Chiefs blow Force away, Lynagh double helps Reds to victory

WRAP: The Chiefs have brushed aside an embarrassing defensive lapse to shrug off the Western Force and ensure they maintain the Super Rugby Pacific pace.

Their 56-22 bonus point Anzac Day win, in their first visit to Tauranga’s Blake Park in 12 years, shot the ladder-leaders (8-2) clear with five rounds to play before the finals.

Stung by the late loss of skipper Jeremy Williams, the Force (4-1-5) came armed with a few tricks, but their injury-hit squad couldn’t maintain the pace.

“We had good moments there, but the 50-50s and spark from the chiefs, they’re very dangerous when they get some loose ball and it’s hard to defend,” stand-in Force captain Sam Carter said.

“We wanted to come over here and hunt together … and we saw some brilliance.

“But you’ve got to put it together for 80 minutes.”

The Chiefs led 25-15 after 40 frenetic minutes, overcoming an embarrassing early gaffe to go ahead thanks to a head-scratching moment of their own.

The Force led 12-10 when flyhalf Ben Donaldson’s quick restart from a Chiefs try caught the hosts napping.

Winger Harry Potter flew past a host of snoozing Chiefs, who were still walking back to their marks, to score a bizarre heads-up try.

A yellow card for Force centre Sio Tomkinson, who clipped Shaun Stevenson high with his shoulder, slowed the visitors, though.

Prop Samisoni Taukei’aho stormed over for a try in his 100th game to put the Chiefs back in front before the sides traded penalties.

The madcap half was complete when Chiefs No.7 Kaylum Boshie was awarded a try, but only after it had been disallowed and the Force went 100 metres the other way to almost score themselves.

Play was eventually halted to confirm and explain the initial result, but further replays prompted a closer look.

Referee James Doleman then reversed his decision, returning to the other end of the field to award the try.

Ollie Norris barged over three minutes into the second half to create a 17-point buffer that quickly swelled when halfback Cortez Ratima’s support of Boshie earned him a try.

Potter scored again to keep the Force in it, grubbering ahead and calmly finishing in traffic.

Stevenson put the foot down, though in a scintillating first-phase strike from a scrum, with Ratima there again to finish the good work.

Luke Jacobson’s try then put the result beyond doubt with 12 minutes to play before Daniel Rona’s effort helped them raise the bat for their half-century.

*The Reds have steadied with a gritty 35-21 victory that’s left defending Super Rugby Pacific champions the Blues on the brink.

Less Kiss’s men started fast and then hung on in their Anzac Day clash at a wet and muddied Brisbane Stadium.

While denied a bonus point thanks to a late Blues try, the victory still snapped the Reds’ two-game losing streak and entrenched them in the top four at 6-3.

But the Blues (3-7), dominant in their march to the title last year, slipped to ninth and have work to do with five regular-season games to play.

Reds flyhalf Tom Lynagh shot out of the blocks with tries in the fourth and seventh minutes to claim the inaugural Sellars Dixon Medal for player of the match.

He put his head through a gap from close-range for the opener and then, off a Jock Campbell break, ignored his inside support to step the fullback and notch an early double.

The 22-year-old then teamed with Tate McDermott and Tim Ryan to hold up rampaging hooker Kurt Eklund.

Ryan was involved twice more in try-savers to frustrate the visitors.

Blues coach Vern Cotter had another headache when winger Mark Tele’a was yellow-carded for a spectacular tipping tackle that dumped Ryan on his head.

The card was upgraded to red soon after, but the Reds couldn’t capitalise, with McDermott’s probing efforts around the ruck unrewarded and Eklund finally discovering turf under the posts for the Blues.

That was some reward for the visitors’ territorial dominance that continued early in the second half, but ended in the same fashion when another try was disallowed for a knock-on.

Errant passes and poor handling in the torrid conditions robbed the Reds of any fluency.

It was as if McDermott had had enough when he skipped out of the ruck and through three Chiefs forwards to slide next to the post for a relieving solo try.

A team effort earned the Reds’ fourth, as Lachie Anderson hit a gap off a line-out set play to go through untouched.

The reply came through substitute Sam Nock, who found ample space against a back-pedalling defence to keep the Blues close.

Hooker Richie Asiata had just been substituted but was forced back into the fray with George Blake’s injury and was immediately on the board, finishing a driving maul.

Anton Segner burrowed over to take the bonus point off the Reds with five minutes to play, before Corey Evans capped a night of Blues frustration when he fumbled his attempt to ground a grubber in-goal.

All Friday’s scores and scorers below…

Chiefs 56-22 Western Force

Scorers:

Chiefs:
Tries: Narawa, Taueki’aho, Boshier, Norris, Boshier 2, Jacobson, Rona
Cons: Jacomb: 5
Pens: Jacomb 2

Force:
Tries: Potter 2, Kuenzle
Cons: Donaldson 2
Pens: Donaldson

Teams

Chiefs: 15 Shaun Stevenson, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Daniel Rona, 10 Josh Jacomb,, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Luke Jacobson (captain), 7 Kalyum Boshier, 6 Samipeni Finau, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Josh Lord, 3 George Dyer, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Aidan Ross.
Replacements: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 Ollie Norris, 18 Reuben O’Neill, 19 Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20 Simon Parker, 21 Wallace Sititi, 22 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 23 Kaleb Trask

Western Force: 15 Mac Grealy, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Sio Tomkinson, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Bayley Kuenzle, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Henry Robertson, 8 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Will Harris, 5 Darcy Swain, 4 Jeremy Williams (captain), 3 Tom Robertson, 2 Nic Dolly, 1 Ryan Coxon
Replacements: 16 Tom Horton, 17 Atu Moli, 18 Josh Smith, 19 Sam Carter, 20 Reed Prinsep, 21 Doug Philipson, 22 Max Burey, 23 George Poolman

Referee: James Doleman
Assistant Referees: Marcus Playle, Fraser Hannon
TMO: Glenn Newman

Reds 35-21 Blues

Scorers:

For Reds:
Tries: Lynagh 2, McDermott, Anderson, Asiata
Cons: Lynagh 5

For Blues:
Tries: Eklund, Nock, Segner
Cons: Plummer, B Barrett 2

Teams:

Reds: 15 Jock Campbell, 14 Lachie Anderson, 13 Dre Pakeho, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Tim Ryan, 10 Tom Lynagh, 9 Tate McDermott (captain), 8 Joe Brial, 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Seru Uru, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Josh Canham, 3 Zane Nonggorr, 2 Richie Asiata, 1 Sef Fa’agase.
Replacements: 16 George Blake, 17 Alex Hodgman, 18 Massimo De Lutiis, 19 Angus Blyth, 20 Ryan Smith, 21 John Bryant, 22 Kalani Thomas, 23 Heremaia Murray

Blues: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 Cole Forbes, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 AJ Lam, 11 Mark Tele’a, 10 Harry Plummer, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Anton Segner, 6 Cam Christie, 5 Josh Beehre, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (captain), 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Kurt Eklund, 1 Joshua Fusitu’a.
Replacements: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Mason Tupaea, 18 Hamdahn Tuipulotu, 19 Lachlan McWhannell, 20 Adrian Choat, 21 Adrian Choat, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Corey Evans

Referee: Jordan Way
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry, Jordan Kaminski
TMO: James Leckie