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Nine-try Chiefs thrash Western Force


The dangerous Chiefs have had little trouble dispatching Super Rugby Pacific's last-placed Western Force.


The Chiefs ran in nine tries on their way to a 56-7 drubbing of the Force at Hamilton's FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday night, moving into the top-four in the process.



The bottom-ranked Force's poor away record against New Zealand-based sides never looked like being overturned, with the Chiefs taking the lead in the second minute and never looking back.


Chiefs wing Daniel Rona was the biggest beneficiary of the Force's soft defence, with an impressive hat-trick. And discipline was a big problem, with the Force conceding seven unanswered penalties in the opening 25 minutes.


A Damian McKenzie penalty and a try in each corner for wings Emoni Narawa and Rona had the visitors on the ropes after just 14 minutes.


And when All Blacks playmaker McKenzie crossed untouched off a scrum play soon after, alarm bells were truly ringing.


Chiefs Super Rugby Pacific rugby
The Chiefs scored nine tries in the rout of the Western Force. PHOTO: SUPER RUGBY

The visitors only found their feet in the contest when their pack forced a penalty try on the half-hour that saw Chiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. 


But any hope of a comeback was quashed when Chiefs hooker Bradley Slater punched in an early second-half try from a lineout maul.


The Chiefs ran rampant late, scoring three tries in the last 11 minutes as the wheels really fell off for the visitors. Replacment prop Tryrone Thompson, Rona and reserve outside back Josh Ioane found the try-line.


McKenzie was in sparkling form, with his fancy footwork helping him run rings around the Force and create the bulk of the Chiefs' attacking opportunities.


The Chiefs (7-0-3, 33 points) face Moana Pasifika (3-0-7, 14 points) in Auckland on Friday (kick-off 7.05pm), while the Force (2-0-8, 10 points) return to Perth to battle the Fijian Drua (4-0-6, 17 points) on Saturday (kick-off 11.55pm NZ Time).


Chiefs 56 (Emoni Narawa, Daniel Rona 3, Damian McKenzie, Tupou Vaa'i, Bradley Slater, Tyrone Thompson, Josh Ioane tries; Damian McKenzie 4 con, pen) Western Force 7 (Penalty try). HT:

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