Force vs Chiefs: Super Rugby live scores, blog

The video above does not show the try in question but you can see it here - http://www.smh.com.au/video/video-sport/video-rugby-union/chiefs-pip-force-in-perth-20170422-4t8f1.html In this clip, at 0:24 there is a maul of six Force players driving one defender backwards. At 0:25 two more defenders join the maul - one legally at the back and Messam illegally at the side. There are no defenders remaining between the maul and the tryline. At 0:26, the two legal defenders and one offending one slow the right side of the maul but are helpless to stop the left side (consisting of ball carrier Hodgson and his blindside, to whom he remains bound the whole time) continuing forward. They go straight (no "changing lanes") and side by side. If anything, Hodgson is in front. Freeze it and look at their feet. It's an odd trailer that travels alongside or slightly in front of its truck... At 0:27 Hodgson is tackled but can't be stopped and goes over at 0:28. It is only as they cross the line and everyone goes down that the blindside ends up in front of Hodgson. That is a try every day of the week; I have no doubt that it would've been a try in your book had it been the Chiefs who went over. If no try was scored, there is a clear case for a penalty try. No one is denying you overall bragging rights, but there are no grounds for blaming some botched defence and a fair try on the ref, as you did above.

The query is not how they splintered but the fact, they did splinter and the consequences, thereafter. But thank you for this update.

Just watched it again in slow mo. It's very clear that Messam's illegal side entry - far from being irrelevant, as you claim - was what caused the maul to splinter in the first place. With only 2 legal defenders getting pushed backwards by 6 attackers and with no one behind them, there was no hope of stopping a try. This of course takes nothing away from the fact that we were outplayed and the Chiefs were deserving winners.

Piru Aah, welcome to the conversation mate. Let me ask you this very simple question since you are/were, a referee. In the play that's presently under discussion, do you consider that Hodgo and the Fijian lad, splintered from the original line-out maul?

works out the same doesn't it?

Old bugger I think you need to take your eye patch off mate. Ref was very lenient in allowing your boys in front of the ball and also in allowing tacklers to go for the ball without releasing first. You got a lot of leeway and to moan about the few things not picked up is a bit mean spirited imo

Rebellion has another negative comment to throw west How refreshing

Chiefs have a couple of blokes who'd make good offensive linemen - pity blocking is illegal in rugby. Your boys got away with a lot and got away with the win - I wouldn't pull too hard at the ref thread.

I disagree that the two flankers formed a new "mini-maul". The Chiefs simply ran out of defenders - it was 6 on 1 or at best 6 on 2. The ball carrier never lost his bind to his teammate in the maul and on they went. Otherwise, what is to stop teams committing one defender only to a maul, have him fall off quickly and then cry out for offside play? What is more, the two flankers went to the line alongside each other, not with the ball carrier trailing. Hodgson was tackled virtually on the line and only then did his teammate go past him. Furthermore, as you admit, Messam joined the original maul consisting of 6 attackers from the side as it steamed toward the line against 1 - 2 defenders, and with no further defenders between the maul and the tryline. Why is that not a penalty try?

I have no problem with forming the line-out maul. It is only when Hodgo and I don't know his name (the Fijian lad) break off the maul and proceed on together, is where I have a problem. I assume you've seen the game and replays - in the space of 3-5m, these two players, form a mini maul and make their way, towards the try line. You will also notice that in this same space, no Chief defender is obstructing their progress until, the Force players are close, to scoring. Except, the Fijian lad is leading Hodgo who happens to be, the ball carrier and eventual try-scorer. That action, in those 3-5m of forward progression, is a truck and trailer play that would've gained a penalty, for the opposition. Do you notice when they both actually go to ground for the try to be scored, that Hodgo actually rolls over his team-mate, to place the ball?? And btw, Messam's intrusion was irrelevant to this t-n-t play because, it happened before Hodgo and his team-mate, splintered off the original, line-out maul but thanks anyway, for your input.

Give it a rest, OB. The Force formed a maul of 6 against one hapless defender and only two more joined, one of whom (I think Messam?) clearly came in from the side. They never had a hope of stopping the try. Why can't we just say that even playing below par, the Chiefs were too good for the Force and leave it at that?

The crowd was fantastic, great to see!

Aah Robert - come back when you've got something new, to actually write about like, your team winning and scoring bonus points. Better still, and I'm hoping they do, when the Force are chosen to remain, in the competition. Until then bye, bye.....

How about you stop whining as your team did win.

Robert There you go - did your team win??? I don't think so - so stop whining about it. Btw, come back and chat, when your team has won and picked up, try-scoring bonus points.

whining, not winning

As opposed to diving over the tackled player and lying on the far side of the ruck like the Chiefs did. or tackling the pillars 2m away from the rucks. That is obstruction and slowing the ball down. As for dismantling the Force scrum, only happened after the Force front row was exchanged and were only two of those. the rest the Force got their ball out. Chiefs going down onto one knee at the other scrum, hence penalty against them. Your second to last paragraph says it all. You are whinging 'cause an Aust side shown some passion and worked on their mindset. You're the one with the mental bias who's winning 'cause his team didn't get a bonus from a game that he thinks he his team should made a cricket score on. If there was any home ground advantage, it is nothing more than what the kiwi teams get, e.g. the try scored by the 'saders whilst the Force scrum half had his hands on the ball. The neck tackle on TPN should have been a red card. Hoew about you grow up as OB=obviously biased.

Crazy Horse And, I'm not Sitting Bull either but, you fail to mention in your perspective, that the calibre of 5 of those Chief's wins, resulted in try-scoring bonus points, being secured. It's not all about points differential - teams can lose a match by 3points but still, cough up a try scoring bonus point, to their opponent and in this competition, bonus points become the key criteria, at the pointy end.

Lets put some perspective on this. The Chiefs are on top of their form. Results so far: Defeated Highlanders 24-15 (+9 points) Defeated Blues 41-26 (+ 15 points) Defeated Hurricanes 26-18 (+ 8 points) Defeated Rebels 27-14 (+13 points) Defeated Bulls 28-12 (+ 16 points) Lost to Stormers 26-34 (-8 points) Defeated Cheetahs 41-27 (+14 points) Defeated Force 16-7 (+ 9 points) As you can see, apart from the Chiefs Narrow defeat by the Stormers, the Force's losing margin to the rampant Chief's is better than most teams they have played this season, right up there with the best of the New Zealand teams. One try each, beaten only by penalties goals. The Force were beaten but by no means disgraced. Attendance was 14,089 despite a 5:45pm kick off on a day when 10 clubs kicked off Premier Grade at 3:00 pm. In a city where many people follow more than one sport having the Dockers and Fever playing at the same time certainly didn't help either. Good to see Premier Mark McGowan (also a passionate Docker's supporter) there with his kids.

I guess that joke just went right over your head then?