Five things we learnt from Force-Chiefs

The Western Force couldn't continue their HBF Park magic, going down 43-19 to the Chiefs.

The visitors defied a raft of changes in an impressive outing just before the finals.

Meanwhile, the Force will rue their finish to the year, losing twice to fall out of the finals.

So what did we learn?

1 FINALS LOCKED IN

After plenty of twists and turns, the finals picture is locked in for 2023.

The NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds will have to make history to advance to the semi-finals, off to NZ to face the Blues and Chiefs.

Neither team were at their best on Saturday and need a serious lift to become the first Australian team to ever win a playoff game in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, the Brumbies face a tough challenge against the Hurricanes in Canberra, coming off a great win over the Crusaders.

It concludes with the Fijian Drua entering new territory, looking to replicate their magic against the Crusaders.

Friday: Blues (3) vs Waratahs (6) in AucklandSaturday: Crusaders (2) vs Drua (7) in ChristchurchSaturday: Chiefs (1) vs Reds (8) in HamiltonSaturday: Brumbies (4) vs Hurricanes (5) in Canberra

2. GONE IN A FLASH

Any hopes of the Force making the finals went out the door in the first 20 minutes.

The nerves and pressure of making the knockouts showed early as the Chiefs tore apart some soft defence.

They lost the collision battle early and were at the mercy of Shaun Stevenson and a largely rotated backline.

The Force had more carries, territory and possession but went into the break down 22 points.

It was summed up late in the half when Carlo Tizzano, one of the better tacklers in the comp, missed an easy one-on-one to allow Samipeni Finau to score

3. DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

Max Burey continues to prove his class in Super Rugby.

He set the tempo with a 50-22 whilst producing a lovely grubber to set up Tim Anstee.

But his greatest play was saved for the end, chasing his own kick that was almost certainly another 50-22, getting a grubber to it before diving over for a great individual try

Rumours of Ben Donaldson’s signing continue to swirl, but Burey has shown he deserves a look at long-term.

It also speaks to the quality running around in the Shute Shield waiting for their chance to shine at the next level. For those after a similar impact, look at Hunter’s Connor Winchester whilst his club teammate Donny Freeman is a gun back-rower.

4. BUILDING BLOCKS

The Western Force once again miss out on the finals but there are positive signs in Simon Cron’s first season in charge.

They have unearthed some serious starts in Sam Spink and Jeremy Williams, locked in for next year whilst they need to find a way to keep Zach Kibirige.

The addition of Nic White and Harry Potter will only add to their classy backline.

The only concern remains around the front-row and the lack of depth if Fainga’a, Medrano and Robertson are all missing in 2024. Marley Pearce is a star of the future but it has to be an area they need to strengthen heading forward.

5. DEPTH SHINES

The Chiefs never once looked like a team that made mass changes.

It speaks the quality of the likes of Shaun Stevenson and Anton Lienert-Brown, starring for the minor premiers.

Stevenson has been the most improved player in 2023 and is at short odds to make his All Blacks debut. He’s dangerous whenever he engages the line and it’s remarkable to think how close he was to heading to the NRL with the Dolphins.

Meanwhile, Lienert-Brown is all class and delivered a true captain’s knock to deliver a commanding win.