The Western Force’s push for a Super Rugby Pacific finals spot is now on life support after a hard-fought 24–14 defeat to the Chiefs in Perth on Saturday night.
In front of 5,394 fans at HBF Park, the Force showed real grit and moments of promise, even drawing level early in the second half to ignite hopes of an upset. But when it mattered most, the Chiefs’ composure and class proved decisive, as they took control of the contest and never let go.
The visitors struck first after sustained pressure, with Luke Jacobson crashing over in the 22nd minute to reward the Chiefs’ early dominance. The Force, however, refused to fold. A crucial defensive stand, followed by a turnover from scrumhalf Henry Robertson, shifted momentum just enough to give the home side a foothold in the game.
That spark turned into points soon after. A high ball from Ben Donaldson was brilliantly gathered by George Bridge, whose carry set the platform for Max Burey to finish a fortunate but well-taken try that brought the Force level.
Still, warning signs lingered. Defensive gaps began to appear, and the Chiefs were quick to exploit them. Just before halftime, Josh Jacomb sliced through the line, beating Bridge and sprinting 30 metres to restore the visitors’ lead at 14–7.
The Force came out of the break with renewed intent. Their persistence paid off in the 49th minute when captain Jeremy Williams burrowed over from close range to level the scores at 14–14, setting up a tense final half hour.
But that would be as close as they would get.
The Chiefs responded with authority, their forward pack asserting control through a rolling maul that ended with Samisoni Taukei’aho crossing in the 58th minute. Even when reduced to 14 men after Ollie Norris was shown a yellow card in the 64th minute, the visitors held firm, denying the Force any way back into the contest.
A late penalty from Damian McKenzie in the 79th minute sealed the result and underlined the Chiefs’ discipline under pressure.
For the Force, the defeat leaves them second from bottom on the table with just one win from six matches and only four points to their name. Crucially, they failed to secure a losing bonus point, a detail that could loom large with just eight games left in the regular season.
There was, however, a glimpse of what might come. Former NRL star Zac Lomax was spotted warming up with the squad, suggesting his long-awaited Super Rugby debut may be imminent.
But for now, time is not on the Force’s side. Their season is slipping, and unless results turn quickly, their finals hopes may soon flatline altogether.
Teams
Western Force: 15 Max Burey, 14 Darby Lancaster, 13 George Bridge, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Bayley Kuenzle, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Henry Robertson, 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 5 Darcy Swain, 4 Jeremy Williams (captain), 3 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Tom Robertson
Replacements: 16 Leonel Oviedo, 17 Sef Fa’agase, 18 Misinale Epenisa, 19 Lopeti Faifua, 20 Will Harris, 21 Nathan Hastie, 22 Hamish Stewart, 23 Divad Palu
Chiefs: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Leroy Carter, 12 Etene Nanai-Seturo, 11 Josh Jacomb, 10 Xavier Roe, 9 Simon Parker, 8 Quinn Tuapea, 7 Luke Jacobson (captain), 6 Samipeni Finau, 5 Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 4 Josh Lord, 3 George Dyer, 2 Brodie McAlister, 1 Jared Proffit
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Ollie Norris, 18 Sione Ahio, 19 Fiti Sa, 20 Kaylum Boshier, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Kyle Brown, 23 Kyren Taumoefolau
Referee: Marcus Playle
Assistant Referees: James Doleman, Ben O’Keeffe
TMO: Glenn Newman
English