Rugby - Dominant Chiefs extinguish Force's slender playoff hopes

(Reuters) - Western Force's slim hopes of a Super Rugby playoff place were snuffed out on Saturday when they were handed a 54-21 thrashing by Waikato Chiefs as the New Zealanders maintained their push for a top-four finish and homefield advantage in the next round.

Quinn Tupaea scored a hat-trick for a Chiefs side that picked up a bonus point as a result of the eight tries scored by Clayton McMillan's dominant outfit.

The Chiefs raced into a 21-0 lead inside the opening half hour before being pegged back deep into their own half as the Force desperately sought a way into the game.

Toni Pulu reduced the deficit ahead of the interval but it was not enough to spark a revival, and the Chiefs went on the rampage in the second half.

Tupaea had powered through two challenges to give the Chiefs an 11th minute lead and Aiden Ross increased his side's advantage when he smuggled the ball over the line 14 minutes later.

Tupaea's second followed five minutes later and, although Pulu put Western Force on the board when he scored in the corner, the Chiefs soon showed the gulf between the teams.

Six minutes after the restart Tupaea completed his hat-trick after fending off Jake McIntyre.

Kaleb Trask increased the Chiefs' lead in the 48th minute and, although Jeremy Thrush scored for the Force, Tupou Vaa'i's try and a double for Samisoni Taukei'aho killed off the game.

Queensland Reds picked up a 34-22 win over the Moana Pasifika on Friday to secure their first victory this season against New Zealand-based opposition while the Canterbury Crusaders handed the Fijian Drua a crushing 61-3 defeat.

(Reporting by Michael Church in Hong Kong; Editing by Bradley Perrett)