Chiefs Hot to Trot

[Mr Saab]

Go the chiefs.

 

[Sanchez]

they need all the support they can get :lol:

 

[ozbash]

is that a fat lady humming that i can hear ??? hmmmmm hmmmmm hmmmmmm

Queenstown's adrenaline-junky reputation was replicated on the rugby field as the Chiefs pipped the Highlanders 38-34 in an end-to-end Super 14 match.

For fans who have bemoaned a lack of try-scoring action in the Super 14 this year, they feasted on an open game which produced 10 tries.

The lead changed four times in the match where the equation was simple for both sides - a win was necessary to keep their semifinal hopes flickering.

The Chiefs will climb a few places to 22 points, but despite the loss the, Highlanders still took two bonus points to also move to 22 after matching the Chiefs' five tries.

But the game produced a handful of casualties, especially for the Highlanders.

With Crusaders lock Chris Jack out for the season with a torn hamstring tendon, All Blacks selector Brian Lochore would have been concerned watching from the stands as Highlanders lock James Ryan was stretchered off after seven minutes clutching his left knee.

The anticipated battle between the two form halfbacks in Jimmy Cowan and Byron Kelleher failed to materialise with both No 9s cancelling each other out.

The Highlanders' Cowan was also substituted at halftime through injury.

The Highlanders will be ruing their kicking with the usually accurate Nick Evans only landing two conversions from four tries.

The breezy conditions did not help, but they failed to distract Evans' opposite Stephen Donald as the first-five eighth converted all five tries.

The Chiefs held a 17-15 halftime lead with two tries apiece, but then the floodgates opened as the defence around the fringes evaporated and gaping holes appeared in the midfield.

By the 57th minute, both teams had a bonus point each for scoring four tries.

Converted Chiefs fullback Sitiveni Sivivatu profited as the All Blacks winger scored twice and featured frequently on attack with wing Leila Masaga also bagging a brace.

The Chiefs opened the scoring in the 16th minute despite surrendering a wealth of territory in the opening quarter with a strong breeze at their backs.

Following a bullocking run from Chiefs No 8 Sione Lauaki, one of many in the first half, second five-eighth Niva Ta'auso crossed.

The Highlanders responded minutes later with a gem of a try to winger Lucky Mulipola who dashed 50 metres turning his opposite wing Roy Kinikinilau inside-out.

Kinikinilau's defensive frailties were exposed again when he failed to field a bomb which saw hooker Anton Oliver scamper to the corner.

Kinikinilau compensated for his earlier lapses with a charging run up the centre to feed Sivivatu to score under the posts.

Evans and Donald traded late penalties handing the Chiefs their halftime lead.

The breaks were fully removed after the break as the floodgates opened after the break.

Masaga crossed for his first try, then the see-saw action kicked in.

Highlanders wing Vili Waqaseduadua scored for the hosts before Sivivatu broke through two forwards for his second.

Highlanders centre Matt Saunders ran nearly 70m for his five-pointer, then a try to replacement halfback Toby Morland gave the Highlanders a 32-31 lead.

But Masaga broke the local hopes with his second in the 70th minute.

 

[Sanchez]

looks like a good game, shame i missed it

 

[douglasallen91]

5th equal now i see!

 

[ozbash]

5th equal now i see!

good stuff, we will be in the semis in no time.

can see the force crashing out, the blues wont win away from mummy, and the yarpies will fold.

my 4

1- crusaders
2- brumbies
3- chiefs
4- troyz boyz if they are lucky...

 

[Sanchez]

yea right mate

 

[ozbash]

That fat lady is starting to yodell

Chiefs 64 Force 36
The Chiefs kept their Super 14 semifinal hopes alive with a comprehensive bonus point victory over the Western Force in Hamilton.


The home side scored nine tries in one of their most dominant wins in frnachise history over a Force side that fell apart in the final ten minutes of the match.
Roy Kinikinilau bagged a hat-trick while Brendon leonard was a standout behind the scrum for the Chiefs. It was a thoroughly entertaining game with 100 points scored, defence was not always valued by these two sides today.
This afternoons win brings the Chief up to 4th on the points table.
It could appear that ozbash is right with his predictions.

;-)

 

[douglasallen91]

could be 3rd next week if the blues can upset the sharks!

 

[Mr Saab]

Go the chiefs.
I never doubted them!





























not

 

[ozbash]

lol, c,mon chas. they are a class act once they have all their players on deck.

tasessa had a blinda....

yep, 3rd on the table has a nice ring to it.

 

[Sanchez]

tasea was crap!

 

[ozbash]

tasea was crap!

hes better than that hack nacewa

 

[Sanchez]

he was awful too but lavea was worse

 

[Sanchez]

he was awful too but lavea was worse

 

[ozbash]

but lavea was worse

:lol: :lol:

halftime at Waikato Stadium.

CHIEFS 25
SHAWKS (who flogged the JAFFAS last week) 3

TRIES TO Masaga (1) AND THE EX-BLUES CAST OFF, TAAAAAAAAAASESSAAAAAAAAAAAA LAAAAAAAVEAAAAAAAAAAAA (2) :lol:

 

[ozbash]

oh yes, never a doubt,, bonus points even.....

THE MIGHTY CHIEFS 35

shawks 27


hope wotz his name (nucifora) was watching how to do it..

 

[douglasallen91]

chiefs home semi has a ring to it!

go you stormers and lions!

 

[Sanchez]

no chance

 

[ozbash]

Chiefs captain Jono Gibbes has seen it all before and he knows what are good signs for a professional rugby team down the stretch of a tough championship.

He liked what he saw on Saturday night when his team stopped a good Sharks team in their tracks at Waikato Stadium for a 35-27 Super 14 victory after racing out to 32-3 just five minutes into the second half.

The most satisfying thing for Gibbes from the victory was that they still have plenty to work on with two games left - this Friday night against the Waratahs in Sydney and the following Saturday in Christchurch against the top-of-the-table Crusaders.

"I think we got 40-odd minutes of how we want to play the game but we still haven't nailed the whole thing," Gibbes said.

"I think that's probably, for a few of us who have been around for a little bit, quite satisfying that we've still got a little bit left in us and we've yet to nail the whole 80.

"There's no easy stuff left for us and the boys are just enjoying what's in front of them."

Chiefs coach Ian Foster said it was exciting that they were in with a sniff of a semifinal berth with two weeks to go.

"It was the finish of a three-week period where we did what we had to do and we've now given ourselves a chance," Foster said of the latest win.

The Chiefs moved down a place on the table, albeit by countback, after securing five points on Saturday night, as the Bulls' 31-7 win over the Lions in the South African local derby at Ellis Park was enough to boost their points differential to 55 - 14 better than the Chiefs.

The Brumbies' failure to pick up a bonus point in their fortuitous 14-12 home win over the Force meant they dropped one point behind the Bulls and Chiefs, the latter now having scored the second most tries (38) in the competition behind the Crusaders (45) and still have the most bonus points with 10.

Biggest injury concern from the match is hooker Tom Willis, who took a blow to his ribs and will not do any contact training this week as the medical staff monitor his progress.

sanchez, if you,ve got any pocket money left this week, put it on the mighty Chiefs to take the S14 title.
the longer you leave it, the less the odds.