Western Force’s dreams of a first Super Rugby Pacific finals have been shattered in a 43-19 loss to the table-topping Chiefs in a do-or-die clash at HBF Park.
The Chiefs rested plenty of stars on Saturday in 11 changes to the side that beat the Brumbies in the previous round to secure top spot.
But their depth and class shone through as they ended the Force’s unbeaten home run of six games.
They were well-drilled, had power across the park and bullied the Force, effectively sealing the win with four first-half tries.
They added two more after the break with the Force crossing three times.
The Force’s fate was in their own hands after earlier results opened the door to a play-off berth but coach Simon Cron was not helped with having to make two late changes.
He brought in Brazilian prop Wilton Rebolo – who has been playing club rugby in Perth – for his Super debut, replacing Argentine international Santiago Medrano, while winger Toni Pulu came off the bench to replace Zack Kibirige.
The Force needed a fast start but their kicking game gave the Chiefs too many counter-attack options.
The Chiefs carried powerfully across the park and continually bent the Force line as the home side missed too many tackles.
The Force struggled to break the Chiefs defensive superiority and they dominated the opening salvos.
Cron said they “gave away” tries in the first half and after the break let the Chiefs dominate first contact and get quickly over the gain line.
“Just a little bit of either indecision or cohesion at key moments,” Cron said.
“We need to be able to handle that.
“Couple of our key rucks guys got cleaned out too easily.
“Contact dominance was the major issue.
Cron said 14 players in the game-day squad were new this season.
“It bodes well for us in terms of learning from those experiences, understanding what it’s like to be in big moments in big games,” he said.
“They will be better for the games. We just need to grow, add some depth.”
Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan said it was “well documented” that competition points did not mean much.
“It was important that we go into next week with momentum,” he said.
“The result was very pleasing.”
Chiefs second row Laghlan McWhannell opened the scoring inside eight minutes, converted by Rameka Poihipi, before full-back Shaun Stevenson sliced open the defence and Poihipi sent a pin-point kick to the corner for Anton Leinert-Brown to add the second.
Soon after Liam Coombes-Fabling picked off a Hamish Stewart pass to race home from 60 metres.
The Force finally had a lengthy spell on the Chiefs line and Carlo Tizzano squirmed over. Max Burey added the extras.
Their joy was short-lived when Samipeni Finau strolled through poor defence for the Chiefs’ fourth try, converted, and they finished the first-half with a Poihipi penalty.
After the break scrum-half Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi quickly added more pain with the Chiefs fifth.
Reserve flanker Tim Anstee won the race to a chip to score to give the Force some hope but the Chiefs were relentless and Pita Gus Sowakula went over from the back of a scrum.
Burey then sealed a fine game with a brilliant piece of individual skill, kicking ahead and somehow keeping the ball infield before winning the chase.
Australian Associated Press