Western Force V Chiefs 25/04/2025

[The InnFORCEr]

Force line-up set for Chiefs’ Anzac Day clash
Wed, Apr 23, 2025, 11:58 AM
by Ben Somerford


The Western Force have made three changes to the side’s starting line-up while 20-year-old scrum-half Doug Philipson is set to debut off the bench in Friday’s Anzac Weekend Round clash away to the Chiefs.

Scrum-half Henry Robertson will make his maiden SMARTECH Super Rugby Pacific start, coming into the XV for Nic White who is out due to head injury protocols.

Reigning Force Rising Star winner Robertson has previously played 10 Super Rugby games but this will mark his starting debut.

Front-rower Ryan Coxon returns from a ribs injury to make the starting XV. Back-rower Will Harris also comes into the starting side, with Marley Pearce and Vaiolini Ekuasi both unavailable after sustaining shoulder injuries in last round’s 17-17 draw with the Hurricanes.

Sixteen-cap Wallabies lock Sam Carter returns as a finisher, while former Australia U20s representative and UWA scrum-half Philipson is in line for his Super Rugby debut off the bench.

Brandon Paenga-Amosa, who was withdrawn in the warm-up against the Hurricanes, is unavailable due to an ankle injury.

Coxon starts on the front row at loosehead prop alongside hooker Nic Dolly and Wallabies tighthead prop Tom Robertson.

Captain Jeremy Williams and Darcy Swain make up the locks, with Harris, Carlo Tizzano and Nick Champion de Crespigny in the back row, with the latter reverting to number 8 from blindside flanker.

Robertson starts alongside fly-half Ben Donaldson, with Hamish Stewart and Sio Tomkinson in the midfield.

Bayley Kuenzle – who scored a try in his successful return from a long-term knee injury against the Hurricanes – and Harry Potter will start again on the wings, with full-back Mac Grealy rounding out the back three.

Friday’s Anzac Weekend Round game kicks off at 3:05pm WST at Bay Oval in Mt Maunganui. The game is sold out. Watch live on Stan Sport.

Western Force team list

Starting XV; Ryan Coxon, Nic Dolly, Tom Robertson, Jeremy Williams (c), Darcy Swain, Will Harris, Carlo Tizzano, Champion de Crespigny; Henry Robertson, Ben Donaldson, Bayley Kuenzle, Hamish Stewart, Sio Tomkinson, Harry Potter, Mac Grealy

Reserves; Tom Horton, Atu Moli, Josh Smith, Sam Carter, Reed Prinsep (vc), Doug Philipson, Max Burey, George Poolman

Game details

Chiefs vs Western Force

Friday 25 April, 3:05pm WST

Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Live on Stan Sport

Unavailable list

Vaiolini Ekuasi (shoulder)

Harry Johnson-Holmes (knee)

Harry Hoopert (knee)

Brandon Paenga-Amosa (ankle)

Divad Palu (shoulder)

Marley Pearce (shoulder)

Dylan Pietsch (quad)

Matt Proctor (shoulder)

Nic White (head injury protocols)

https://westernforce.rugby/news/forc...-clash-2025423

[Transiting]

Best side available (what's going on with IFL?). Not resting anyone. Chief's without MacKenzie.

[The InnFORCEr]

Best side available (what's going on with IFL?). Not resting anyone. Chief's without MacKenzie.

The Chiefs without DMac are not the Chiefs!

Force by 1-7 at $17 get on it!

[Tazzmania]

Best side available (what's going on with IFL?). Not resting anyone. Chief's without MacKenzie.

IFL remained in Perth as partner is due to give birth

[chiraag]

CHIEFS (1-15): Aidan Ross, Samisoni Taukei'aho, George Dyer, Josh Lord, Tupou Vaa'i, Samipeni Finau, Kalyum Boshier, Luke Jacobson (c), Cortez Ratima, Josh Jacomb, Daniel Rona, Quinn Tupaea, Anton Lienert-Brown, Emoni Narawa, Shaun Stevenson

Replacements: Brodie McAlister, Ollie Norris, Reuben O'Neill, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Simon Parker, Wallace Sititi, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Kaleb Trask

Besides no Mackenzie, it's a very strong looking Chiefs side. We're looking very thin on the bench - can't see much positive impact coming on there.
Think we'll be within 10 after 50, and then get blown away unfortunately.
Hoping I'm wrong though!

[shasta]

Really need to bring some points home from this trip. Actually that's pretty much every week now. Coming 5th or 6th is not a great prospect. 3rd or 4th get a second chance final except in the unlikely event that 1 or 2 lose a home play off.

[Garry Owen]

Top 4 is definitely better but I think most here would settle for anywhere in the top 6 which is still a great achievement. The fact we have 2 games in NZ, one in Fiji and then a bye in the last round makes it very difficult.

Not to mention the fact we played the late game of the week last week and then first game of the week this week in NZ, how is that fair

[shasta]

Not to mention the fact we played the late game of the week last week and then first game of the week this week in NZ, how is that fair

About as fair as drawing to play in Lautoka again when they've won something like 9 of 11 there & not many elsewhere. I don't think anyone else has, which could mean one or two haven't been there at all. Nothing new there - it's only the Force afterall.
I'd call it acceptable to run 5-6th but the aim is to go higher. The anomaly with this system is the "lucky loser" chance for 3-v-4. Even better (IIRC), should 1 or 2 lose then they are re-seeded and have to travel to meet the winner of 3-v-4.

[tjs10]

We also had the sh*tty ed of the bye weeks this season:

1st bye - Between two home games, so while the players got chance for a decent rest, we weren't able to take advantage of any extended breaks before/after coast-to-coast travelling.

2nd bye - Final week of the season, so no benefit at all unless we happen to have made finals. Even then, the team can't really prepare well during the bye if we don't know who (or even IF) we are playing the following week, due to permutations dependent on the other ongoing fixtures!

As always, Force really got shafted in the allocation of not just the fixtures, but also the byes, this season.

[Garry Owen]

Anyone know somewhere down south (busselton/dunsborough) that normally show force games?

[andrewM]

Gonna be a tough gig(s)!

[Jules]

Especially without Williams 😖

[jargan83]

Chiefs on a public holiday time there lol

[andrewM]

Looks like even the cameraman blinked for that Donaldson Porter combo

[andrewM]

Bugger