Resurrection for Chiefs in Western Australia

Chiefs 26 Western Force 9

PERTH - The Chiefs resurrected their 2006 rugby campaign with a morale-boosting 26-9 win over the Western Force in Perth last night.

Not only did the Hamilton-based side score their first win of the season, they grew in confidence as the game went on with their fleet- footed back division punishing the competition newcomers for three tries.

The back three of Sitiveni Sivivatu, Sosene Anesi and Mils Muliaina ran rampant at times and combined for the night's best try which saw centre Mark Ranby score 80 metres later after Anesi had fielded a rogue kick near the Chiefs' 22. Seven Chiefs handled in the sweeping movement.

It wasn't always pretty by any means, with the Chiefs coming in with a solitary bonus point, while the hosts were dead last after two rounds.

The Chiefs now move to five points and after three opening matches on the road have a run of two home games, starting with Queensland's Reds next Friday night in Hamilton. The Force head into the bye and their coach John Mitchell will need the time to lift his side up to the required level of this competition.

The early stages of last night's match at Subiaco Oval were notable for both sides conceding basic penalties which allowed their respective goal kickers opportunities to get the scoreboard moving.

Cameron Shepherd knocked over three for the home side while Stephen Donald potted his first two attempts as the two winless sides struggled to impose themselves with any consistency. Basic errors were common and the Force struggled throughout to make simple one-on-one tackles, while their tactical kicking was woeful.

The Chiefs dominated possession and field position but initially seemed to lack ideas with the ball in hand and relied on the barging play of Sione Lauaki and Aleki Latui to get over the gain line. It took the Chiefs 22 minutes to get attacking ball out to their potent backline and it paid immediate dividends with fullback Muliaina creating enough space for winger Sivivatu to outpace the cover and slide over in the left hand corner.

Donald missed the angled conversion and two more penalty attempts before he punished the Force for a lineout infringement right on the break.

Chiefs' coach Ian Foster may have a dilemma over who will start in the No 10 jersey against the Reds with Donald not making the most of his opportunities in the opening rounds.

Despite kicking his first two shots Donald had a shocker with the boot, missing four other attempts before he was replaced by Loki Crichton who fared little better with none from two.

Muliaina scored the final try after Anesi, running outside Crichton in a set play from a lineout, burst through the defence on an angling run to find the former Aucklander in space.

The Chiefs lost a bleeding Ranby from the field during the final 10 minutes after he clashed heads with an opponent when a bonus point try looked a possibility.

The win moved the Chiefs up to eighth position with the rest of this weekend's round still to be played.

* Scores: Chiefs 26 (Sitiveni Sivivatu, Mark Ranby, Mils Muliaina try, Stephen Donald 3pen, 1con ) Western Force 9 ( Cameron Shepherd 3pen) HT 14-9 Chiefs.

- DAILY POST (ROTORUA)