If anyone doubted how they would adapt shorn of their backline general, the Chiefs' attack did much to silence those doubts. Marty McKenzie turned in a solid display in the No 10 jersey, kicking well both in general play and from the tee to add 15 points with the boot.
The first five rarely ran but he barely had the reason, not with the physicality in front of him and the flair on his outside. But the Chiefs won't be getting too carried away, given there were extenuating circumstances contributing to a level of control that belied the eventual eight-point margin.
The last thing the luckless Force needed was to see red, yet halfback Ian Prior left Angus Gardner with no choice but to brandish that particular colour, with his tip tackle on Tim Nanai-Williams as dangerous as it was foolish.
The dismissal left the 14-man Force with 50 minutes to play and was especially cruel considering the visitors had initially looked nothing like a team who had lost eight straight, playing with purpose and and a level of composure that produced the game's opening try.
But the problems for the Force presented two-fold. The first issue was at scrum time where, even before Prior's dismissal led to the withdrawal of flanker Angus Cottrell, they had already been pushed back 10 metres in the first scrum of the game.
The substitution saw the Chiefs gain even more ascendancy in the scrum and, after they were prevented a first-half pushover try only by illegal means, another dominant set piece in the second spell saw Gardner award a penalty try.
The other issue for the Force was when were without the ball. Because the Chiefs' attack played near its electric best, exemplified in the move that led to their opening try from Charlie Ngatai.
Nanai-Williams played a huge part in both that and the Chiefs' general threat, proving elusive whenever he was possession, while the midfield combination of Sonny Bill Williams and Charlie Ngatai left the Force overmatched in the middle of the park.
But, if the attack was a strength, the defence was unusually weak, shipping two tries in five minutes to allow the Force closer than they had any right to be. Perhaps, missing Cruden and the rested Liam Messam, the decision to withdraw Sam Cane and Brodie Retallick left too much experience sitting on the sidelines.
Whatever the reason, the Chiefs were left grateful for Nanai-Williams match-sealing try, securing a bonus point and a victory that showed there is indeed life after Cruden.
Chiefs 35 (Ngatai, Elliot, Nanai-Williams tries, penalty try; McKenzie 3 pens, 3 cons)
Force 27 (Cottrell, Morahan, Hodgson, Tessmann tries; Burton pen, 2 cons)
HT: 23-8
