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It was glorious at times, but only at times. The Chiefs never really looked threatened, but Sam Cane’s men made hard work of putting away the lowly Highlanders in Hamilton.
In the end the Chiefs came away with a bonus point 28-7 victory, but the scoreline didn’t quite reflect the home side’s dominance. If only they had been able to take their chances.
Indeed, the Chiefs did their best to throw the match away.
They led only 8-0 at half-time, with one gloriously taken try to Etene Nanai-Seturo try in the sixth minute.
But for the rest of the half they made linebreaks and then either dropped the ball cold or kicked it away. It was as if the Chiefs were playing to keep their season alive by having to improve an already marvellous for-and-against. It was helter-skelter stuff but little came off.
Damian McKenzie and Shaun Stevenson were the two major culprits.
Damian McKenzie’s game had a bit of everything against the Highlanders in Hamilton, New Zealand. Photo: Michael Bradley/Getty Images
Both men dazzled but frustrated too.
It was like they’d been given the keys to a Ferrari but hadn’t been behind a wheel in years.
If it was an All Blacks selection, crosses would have been put next to their names by Ian Foster and Joe Schmidt.
Control deserted them and for McKenzie, particularly, that crucial aspect to Test rugby has long been his Achilles heel. A brilliant ball-running utility back, there are few players on the planet who can do what “D-Mac” can do. But the jury is still out on whether he’s a fly-half or fullback, especially at Test level.
Stevenson, meanwhile, contributed to the Chiefs’ inability to retain possession in the first-half as he kicked the ball ahead rather than retaining the possession and going again.
In the end, two tries in three minutes early in the second half saw the Chiefs pull away. The two five-pointers came after the Chiefs chose to hold onto the ball and recycle quickly.
“We came up against a Highlanders side that was pretty desperate and we knew their first two weeks weren’t a true reflection of where they’re at as a team,” captain Sam Cane said.
“So we were expecting a real tough battle and I think that’s exactly what we got. That first 50 minutes was a real arm wrestle. They defended extremely well, forced us into mistakes and we just couldn’t quite get enough points on the board for the possession that we had.
“We managed to score a couple of quick ones but again they stayed in it. It was a typical Highlanders team, very gritty.”
Chiefs forward Naitoa Ah Kuoi is tackled by the Highlanders on March 10, 2023, in Hamilton. Photo: Michael Bradley/Getty Images
The Chiefs were given a fright when Sam Cane was yellow carded for a dubious off-side call. Making matters worse winger Mosese Dawai powered his way past McKenzie and over the line to score the Highlanders’ first.
But after blowing another opportunity soon after, Stevenson’s second ensured the Chiefs managed to come away with the bonus point.
“Rugby can be a simple game when you get the fundamentals right,” Cane said.
“When our set-piece is humming and when our carry, clean game is really sharp we’ve got guys that can find space. Pretty pleased with some of the tries we scored tonight.”
Acting Highlanders captain James Lentjes lamented his side’s inability to hold onto the ball.
“Half-time, obviously, down eight-nil. We thought we hadn’t even had a chance to fire a shot,” he said.
“We defended for 40 minutes and then we almost came out with a bit of a breeze. I just think we spent too much energy and in the second half they got early points and we let their outsides get too much time on the ball and they just ripped us apart really.
“I don’t think that yellow card (to Test flanker Shannon Frizell) helped. We’re just making errors. Every time we’re building pressure – it’s been the story of our season – we’re making errors and then we’re letting all the pressure off and they playing on top of us.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.