Winger Daniel Rona has scored a try hattrick to power the Chiefs to a record 56-7 victory over Western Force at Hamilton, but the result may have come at a cost, with All Blacks Damian McKenzie and Samipeni Finau both forced off the field with injury.
Finau departed midway through the first half with a shoulder stinger, after crashing the ball over his 22 and colliding heavily in the tackle. McKenzie also suffered a heavy collision, as he provided a try assist to Rona in the second half, and wandered off.
Coach Clayton McMillan confirmed he was about to be subbed anyway, so was never likely to return.
The home side wasted little time taking the initiative, with first-five McKenzie slotting a penalty for the early lead. Next time down the field, they compiled 14 phases of possession, before unleashing winger Emoni Narawa to the corner for the opening try.
Opposite winger Rona dived over in the other corner to continue the onslaught. From a scrum in the Force 22, the Chiefs ran a set move for McKenzie to cross for the third try.
Soon after Finau was subbed off, lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi followed, but another attacking scrum provided the platform for lock Tupou Vaa'i to score.
The Force finally found field position and a series of penalties on the tryline eventually led to a penalty try, as the Chiefs lost captain Kaylum Boshier for cynical infringement at the ruck.
The visitors were almost in again on the stroke of halftime, but centre Sam Spink was held up over the line.
Ahead 29-7 at the break, the home side began the second half still shorthanded, but soon after they returned to full strength, hooker Bradley Slater scored off the back of a patented lineout maul.
McKenzie provided a highlight reel defensive play, when he dived fullstretch to field a kick from Force fullback Kurtley Beale, calling a mark, before sliding into touch.
The Force were under pressure again, when Chiefs centre Quinn Tupaea kicked to the tryline and first-five Ben Donaldson fumbled his attempted gather, conceding a five-metre attacking scrum to the Chiefs.
From the set-piece, McKenzie held up his pass, before offloading to Rona for his second try. McKenzie immediately left the field for his concussion check.
The Force's plight became even worse, when second-five Hamish Stewart was yellow-carded, and from the penalty, replacement hooker Tyrone Thompson took a return pass at the front of the lineout to score.
From the kickoff, Thompson surged over halfway, debutant prop Kauvaka Kaivelata carried strongly, and replacement halfback Xavier Roe floated a long pass to Rona for his hattrick and his team's half-century.
The Chiefs saved possibly their best for last, when fullback Etene Nanai-Seturo counterattacked over halfway and kicked for Rona to chase, but the ball bounced infield, where Thompson pounced to send first-five Josh Ioane across.
"We were pretty happy with how we played last week, especially around our physicality and our set-piece, but we really challenged the guys to find some consistency in our game, because we've been a bit up and down," reflected McMillan.
"It wasn't all perfect out there tonight, but we showed enough to score some good tries and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
"[Daniel Rona] doesn't have too many bad games. He's just accurate and has an uncanny ability to turn up in all the right places, a really good decisionmaker and a really good find."
The bonus-point result sees the Chiefs pass ACT Brumbies for third on the table, although the top-ranked Aussies would reclaim their standing with victory over Fijian Drua later on Saturday night.
They head north to face Moana Pasifika at Auckland's Go Media Stadium on Friday.
Chiefs 56 (Rona 3, Narawa, McKenzie, Vaa'i, Slater, Thompson, Ioane tries; McKenzie penalty & 4 conversions) Western Force 7 (penalty try)
