Force feel wrath of Rokocoko
Western Force coach John Mitchell was left to rue missed opportunities as All Blacks winger Joe Rokocoko bagged a hat-trick of tries in the Blues' 38-17 Super 14 win in Auckland on Saturday.
Gunning for a franchise record-equalling third straight win, the Force enjoyed over 60 per cent of territory spent five more minutes in their opponent's 22.
But they failed to capitalise on their territorial domination and a promising start and were given a lesson in finishing and opportunism by the free-flowing Blues.
The home team scored the first six tries - three of them to Rokocoko - to lead 38-3, before a late flourish earned the Force some deserved respectability on the scoreboard.
In the final three minutes, flanker David Pocock muscled his way over the line and the Force were awarded a penalty try after some lazy running from a Blues defender, with fullback James O'Connor converting both tries.
The Force let a possible 13 points go begging in the first 12 minutes, despite holding an early 3-0 lead.
O'Connor kicked just one out of three penalties and never got the chance to convert what should have been a simple try to winger Mark Bartholomeusz, who dropped the ball with the line beckoning.
Rokocoko quickly punished such profligate play, crossing for the Blues' first two tries, as the New Zealand side piled on 19 unanswered points in just 12 minutes to take control.
"If we converted that pressure things may have been different, but that's could have and should have," Force coach John Mitchell told AAP.
Rokocoko rounded off a sweeping left-to-right move for his first five-pointer after 18 minutes and was in again seven minutes later after sweeping onto an inside pass from five-eighth Stephen Brett.
He was also involved in the build-up to the Blues' third try, scored by Tony Woodcock off a pass from fellow prop John Afoa.
The Force went to the sheds 19-3 down after failing to capitalise on a 13-phase move in the Blues' 22 and a five-metre scrum feed.
Dangerous halfback Alby Mathewson notched the Blues' bonus-point try within six minutes of the second half, when he scampered 30 metres through some inadequate defence after taking a quick tap.
Rokocoko completed his hat-trick after 52 minutes, charging onto a short ball from inside centre Luke McAlister.
The Blues recorded their sixth try when their other winger, Rudi Wulf, slid over following a break from McAlister following a lineout.
Mitchell opted to substitute replacement prop Matt Dunning rather than run the risk of finishing with 14 men, after the Wallaby front rower was penalised in a number of scrums by referee Keith Brown.
Force skipper and lock Nathan Sharpe praised the Blues for their ball control in slippery conditions, but felt his team lacked creativity.
"We just tried to sledgehammer away at the Blues and obviously we need to be a bit more subtle," Sharpe said in his post-match TV interview.
"Tonight is a good learning experience for us and we need to get better."
Centre Ryan Cross (diaphragm) was the only Force casualty.
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