The Chiefs earned their fourth victory of the 2016 Super Rugby season by hammering the Force 53-10 in Hamilton.
The Chiefs outscored the Force by nine tries to one which earns them their second try bonus point for the season and the final score is a record margin for the Chiefs against the Force.
Chiefs fullback Damien McKenzie had an off-night with the boot but scored two tries. The star of the match was however Charlie Ngatai who scored four tries for the home side.
The Hamilton side were expected to fade in the latter stages of the match as they had to travel back from Argentina for this match but they did most of their scoring in the final quarter.
By full time the Chiefs had scored 41 unanswered points against the Force who were kept scoreless in the second half.
Ngatai, so far a one-Test All Blacks centre, left the Force grasping at shadows as he opened up in the second half.
He scored his first try five minutes after the break, and his fourth finished off a 40-minute period peppered with inventive off-loads that mesmerised the Australians.
A turnover by Cane sparked the first try with Damian McKenzie making the initial break inside his own 22 and after the ball had passed through eight sets of hands McKenzie was there to finish the move 80 metres downfield.
The Force briefly had their tails up when a Peter Grant penalty and a converted try to Ben Tapuai put them ahead 10-5.
But closing in on half-time, Michael Leitch broke off the back of a five-metre scrum for the Chiefs second try and with McKenzie adding the extras the 2012-2013 champions hit the lead again and never looked back.
After Ngatai’s try to open the second half, the Chiefs’ next three to Toni Pulu, Ngatai and James Lowe, came within 10 minutes while Force backrower Angus Cottrell was in the sin bin.
McKenzie bagged his second try and Ngatai his third and fourth in the closing minutes while Chiefs folk hero and the All Blacks 2011 World Cup final match-winner Stephen Donald made a 10-minute cameo at the end and kicked the final conversion.
Next week in Round six the Chiefs play the Brumbies in Canberra while the Force play the Highlanders in Dunedin.
Final Score Chiefs 53 (12) Force 10 (10)
Scorers
Chiefs
Tries – D.McKenzie 2, M.Leitch, C.Ngatai 4, T.Pulu, J.Lowe
Pen –
Con – D.McKenzie 2, S.Donald
Drop –
Cards –
Force
Tries – B.Tapuai
Pen – P.Grant
Con – P.Grant
Drop –
Cards – A.Cottrell (55th minute yellow)
Match Officials
Referee: Mike Fraser
Assistant Ref 1:Paul Williams
Assistant Ref 2:Brett Johnson
TMO : Glenn New
Teams
Chiefs
1. Mitchell Graham , 2. Hika Elliot , 3. Siate Tokolahi , 4. Michael Allardice , 5. Taleni Seu , 6. Tom Sanders , 7. Sam Cane (c-c) , 8. Michael Leitch , 9. Brad Weber , 10. Aaron Cruden (c-c) , 11. James Lowe , 12. Charlie Ngatai , 13. Seta Tamanivalu , 14. Sam McNicol , 15. Damian McKenzie , ,
Replacments ; 16. Rhys Marshall , 17. Atu Moli , 18. Siegfried Fisi’ihoi** , 19. James Tucker , 20. Sam Henwood** , 21. Kayne Hammington** , 22. Stephen Donald , 23. Toni Pulu**
**denotes Super Rugby debut
Western Force
1. Pekahou Cowan , 2. Heath Tessmann , 3. Tetera Faulkner , 4. Ross Haylett-Petty , 5. Adam Coleman , 6. Brynard Stander , 7. Matt Hodgson (C) , 8. Angus Cottrell , 9. Alby Mathewson , 10. Peter Grant , 11. Semisi Masirewa , 12. Solomoni (Junior Rasolea) , 13. Ben Tapuai , 14. Marcel Brache , 15. Dane Haylett-Petty
Replacements : 16. Chris Heiberg , 17. Nathan Charles , 18. Jermaine Ainsley , 19. Sitiveni (Stevie) Mafi , 20. Ben McCalman , 21. Ryan Louwrens , 22. Ian Prior , 23. Albert Nikoro
