The Chiefs have won eight of their last nine Super Rugby matches against the Western Force (L1), including their last four in succession; their only defeat in that span was an 18-15 loss in March 2014.
The Chiefs have won all five of their previous home games against the Western Force in Super Rugby competitions, including a 53-10 win when they last hosted them (26 March 2016) – the biggest win in the history of this fixture.
- The Waikato men have lost three of their last four Super Rugby Pacific games at home (W1), including a 10-point defeat to the Brumbies in their last home game (38-28 – 7 May 2022); they had won five consecutive home games before that five-game stretch.
- The Western Force have lost 15 of their last 17 Super Rugby games, including their last six in succession.
- The Force has conceded 50+ points in their last two games; only once in Super Rugby history has any team conceded 50+ points in three consecutive games (Sunwolves in Round 14-16, 2016).
- The Western Australian’s last Super Rugby win against a New Zealand outfit was an 18-15 win against the Chiefs in Round 6, 2014; they have since logged 24 consecutive defeats in Trans-Tasman matches.
- The Western Force has made 20 lineout steals, the most of any team in the competition and six more than the Chiefs (14).
- The Chiefs have scored nine tries starting possession from a kick return this season, the joint-most by any team in the competition (also Crusaders – 9) and six more than the Western Force (3).
Players to watch
- Quinn Tupaea has made dominant contact on 38 carries, the most of any player in the competition and nine more than Western Force’s best Manasa Mataele (29).
- Santiago Medrano has conceded 19 penalties in 2022, the most of any player in the competition and nine more than any Chiefs player (Quinn Tupaea – 10).
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
In the meantime, why not have a look at the match preview.
1.00: PEEEP! We are underway at FMG Stadium, Waikato, Hamilton.
3.00: The Western Force begins an arduous three-match game week to end the season. A loss today all but kills any chance of making the playoffs.
6.00: The scrums have been a mess so far, and the ref has already spoken to both sets of forwards. World Rugby really needs to get a grip on the scrum because it is a disgrace.
8.00: An offside and deliberate knock-on allows Sam Cane to opt for a kick to the force’s 22.
10.00: Chase Tiatia is tackled into touch near the flag, but the Chiefs will get a centrefield scrum after Reesjan Pasitoa strayed offside. The Chiefs have the most tries in Super Rugby Pacific (7), with a 64% strike rate.
11.00: Santiago Medrano is pinged as the Aussie pack goes backwards. We are in penalty try territory.
12.00: TRY! Bryn Gatland broke to the blindside of the scrum and drew his man before hitting Quinn Tupaea, on the angle, who carried Ian Prior over the line for his fourth try of the season. 5-0
13.00: CONVERSION! Kaleb Trask adds the extras. 7-0
16.00: Western Force uses their strong lineout to set up an attack inside the opposition’s 22. The Aussies win a couple of penalty advantages as they go through the phases.
17.00: The visitors kick to the corner after an 11-phase attack ends with no advantage for two penalties. Santiago Medrano hit Sam Cane from the side of a ruck, and the All Blacks flanker leaves the park.
18.00: Superb work by the home forwards to stop the driving maul for a scrum.
22.00: The Chiefs pack is killing the visitors in the scrum. Another penalty lead to Weber going close before the Force conceded a penalty at the breakdown, which Gatland booted to the corner.
24.00: Some resolute defence by the Force sees Santiago Medrano steals the ball from Brad Weber. The Aussies, however, only clear to their 22 after taking the ball back.
25.00: TRY! Another sustained attack by the Chiefs (nine phases) ends with Aidan Ross crashing through Izack Rodda and Feleti Kaitu’u to score next to the left post. 12-0
26.00: CONVERSION! Gatland cannot miss. 14-0
28.00: Another monster scrum ends with the Chiefs being awarded yet another penalty.
29.00: Santiago Medrano is having a tough day, he has been pinged three times; once for side entry; once for collapsing the scrum; and for offside.
30.00: TRY! Tupaea combines with Gatland before crashing through several defenders with a powerful leg drive to claim his second of the afternoon.
31.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 21-0
32.00: TRY! Tim Anstee won the restart to set up an attack on the Chiefs’ 22. Jake McIntyre saw Toni Pulu alone on the sideline and hit the winger with an accurate crossfield kick for the 33-year-old to claim his 19th Super Rugby score. 21-5
33.00: CONVERSION! Jake McIntyre adds the extras. 21-7
36.00: The Force kick to the corner.
37.00: The Western Force, whose set-piece has been terrible, cannot get their rolling maul going yet again. Several phases later, Samipeni Finau wins the turnover and the hosts clear.
39.00: The Australians are hammering away at the line, they are going through the phases but have lost their shape before winning a penalty under the posts for a high tackle.
42.00: Tremendous defence by the Chiefs, who repel the rolling maul, stop the pick and drive before forcing a pass into touch.
The halftime score was Chiefs 21 Western Force 7
41.00: PEEEP! We are back underway in New Zealand.
44.00: A few mistakes to start the second stanza, but I fully expect the tries to keep coming.
46.00: HAT-TRICK! Tupaea collected Gatland’s deft offload on the angle, he slipped Kaitu’u and Jake Strachan’s weak tackles, and dotted down for his treble. 26-7
47.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 28-7
50.00: TRY! Sensational score from the Chiefs. It came from Gatland’s midfield break from halfway to the 22. The standoff popped to Tupaea, who got stopped short. The ball went wide to Pita Gus Sowakula, whose overhead offload allowed Trask to be put away untouched. 33-7
51.00: MISS! The kick is wide. 33-7
55.00: The Force are all over the place. Weber is sent away by Pita Gus, but Richard Kahui saves his team’s blushes.
57.00: TRY! Pita Gus went close after he broke off another bulldozing scrum before Tupou Vaa’i picked up and scored. Easy as you like. 38-7
59.00: CONVERSION! Gatland lands another. 40-7
61.00: TRY! Thrush crashes over. 40-12
62.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 40-14
64.00: It’s all Chiefs at the moment, it has been all game.
66.00: TRY! Samisoni Taukei’aho flops over after another powerful driving maul. 45-14
67.00: CONVERSION! Gatland makes no mistake. 47-14
71.00: The Force sets up an attacking lineout on the Chiefs’ line.
73.00: TRY! Brad Lacey’s linebreak sets up Michael McDonald’s late score. 47-19
74.00: CONVERSION! McDonald converts his try. 47-21
76.00: TRY! Taukei’aho has another. 52-21
77.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good again. 54-21
79.00: The Chiefs are looking for more…
82.00: the Chiefs go close, but the Force kick to touch to ens their misery.
FULL TIME
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The final score is Chiefs 54 (21) Force 21 (7)
Scorers
Chiefs
Tries – Tupaea (3), Ross, Trask, Vaa’i, Taukei’aho (2)
Pen –
Con – Trask, Gatland (6)
Drop –
Cards –
Force
Tries – Pulu, Thrush, McDonald
Pen –
Con – Prior, McIntyre, McDonald
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: James Doleman
Assistant Ref 1: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 2: Dan Waenga
TMO: Chris Hart
Teams
Chiefs: 15 Kaleb Trask, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Alex Nankivell, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Chase Tiatia, 10 Bryn Gatland, 9 Brad Weber (co-captain), 8 Luke Jacobson, 7 Sam Cane (co-captain), 6 Pita Gus Sowakula, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Samipeni Finau, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Bradley Slater, 1 Aidan Ross.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Josh Bartlett, 18 George Dyer, 19 Hamilton Burr, 20 Mitch Brown, 21 Xavier Roe, 22 Inga Finau, 23 Rameka Poihipi.
Western Force: 15 Jake Strachan, 14 Byron Ralston, 13 Kyle Godwin, 12 Reesjan Pasitoa, 11 Toni Pulu, 10 Jake McIntyre, 9 Ian Prior, 8 Jackson Pugh, 7 Tim Anstee, 6 Fergus Lee-Warner, 5 Izack Rodda, 4 Ryan McCauley, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Feleti Kaitu’u (captain), 1 Tom Robertson.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Ready, 17 Angus Wagner, 18 Bo Abra, 19 Jeremy Thrush, 20 Will Sankey, 21 Michael McDonald, 22 Richard Kahui, 23 Brad Lacey.
