Chiefs outlast Highlanders in Dunedin

Updated June 29, 2012 19:33:19

The Chiefs have opened up an 11-point lead in the Super Rugby standings after a patchy 27-21 win over the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday night.

The Chiefs had the best possible start when Sonny Bill Williams made a burst inside the first two minutes which set up the opening try of the game from Tim Nanai-Williams.

The Highlanders got the score back to 10-9 towards the end of the first half after taking advantage of a series of infringements by the Chiefs, but just when they were trying to put pressure on the visitors, a charge-down of a Highlander kick led to the second try of the evening from Robbie Robinson.

The home side gave away a costly penalty right on half-time for offside in the ruck, and All-Black number 10 Aaron Cruden put the Chiefs out to a nine point lead at the break, 18-9.

The angst continued for the Highlanders, who gave away another penalty inside 20 seconds of the second half, and Cruden made it three from three to make it 21-9.

Ten minutes in, a Sonny Bill Williams shoulder charge started some pushing and shoving between about ten players.

Williams was penalised, the Highlanders drove for the line and were rewarded when Andrew Hore was found on replay to have touched down.

Chris Noakes missed the conversion to leave the home side down seven with half an hour left.

The locals could not breach the Chiefs' defence again until a late try from Hosea Gear gave them some hope.

However the Chiefs withstood nearly three minutes of Highlanders possession after the siren, before turning the ball over and kicking for touch to end the game.

Highlanders: 21 - Tries: Hore, Gear. Conversions: Noakes 1/2 Penalties: Noakes 3/5

Chiefs: 27 - Tries: Nanai-Williams, Robinson. Conversions: Cruden 1/2 Penalties: Cruden 5/6

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, new-zealand

First posted June 29, 2012 19:33:19

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Chiefs pip desperate Blues

Updated June 02, 2012 20:04:38

The Chiefs survived a fright from the Blues to prevail 41-34 at North Harbour Stadium, strengthening their hold on top of the overall Super Rugby standings.

A converted Rene Ranger try in the 66th minute levelled scores at 34-34 but the Chiefs illustrated their new-found maturity to score the winning try via Aseli Tikoirotuma inside the final 10 minutes.

It was Tikoirotuma's third try of the match and helped move the Chiefs to 58 points, keeping them seven points clear of the in-form Crusaders on the New Zealand conference standings.

The defeat is the Blues' 12th from 14 matches, keeping them entrenched on the bottom of the New Zealand conference.

"We are definitely happy with the five points, They were hard earned," Chiefs captain Liam Messam said.

"It was a tough game and full credit to the Blues they really took it to us."

Tikoirotuma's fourth try may have turned out to be the matchwinner, but it had appeared his third, when he finished a brilliant counter-attacking move that had given the Chiefs a 34-20 lead, was seemingly the final nail in the Blues' coffin.

The Auckland-based side, however, finally showed some of the form and spirit that had many picking them as title contenders before the season started.

The home side fought back when Chiefs lock Michael Fitzgerald became the third player yellow carded by referee Chris Pollock for sparking a fight, after home side flanker Steven Luatua and winger Maritino Nemani were sin-binned for dangerous "tip" tackles in the first half.

The Blues used their numerical advantage to score two converted tries from Rudi Wulf and Ranger, the latter a superb individual effort when he broke from an uncontested ruck and sprinted 60 metres down field, shrugging off several defenders.

The hosts had doggedly stuck with the Chiefs throughout the match, despite being pinned inside their own territory, and went into half-time level at 20-20 after Lachie Munro converted his own try following a superb break by Ranger.

Blues centre Francis Saili had also scored an early try, which Munro converted and added two penalties for the home side.

Tikoirotuma and inside centre Sonny Bill Williams scored first half tries for the visitors, while fly half Aaron Cruden matched Munro with two conversions and two penalties.

Chiefs: 41 (A Tikoirotuma 4, SB Williams tries; A Cruden 5 cons, 2 pens)

Blues: 34 (F Saili, L Munro, R Wulf, R Ranger tries; Munro 4 cons, 2 pens)

ABC/Reuters

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, new-zealand

First posted June 02, 2012 19:21:46

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Chiefs come back to bounce Bulls

Updated May 25, 2012 20:13:02

The Chiefs attacked with abandon in the second half to fell the visiting Bulls 28-22 in Hamilton on Friday and reclaim top spot in the Super Rugby standings.

Fired by slick passing from fly half Aaron Cruden and line-breaking inside centre Sonny Bill Williams, the Chiefs overcame a 16-8 half-time deficit to send the Pretoria-based Bulls back to South Africa with a second straight loss on tour.

"We're thrilled that we could kick on in a very tight game," Chiefs skipper Craig Clarke said.

"We knew we were playing some good footy and needed to keep doing what we were doing and we did that ... we didn't want to play a controlled, structured game, that's sort of their style."

Bulls fly half Morne Steyn was typically razor-sharp in front of the posts, finishing with 17 points, but his team's vaunted defence buckled under pressure to concede two tries in the second half.

Cruden's conversion after the Chiefs' third try by replacement flanker Sam Cane put the home side six points up with 10 minutes remaining and desperate drives toward the line by the Bulls ultimately came to nothing.

The Bulls held the early ascendancy after Steyn booted a drop goal over the bar but the visitors dropped the ball to allow Chiefs full back Andrew Horrell to score the first try in the 24th minute.

Cruden deftly steered a high kick into the Bulls' right corner where winger Akona Ndungane spilled the catch and the enterprising Horrell dived on the ball after kicking it over the tryline.

The Chiefs pushed hard for a second, but were repelled time and again by the Bulls on the last line of defence and were sucker-punched a minute before half-time by a Bjorn Basson try.

The jet-heeled Basson received a pass wide on the left wing and shrugged off a tackle from fellow winger Lelia Masaga before streaming over the line.

The teams traded penalties after half-time before Cruden struck in the 58th minute with a quick inside pass that allowed winger Asaeli Tikoirotuma to cross for a try near the posts and level the match at 19-19.

Steyn nosed the visitors back in front with another penalty kick before 20-year-old Cane completed a stunning move that started from the left touchline and ended in the match-winning try.

A quick pass inside from Cruden released Williams in midfield and he burst through the Bulls line and offloaded to the hard-running Cane for a try beneath the posts.

The Chiefs defended grimly over the remaining minutes and sparked raucous cheers from the crowd of 18,000 by winning a turnover ball at the breakdown to cut off a threatening drive after the siren.

Chiefs: 28 (A Horrell, A Tikoirotuma, S Cane tries; A Cruden 2/3 conversions, 3/3 penalty goals

Bulls: 22 (B Basson try; M Steyn 1/1 conversions, 4/4 penalties, 1/2 drop goals)

Reuters

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, new-zealand, south-africa

First posted May 25, 2012 19:38:26

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Reds fire to topple Chiefs

Updated May 13, 2012 19:45:56

Defending champions the Reds kept their Super Rugby finals flame flickering with an emphatic 42-27 victory over the ladder-leading Chiefs in Brisbane.

Queensland also picked up a much-needed bonus point to stay in sight of Australian conference leaders the Brumbies, dishing out the New Zealanders' first loss in 10 games.

A converted Ben Lucas try after the half-time siren kept Queensland in the game at the main break after a points onslaught gave the visitors a 22-15 half-time lead.

The home momentum continued after the restart, the Reds piling on three tries in the space of nine minutes to steal a 36-22 lead and have the 36,000-strong crowd on their feet.

The Chiefs scored next through Aseli Tikoirotuma before a field goal and penalty from the composed Mike Harris stretched the Reds' advantage to a safe distance inside the final 10 minutes.

Queensland's bonus-point win, the first the Chiefs have conceded all season, closed the margin to the Brumbies and sixth-placed Highlanders to eight and four points respectively.

Reds half-back Will Genia, who inspired his side with a brilliant 40-metre dash from the scrum base between second-half tries from Scott Higginbotham and Saia Fainga'a, said the Reds adopted an attitude of do "whatever it takes".

"We went into the sheds just seven points down and we knew we were in it," Genia told Grandstand.

"We knew we had 40 minutes of rugby still to play.

"You never say die ... We came up against the best side in the comp at the moment and we knew we were good enough to take them on."

The desperate Reds defence held it together late in the game with full-back Luke Morahan coming up with a handful of try-saving tackles.

Morahan was fortunate not to receive a yellow card for a tipping tackle on All Black Sonny Bill Williams when the linesman could not identify him as the offending player even though the Chiefs received the penalty.

Emerging Queensland flanker Liam Gill said there was never any panic in the Reds ranks, with the leaders staying calm and urging team-mates to stick to the things that work.

"It gives us a lot of confidence to be able to put three tries on in the space of 10 minutes straight after half-time," he said.

"We rode off that for the last 30 minutes and it was a great feeling."

Gill said he hoped that momentum could carry through to clashes against the last-placed Lions (home), Brumbies (away) and Rebels (away) in the next month.

"I guess you can call this our hunt game. We were frustrated on our loss last week (against the Crusaders) and we came out and proved that today," Gill added.

"Hopefully we can roll off that for the next few weeks."

The Chiefs paid further for only their second loss of the season with All Black outside back Richard Kahui coming off with a dislocated shoulder nearing half-time.

"We were definitely outplayed, especially just after half-time when the Reds got on a roll and took us on around the fringes and got a couple of tries," Chiefs skipper Craig Clarke said.

"I guess the areas where we will be working on are around the fringes of the ruck where they took us on and the lineout drive where they scored, but the other parts of our game were pretty good."

Despite the loss the Chiefs increased their lead over the Crusaders to eight points in the New Zealand Conference with a four-try bonus point after the Crusaders went down in a boilover to the Rebels in Melbourne on Saturday.

Reds: 42 (D Shipperley, B Lucas, S Higginbotham, W Genia, S Faingaa tries; M Harris 4/5 cons; Harris 2/2; Harris drop goal)

Chiefs: 27 (S Bill Williams, L Messam, S Taumalolo, A Tikoirotuma tries; An Cruden 2/4 cons; Cruden 1/1 pen)

ABC/AFP

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia, new-zealand

First posted May 13, 2012 18:12:14

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Lions no match for Chiefs

Updated May 05, 2012 20:02:29

The Chiefs moved back on top of the Super Rugby ladder following a 34-21 victory over the Lions in Pukekohe.

The hosts jumped back ahead of the Bulls on the overall standings and maintained their lead in the New Zealand conference with a four-tries-to-three triumph over a committed Lions outfit, who were beginning their Australasian tour.

The bonus point win lifts the Chiefs to 44 points, two in front of the Bulls, and it will act as the ideal preparation for next weekend's clash with defending champions Queensland in Brisbane.

Aaron Cruden again underlined his credentials as the long-term successor to Daniel Carter in the All Blacks with a superb all-round performance.

Cruden scored a try, set up another for winger Lelia Masaga and was perfect with his goalkcking as he slotted four conversions and two penalties for the Chiefs.

"We are pretty pleased we scored a few tries, but there were also a few lapses too and we let them run too much," Chiefs captain Craig Clarke said.

Half-back Brendon Leonard grabbed the bonus-point try following a speculative kick and chase.

The Chiefs success this season has been built on smothering defence and a much improved forward performance that has given Cruden the time to dictate play, which he did with composed efficiency against the Lions.

Coach Dave Rennie chose to rest several of the forwards that had helped the Chiefs to eight successive wins but it made little difference as the Hamilton-based side smashed into tackles and the breakdown on the way to equalling their most wins in a Super Rugby season.

They also won nine matches in 2009, when they finished runners-up to the Bulls, though with six matches remaining are almost certain to add to that total.

The Lions used their massive pack to score all three of their tries, with replacement lock Cobus Grobelaar bashing over twice from rolling mauls following attacking line-outs, while captain Joshua Strauss smashed over from in close.

Elton Jantjies converted all three tries, though the Lions played most of the match hemmed inside their own half and made too many errors in their execution.

"When we stuck to our game plan it worked for us but we gave them a lot of ball and they're a side that punishes you," Grobelaar said.

"We were playing a lot of catch-up rugby but the guys showed good character.

"We just need to work on our basics and there are things to improve."

Chiefs: 34 (A Cruden, C Clarke, L Masaga, B Leonard tries; A Cruden 4 cons, 2 pens)

Lions: 21 (C Grobbelaar (2), J Strauss tries; E Jantjies 3 cons)

ABC/Reuters

Tags: rugby-union, super-rugby, sport, new-zealand

First posted May 05, 2012 19:24:28

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Shorn Chiefs rout Waratahs

Updated March 31, 2012 20:02:54

A shaven-headed Chiefs side bided its time before smashing New South Wales in the second half to win their Super Rugby clash 30-13 in Hamilton on Saturday.

The Chiefs players, sporting sheer hair-cuts to raise money for charity, scored two tries after the break and conceded only three points to notch their fourth win of the season from five matches.

"It's good to get back in front of the home crowd and grind out a win," Chiefs captain Craig Clarke said in a pitchside interview.

"That's good to just be playing winning rugby, it's fun to be a part of (but) we're off on a road trip now and we've got a lot of hard work in front of us," he said of their three-match tour of Australia and South Africa.

The Waratahs held more than 72 per cent of the territory in the first half but still found themselves trailing 13-10 at the break.

Winger Tom Kingston put the visitors on the board in the fifth minute with a try, slicing through a pack of players to take a quick inside pass and reaching his arms behind him to plant the ball on the line.

The Chiefs made the most of their few chances, however, and levelled at 7-7 after livewire winger Tim Nanai-Williams cut the Waratahs defence to shreds with a breathtaking run through midfield.

Nanai-Williams's incursion allowed the Chiefs to spread the ball wide where full-back Robbie Robinson crossed in the left corner.

Aaron Cruden slotted a 47-metre penalty kick to cancel out one from Brendan McKibbin a few minutes earlier and the All Black fly half drilled a second after Wycliff Palu strayed offside directly in front of the posts.

The Waratahs were frustrated by several fruitless drives to the line in the final minutes of the first half, and had the wind taken out of their sails minutes after the break when Sona Taumalolo crossed for the Chiefs' second try.

Sonny Bill Williams dribbled a poor kick straight into a defender's legs but the deflection cannoned into the path of charging outside centre Richard Kahui, who scooped up the ball and fed it wide to prop Taumalolo for a soft try in the right corner.

Cruden slotted his third penalty kick in the 62nd minute to stretch the advantage to 10 points and flanker Liam Messam delivered the match-sealing try five minutes later after a demoralising turnover by the Waratahs.

Replacement Sam Cane intercepted a pass out of a ruck intended for Sarel Pretorius and fed Tawera Kerr-Barlow, who sprinted down the right wing before passing inside to Messam for an easy try.

Cruden converted to maintain a perfect six-from-six kicking game and a fatigued Waratahs side never looked like clawing their way back into the game.

Chiefs: 30 (L Messam, R Robinson, A Taumalolo tries; A Cruden 3/3 conversions, 3 penalty goals)

Waratahs: 13 (T Kingston try; B McKibbin 1/1 conversions, 2 penalty goals)

Reuters

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, new-zealand, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted March 31, 2012 20:02:54

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Chiefs back on top with Durban win

Updated April 22, 2012 06:21:15

Fly half Aaron Cruden scored 13 points as the Chiefs stretched a winning run to seven matches with an 18-12 victory over the Sharks at Kings Park in Durban.

Cruden scored a try, which he converted, and kicked two penalties for Chiefs to reclaim top place on the Super Rugby ladder.

The four points for the win enabled the New Zealanders to climb above the Stormers to 35, two more than the South Africans nine rounds into a competition the Chiefs came closest to winning in 2009 when finishing runners-up.

The Sharks collected a bonus point for losing by less than seven points and even that was in doubt just before the final whistle as Cruden lined up the conversion of an Augustine Pulu try, which veered left of the far post.

The hosts remain ninth on the overall table and third in the South African conference behind the Stormers and the Bulls, but could still figure in the battle for play-off spots having played six of nine matches away.

"It is really satisfying to complete a tour of Australia and South Africa with three wins out of three matches, something which does not happen too often in Super Rugby," said Chiefs captain Craig Clarke.

"Our defence has improved a lot this season under coach Wayne Smith and we are working better as a team."

Sharks captain Keegan Daniel refused to blame the humid conditions in the Indian Ocean city for the handling errors that often let his team down when they were close to the Chiefs try line.

"Professional rugby players cannot offer that as an excuse," he said.

"We committed far too many errors and must learn to finish off good approach work and not rely solely on penalty kicks for points."

Both teams kept the ball in hand for much of a physical first half with the first points not arriving until the 19th minute when Cruden went over for a soft try he converted.

He added a penalty goal before the Sharks got their first points with the last kick of the half when fly half Patrick Lambie slotted a penalty to see his team trail 10-3 at the break.

Lambie kicked three more penalties during the second half and Cruden one, as two sweat-soaked teams used the boot more, leaving Chiefs 13-12 ahead 13 minutes from time.

Sharks launched several promising attacks only to be let down by unforced errors and replacement half-back Pulu put the outcome beyond doubt with a stoppage-time blindside break and try in the corner.

Chiefs: 18 (A Cruden, A Pulu tries; Cruden con, 2 pens)

Sharks: 12 (P Lambie 4 pens)

AFP

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, south-africa

First posted April 22, 2012 06:14:40

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Cruden steers Chiefs to victory

Updated April 15, 2012 08:28:44

Waikato Chiefs fly half Aaron Cruden notched 14 points as his side secured a thrilling 39-33 win over the Cheetahs in their Super Rugby clash.

The Chiefs scored five tries to collect a bonus point that moved the New Zealanders to the top of the table after eight rounds.

Prop Arizona Taumalolo bagged two tries while wing Lelia Masaga and centres Sonny Bill Williams and Richard Kahui picked up one apiece in a match that was in the balance until the last three minutes.

Replacement fly half Johan Goosen claimed 16 points for the Cheetahs in only 30 minutes on the field with a try, a conversion and three penalties.

He is the tournament's leading scorer this season on 127 points.

Earlier, Cheetahs starting fly half Sias Ebersohn slotted four penalties and replacement flanker Ashley Johnson dived over for a try.

Taumalolo's first try in the 47th minute helped give the Chiefs a 17-9 advantage but their opponents quickly turned the game around to lead 22-17.

A second try by Taumalolo in the 57th minute put the Chiefs back in front before Goosen levelled matters at 25-25 with his second penalty.

Williams scored six minutes from time and Kahui crashed over three minutes later to seal the win.

Goosen then landed a 56-metre penalty on the final whistle to earn the South Africans a bonus point for losing by fewer than seven points.

Chiefs: 39 - Tries: L Masaga, A Taumalolo (2), SB Williams, R Kahui. Conversions: A Cruden (4). Penalties: Cruden (2).

Cheetahs: 33 - Tries: A Johnson. J Goosen. Conversion: Goosen. Penalties: Sias Ebersohn (4), Goosen (3).

Reuters

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, south-africa, new-zealand

First posted April 15, 2012 08:07:32

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Chiefs hand Crusaders second straight loss

Updated March 09, 2012 21:10:33

The Chiefs held off a late barrage to beat the Crusaders 24-19 in a bruising Super Rugby encounter in Napier on Friday.

The Chiefs, who upset the Blues last week, scored tries either side of half-time through flanker Liam Messam and prop Sona Taumalolo while fly half Aaron Cruden punished the frequent Crusaders penalties with 14 points from the boot.

The Crusaders, playing what was technically a home match, picked up from a disappointing first-half performance with a try from Robbie Fruean after the break but still slumped to a second successive defeat after losing to the Highlanders last week.

They will particularly rue scrum-half Andy Ellis's attempt at a quick dropout from his 22 midway through the second half, which backfired for Taumalolo to crash over the line under a pile of bodies moments later.

The Chiefs had the best of the first half and but for two missed penalties from Cruden would have had a bigger lead than the 16-6 advantage they held at half-time.

Flanker Messam had made the most of the Chiefs pressure to barge over the line in the 26th minute and Cruden added the extra points and three penalties.

The seven-time champion Crusaders applied some pressure around the break and centre Fruean got over the line eight minutes after the restart after a rampaging run and neat off-load from number eight Kieran Read.

Despite Taumalolo's try, two penalties in three minutes from Crusaders fly half Tyler Bleyendaal made it a two point game at 21-19 soon after the hour mark but Cruden slotted his fourth penalty three minutes from time and the Chiefs held on.

"In patches there it was great for us," Crusaders captain Read said in a pitchside interview.

"But we couldn't sustain it and too many penalties killed it for us."

Chiefs: 24 (L Messam, S Taumalolo tries; A Cruden 1/2 conversions. 4 penalty goals)

Crusaders: 19 (R Fruen try, T Bleyendaal conversion, 4 penalty goals)

Reuters

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, new-zealand

First posted March 09, 2012 20:33:16

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Rebels trounced by Chiefs in Geelong

Updated February 03, 2012 21:53:18

Wallabies full-back Kurtley Beale showed flashes of brilliance in an otherwise lacklustre performance by Melbourne Rebels in their first Super Rugby trial against the Chiefs in Geelong.

The Chiefs cruised to a six-try 36-0 romp at Kardinia Park, building on a 17-0 half-time lead with the match played over four 20-minute quarters.

With Beale and his Wallabies team-mate James O'Connor joining the Rebels this season, big things were expected of the Melbourne franchise, who finished with the wooden spoon in their debut season in 2011.

But they failed to deliver in front of the crowd of approximately 3,000.

They started well and controlled possession for the first 10 minutes of the match but were unable to convert that pressure into points.

That was something the Chiefs, who finished 10th in the competition last year - bottom of the New Zealand conference - had little trouble with in a solid performance.

Number eight Alex Bradley crossed for two first-half tries with his forward pack driving him across the line on both occasions.

Beale and O'Connor came on in the second quarter, with the full-back only playing limited time as he manages his workload after returning from a hamstring injury picked up at last year's World Cup.

During that period the 23-year-old made two breaks and combined well with Mark Gerrard, however the Rebels were still unable to break through for that elusive try.

O'Connor scrambled well to stop a likely Chiefs try in the second quarter and defended well but otherwise failed to shine with his team starved of quality ball.

Both sides were let down by some poor handling, which is expected at this time of the season, but the lack of combinations in the Rebels outfit was more exposed.

AAP

Tags: super-14, rugby-union, sport, geelong-3220, melbourne-3000

First posted February 03, 2012 21:30:53

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Sonny Bill hunted down by Chiefs

Published:Friday, April 15, 2011 7:27 AEST

Sonny Bill Williams of the Crusaders is tackled by Hika Elliot of the Chiefs during the round nine Super Rugby match between the Chiefs and the Crusaders at Bay Park Stadium on April 15, 2011 in Mount Maunganui.

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Reds lose Slipper for Chiefs semi

Posted June 21, 2011 12:43:00

Queensland prop James Slipper has been ruled out of the Reds' Super Rugby semi-final despite receiving encouraging news on his ankle injury.

He will not require further surgery on his high ankle sprain, suffered in Saturday's 19-11 win over the Chiefs, after an arthroscopy on Tuesday revealed a "best case scenario".

But the rising Test prop will not be considered for Saturday week's (July 2) semi-final at Lang Park.

"The successful arthroscopy confirmed initial scans of syndesmosis, although fears of a prolonged period on the sideline have been alleviated," a Reds statement said.

"A worst case scenario for Slipper would have seen him ruled out of the entire finals series and potentially the early stages of the Wallabies campaign."

It remains to be seen whether Slipper features in the Reds' finals campaign, despite his reputation as a fast healer.

The 22-year-old returned two weeks early from a shoulder problem mid-season and quickly found the form which ensured he became Australia's bolter of 2010, playing 14 Tests and ending the year as starting tighthead.

But Reds coach Ewen McKenzie will be wary of pushing Slipper and jeopardising his Tri-Nations and World Cup hopes.

- AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, brisbane-4000

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Reds triumph over Chiefs

Published:Saturday, June 18, 2011 7:21 AESTExpires:Friday, September 16, 2011 7:21 AEST

Queensland Reds have beaten the Waikato Chiefs 19-11 in round 18 of Super Rugby in New Zealand.

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Tags: rugby-union, qld

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Higganbotham barges through the Chiefs

Published:Saturday, June 18, 2011 5:06 AEST

The Reds' Scott Higginbotham fends off Aled de Malmanche of the Chiefs during the round 18 Super Rugby match between the Chiefs and the Reds at Waikato Stadium on June 18, 2011

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Reds tweak line-up to face Chiefs

Updated June 17, 2011 13:07:00

Queensland has made two changes to its starting XV for Saturday's clash with the Chiefs at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.

Back row utility Jake Schatz earns his first start of the season at number eight, replacing Radike Samo, who drops to the reserves bench.

Young winger Dom Shipperley also moves into the starting line-up from the bench to replace Luke Morahan, who suffered a hamstring tear in the 24-21 win over Western Force in Perth last Saturday night.

New recruit and former All Black Caleb Ralph has been included on a 4-3 (four forwards, three backs) bench, along with uncapped utility back Dallan Murphy.

The Reds need a win over the Chiefs to confirm top position on the overall standings heading into the finals.

Reds squad: Jono Lance, Rod Davies, Will Chambers, Ben Tapuai, Dom Shipperley, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Jake Schatz, Liam Gill, Scott Higginbotham, James Horwill (c), Rob Simmons, James Slipper, Saia Faingaa, Ben Daley

Reserves: James Hanson, Greg Holmes, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Radike Samo, Ian Prior, Dallan Murphy, Caleb Ralph

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, brisbane-4000

First posted June 17, 2011 12:56:00

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Blues let chance slip against Chiefs

Updated June 4, 2011 21:10:00

The Chiefs dealt another blow to the Blues' title ambitions with a deserved 16-11 victory in a typically hard-fought all-New Zealand Super Rugby clash at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.

A third successive defeat for the Blues drops them from second to third in the overall standings and left them just two points ahead of the Crusaders in the race for the top spot in the New Zealand conference.

The seven-times champion Crusaders, who had a bye this week, host the Blues, who have won three Super rugby titles, in Timaru in the penultimate round of the regular season next week.

The Chiefs, already well out of the play-off race, scored their only try through evergreen centre Tana Umaga in the first half and had marginally the better kicker in Stephen Donald, who made four of seven kicks for 11 points.

The Blues hit back in the second period with a try from Jared Payne but never had nearly enough possession to get their backs going as the Chiefs turned the screw at the set piece and ran back every loose kick.

Blues fly half Luke McAlister kicked two penalties in the first 10 minutes, the second a booming effort from five metres inside his own half, but then missed five successive kicks before being replaced 10 minutes from time.

"Really disappointing, the Chiefs really came out to play and pressured us tonight and deserved the win," Blues skipper Jerome Kaino said.

"You can't really play the territory game without the ball. We couldn't really get anything going."

Umaga rolled back the years to help the Chiefs to a 7-6 lead at the break, the highlight coming when the 38-year-old former All Black captain burrowed his way through defenders to ground the ball on the line and finish off a move he had started with a line break.

Donald, vying for the back-up position to All Blacks fly half Dan Carter for the World Cup with McAlister, kicked his first penalty in three attempts to extend the lead to 10-6 soon after the break.

The Blues struck back almost immediately from an attacking scrum, quick hands in the backline allowing outside centre Payne to scythe through the defence to put the home side ahead by a point.

Their lead lasted just six minutes until another Donald penalty put the Chiefs back in front and, with the Blues struggling to get any forward momentum going on a greasy pitch, he added the coup de grace with his third two minutes from time.

"We're stoked, the boys really dug deep, it was pretty difficult conditions but we got the win," Chiefs captain Mils Muliaina said.

"It would be nice to finish the season tonight."

Chiefs: 16 (T Umaga try; S Donald conversion, 3 penalty goals)

Blues: 11 (J Payne try; L McAlister 2 penalty goals)

- Reuters

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, new-zealand

First posted June 4, 2011 19:21:00

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Carter offloads against Chiefs

Published:Saturday, May 21, 2011 8:03 AEST

Dan Carter of the Crusaders passes to team-mate Jonathan Poff as he is tackled by Sona Taumalolo of the Chiefs during the round 14 Super Rugby match between the Crusaders and the Chiefs at McLean Park on May 21, 2011.

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia

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Force sign former Chiefs lock

Posted May 17, 2011 11:07:00

The Western Force have signed former Chiefs lock Toby Lynn for the next two Super Rugby seasons.

The 26-year-old, who notched 32 appearances for the Chiefs, is eligible to play for the Wallabies due to his Australian-born grandfather.

"I've played my whole career in Waikato and felt that it was time for a change, a different perspective, and I'm pretty excited about what the Force can do for my rugby as well as what they can achieve as a team in the Super Rugby competition," Lynn said.

"I've played against Nathan Sharpe a few times, he is definitely one of the premier locks in the world, and has been for some time, so getting alongside him will be an awesome experience."

Force coach Richard Graham said Lynn would be a valuable recruit in a forward pack that has a great spread of youth and experience.

"The obvious aspect of recruitment is trying to improve your squad and in Toby I saw a guy who, at 26, is experienced in Super Rugby and I thought he could add something," Graham said.

"With the addition of another franchise in the Australian conference it's a test of depth within the Australian franchises and important that you don't limit yourself to where you look for talent.

"We're working extremely hard to find who is available throughout world rugby.

"Toby is a really industrious and hard-working lock.

"He is strong at the set-piece and will bring with him his experiences of playing in New Zealand during his professional career."

- AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, wa, perth-6000

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Chiefs bolt home to stun Stormers

Updated May 14, 2011 20:52:00

The Waikato Chiefs overcame a 17-point half-time deficit and capitalised on a controversial penalty try and yellow card to upset the highly-touted Stormers 30-23 in their Super Rugby clash at Waikato Stadium on Saturday.

The Chiefs, who were 20-3 down at the break, scored 17 unanswered points at the beginning of the second half, which was sparked by a penalty try awarded by referee Stuart Dickinson when Richard Kahui was pushed in the back by Gio Aplon while diving for the bouncing ball in the in-goal area.

Aplon was also sinbinned for his push and the Chiefs added a second try by Sitiveni Sivivatu and Stephen Donald slotted a penalty to tie the score at 20-20, all while the Stormers winger was off the field.

"We had a patch in the first half, about 10 minutes when they piled on points but to our credit we came out and really wanted to finish well and I'm absolutely stoked," said Chiefs captain Mils Muliaina, who was playing his 100th Super rugby match.

"For the boys to cap it like this, 100 (caps), is absolutely outstanding."

After a tentative opening 10 minutes in which Donald had slotted a penalty for the Chiefs, the Stormers clicked into gear and marched down field to give fly half Peter Grant the opportunity to slot two penalties and take the lead.

The South Africans then scored two well worked tries - the first by the busy Aplon, whose angle back off his wing opened up the defence and he then chopped past three defenders off his left foot to score.

Stormers captain Schalk Burger then dived over after a well-controlled rolling maul from an attacking lineout. Grant converted both to give the visitors their handy 20-3 lead.

The Chiefs however, reversed the momentum immediately after the break with Donald converting Kahui and Sivivatu's tries before adding his second penalty to make it 20-20 just as Aplon returned to the field.

Grant slotted his third penalty before Chiefs flanker Liam Messam smashed over following a sustained buildup from deep to give the home side the lead for the first time, which Donald extended with his third penalty.

"The second half was pretty disgusting, we couldn't keeper our hands on the ball and keep it through phases and (they scored) two breakaway tries," Stormers captain Schalk Burger said.

"So it put us under pressure and we couldn't recover from that."

Chiefs: 30 (L Messam, S Sivivatu tries; 1 penalty try; S Donald 3 cons, 3 pens)

Stormers: 23 (G Aplon, S Burger tries; P Grant 2 cons, 3 pens)

- Reuters

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, new-zealand, south-africa

First posted May 14, 2011 20:18:00

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Waldrom scores for Chiefs

 Published:Sunday, April 24, 2011 10:35 AEST

Chiefs loose forward Scott Waldrom scores a try during a Super Rugby match against the Lions at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg on April 23, 2011.

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