The Chiefs cemented a Super Rugby playoff spot with a 27-21 win over the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Friday.
The win was long-delayed revenge for the competition leaders, who were beaten 23-19 by the Highlanders in February’s opening round.
Tim Nanai-Williams opened the visitors’ account early after Sonny Bill Williams sliced through the midfield, found Tawera Kerr-Barlow on his inside who offloaded for Nanai-Williams to finish the 60-metre move.
The Highlanders kept in touch through three Chris Noakes penalties, but the Chiefs hit back late as halftime approached.
Giant prop Ben Tameifuna charged down a Noakes kick, and the Chiefs swung into attack mode. Kerr-Barlow and Williams featured again before new All Black Brodie Retallick’s quick hands found fullback Robbie Robinson out wide.
Ahead 18-9 at halftime, the Chiefs went further ahead at the restart through an Aaron Cruden penalty before the Highlanders hit back.
Fired up after a brawl following a Williams shoulder charge, replacement hooker Andrew Hore burrowed over from an attacking lineout to narrow the gap to just seven.
The battle up front was unrelenting, and the Chiefs scrum was kept under pressure by a Highlanders front row in no mood to back off.
But the mistakes crept in as the match wore on, and the Highlanders coughed up too much possession as they lost momentum and play grew increasingly scrappy.
With barely five minutes left, the Highlanders capitalised on some aimless Chiefs kicking to regain territory and Hosea Gear’s try came after strong Highlanders rucking.
Mike Delany added the extras, setting up a tense final few minutes which tested the Chiefs defence mightily right until the final whistle.
James
Guest
whether people see it as a shoulder charge or not, I hope someone in the next round or 2 can give one back to SBW. Remind him of his last couple of games in NZ before he buggers off to mungo ball.
atlas
Guest
agree; I understand this is not a feature of Wellington's stadium either, it will remain forever roof-less
Yeah, Bryce must be my favourite referee in the world. ;)
moaman
Roar Guru
that would be too sensible.
Expat in Mongolia
Guest
As with all rules, shoulder charges are a matter of interpretation by the ref of the day but I have got to agree SBW’s are at the extreme edge of the acceptable curve. One thing I have noticed and to me seems to be getting worse is players going off their feet at rucks and closing off the ball. Players just seem to flop over the ball which the ref lets go. All teams do it and generally no penalty ensues.
KiwiDave
Roar Guru
Bryce did have a shocker. Just looked on the Super XV and low and behold, guess their writers must read here because they just posted a story about the Chiefs wrapping up the NZ conference LOL!
Sylvester
Guest
Strange performance from the Crusaders. They seemed all over the Canes, but missed crucial first-up tackles. Taylor's missed penalty didn't help near the end didn't help. The less said about Blind Bryce the better.
kevin mac
Guest
you were "hoping that Hoeata was going to step up to the plate"?! what plate is he going to step up to when compared to sbw he would be a boxing novice?! it's like expecting sbw to "step up to the plate" of taking on one of the klitschko's!!! you obviously have no understanding about the full intricacies of boxing...it's not just about being able to move your arm from a stand-still position. any punch hoeata would have thrown would have been easily negated by sbw's defensive instincts, and all it would take sbw is 1 perfectly weighted and timed punch to fell hoeata like a tree. ....but for some people, reality hurts.
KiwiDave
Roar Guru
After tonight loss by the Crusaders to the Hurricanes, the Chiefs have now secured the New Zealand conference. They can get flogged in their next two games and it wont change the fact they cannot lose the NZ conference. The have 62 points and 12 wins. Next best is Crusaders with 52 point and 9 win. Even two 8+ point losses by the Chiefs and 2 bonus point wins by the Crusaders will see 62 points each and Chiefs winning the conference based on superior number of wins. Well done Chiefs. Conference secured....Now win the whole lot
kevin mac
Guest
refs totally over-reacted. i think if there hadn't been the scuffle then sbw wouldn't have been penalised. but i think they penalised him because they saw how the scuffle distracted and paused the game and felt obliged to punish someone for that. i also reckon hoeata and crosswell (though not as much) need to suck it up and not be so sensitive to aggressive play.
Absolutely agree with you on that.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
Shoulders in the ruck are pretty much common place anyway, only a few pedantic refs pick up on the really obvious ones. There is a simple way to fix everything about the ruck that has most people annoyed and frustrated weekly. It's so simple that it astonishes me why the muppets in charge have not figured it out yet. Bring back rucking.
Kuruku, I am saying they were lucky as I have seen those shoulder charges been blown oten as well.It goes to the consistency of the application of the law. If you blow one, you have to blow them all. Simples. Talking about the player that walks offside on the ruck, it is time that the self same shoulder charge you are talking about is legallised at the ruck, shunt the toffee out of the guy if he is offside, maybe that will be the only way to force the referee to notice it.
Damien
Roar Guru
Agreed there Jerry, although I took SBW's ref management as a sign that even SBW felt that he was abit in the wrong. Nothing from Crosswell even though he came in as things were settling down, and inflamed the situation even more. Crosswell style during the ref's lecture was better. I think it was more of a scuffle than brawl though..
Sylvester
Guest
If they don't do it now I doubt they ever will, even with scope for retro-fitting. I'll just buy more thermals with the rates saved...
p.Tah
Guest
They should at least build a stadium that allows for the addition of a roof at a later stage.
Sylvester
Guest
Christchurch City Council this week voted against a roof for the new stadium. Shame, given it was literally freezing for the ABs test, but understable given we ratepayers have a city rebuild to pay for.
Jerry
Guest
Pretty poor ref management from SBW there.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
It is great for the spectators but you do need to wonder now how much advantage the Highlanders have lost. Visiting teams from Queensland and such can come down to Dunedin mid winter and have a nice calm roofed stadium, where as in the past, numbing cold rain and wind would have given the home team the advantage. "The house of pain" will now be "The house of comfort"
Emric
Guest
agreed put a lid on the cake tin