly, and Quinn Tupaea was quick to swamp the player who did secure the loose ball on the ground to earn the penalty.
It was the start of a strong performance from the Chiefs second five-eighths, who secured three turnovers with his work at the breakdown throughout the contest. He also led the side in carries in an attacking onslaught from the Waikato side.
Halfback Cortez Ratima was again strong in the starting jersey, showing his knack for taking the right option as he put a teammate over the line for an easy try three times. Daniel Rona, starting on the left wing, bagged a hat-trick – often in the right place at the right time with his support play and rewarded for that.
The scrum for the Chiefs was strong from the get-go, with Aidan Ross and George Dyer making their impact felt at the set piece, while hooker Bradley Slater, openside flanker Kaylum Boshier and No 8 Wallace Sititi went looking for work on both attack and defence. The Chiefs won the physicality battle, and that allowed their backs to play with freedom.
There was a lot to like in a game the Chiefs were allowed to dominate, but there will be some concerns for McMillan when the dust settles, however. All Black Samipeni Finau, the Chiefs’ loose forward enforcer, was forced off the pitch after just 23 minutes with an arm injury. The blindside flanker looked in some discomfort as medical staff accompanied him off the pitch.
Lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi followed just five minutes later, as he was withdrawn from the game with an apparent leg injury. Late in the contest, first five-eighths Damian McKenzie was forced from the pitch for a head injury assessment and did not return.
Right wing Emoni Narawa opened the scoring just six minutes in, doing well to avoid being dragged into touch before he got the ball down. While it looked as though his foot might have scraped the chalk, the referees were happy with replays showing his foot was in the air and did not contact the paint before the ball was placed. It was Narawa’s eighth try of the season – a solid hit-rate considering he missed the first four rounds.
Tries to McKenzie, Rona and Tupou Vaa’i soon followed, and the Chiefs led 29-0 after 30 minutes.
The Force came into the game late in the half and struck through a penalty try when Boshier brought a lineout drive down illegally and was subsequently sent to the sin bin.
Leading 29-7 at halftime, the Chiefs needed just seven minutes in the second half to break the Force line once more, Slater crossing from a lineout drive. Rona claimed his second about 10 minutes later, and when Force second five-eighths Hamish Stewart was sin-binned for the side’s repeated penalties, the floodgates opened.
The Chiefs ran in three more tries in the final 20 minutes – all unconverted – to claim a 49-point win.
Chiefs 56 (Daniel Rona 3, Emoni Narawa, Damian McKenzie, Tupou Vaa’i, Bradley Slater, Tyrone Thompson, Josh Ioane tries; Damian McKenzie 4 cons, pen)
Western Force 7 (Penalty try)
HT: 29-7
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
