Chiefs vs Western Force: The rich get richer, Chiefs' biggest weakness

A sombre ANZAC ceremony got the first match of round 11 underway in Mount Maunganui, where the Chiefs hosted the Western Force.

A hard-fought opening half made way for another Chiefs avalanche in the second period, with the hosts running in five tries to one to pull away as 56-22 victors in a game that got chippy late.

Wallace Sititi made his highly anticipated return, and the Chiefs ended the game with a halfback on one wing and an openside flanker on the other.

Here are some takeaways from the contest.

The rich get richer

The reintroduction of not just Wallace Sititi but also Kaleb Trask displayed the embarrassment of riches in this Chiefs squad.

Trask was thrown into the action at fullback after the exit of Anton Lienert-Brown and made an impressive return from injury, using his boot to find distance and operating as a nifty playmaker to set up a linebreak that led to Ollie Norris’ try.

The utility back was a great option on the bench for Clayton McMillan, who opted for a 6/2 split to include two loose forwards. That tactic was tested when Trask left the pitch early with a heavily strapped ankle, leaving Cortez Ratima to see out the final 26 minutes on the wing while Lienert-Brown ended the night in a sling, meaning openside Kaylum Boshier was moved to the wing late.

The Chiefs’ bench provided some of the most superb performances of the night, with Ollie Norris coming on early and getting to work with the ball in hand. The prop maintained his energy throughout the match and was up to the challenge of turning up the heat when inexperienced Force reserves entered the fray. Simon Parker also continued his impressive ’25 campaign.

Sititi got through 10 minutes in his return and was sure to make them count, with a linebreak and smooth ball handling while spearheading pods and the lineout. Little defence was required in those final passages.

The Chiefs’ biggest weakness

The core season stat rankings read very, very well for the Chiefs. Across 17 of 21 key stats, the Chiefs rank in the top four.

It sets the team apart from even the second-placed Crusaders, who have clear strengths and weaknesses on paper.

The impressively robust numbers are let down only by lineout efficiency, which ranks seventh at 84 per cent. On Friday evening, the Chiefs came up against the competition’s best outfit in that respect in the Western Force.

Darcy Swain has proven to be Super Rugby’s most prolific lineout exponent this season in both total takes and steals.

The Wallaby’s pressure contributed to the ladder-leaders operating at just 77 per cent at lineout time, with their first effort of the night seeing the ball thrown without any player getting lifted.

Cohesion and execution issues have plagued the club this year, and we need only cast our minds back to the 2022 Super Rugby final to see what impact a lacking lineout can have under the bright lights of finals football.

The Crusaders dismantled the Blues at Eden Park in that game, with much of that dominance and momentum owing to the lineout work. It wasn’t like the Blues were an overly poor team in that regard throughout the season, and that is the warning for this Chiefs side, who, as it stands, have a decent chance of meeting the Crusaders in the big dance.

Harry Potter can cast doubt on Lions

The Force’s magic man was again exceptional on Friday night in the Mount, dotting down twice and making a game-high of three linebreaks.

The 27-year-old was able to create and capitalise on opportunities even when momentum was firmly in the hosts’ favour, finishing one of the most clever and rapid tries you’ll see in the 10th minute. The play saw Ben Donaldson take a quick restart after Emoni Narawa’s try, finding open grass and rolling the ball over the tryline where Potter, remarkably, won the race to score.

It was a superb piece of heads-up rugby and the kind of quick thinking that will no doubt catch Joe Schmidt’s attention.

Max Jorgenson is expected to return to fitness in time for the Lions series and is a shoo-in to start on the left wing for the Wallabies, but the right wing is still up for grabs.

With the third-most defenders beaten and offloads in 2025, Potter has been running rings around teams in Super Rugby and is in the kind of form that should be rewarded at the next level.