The Chiefs’ two-year reign as Super Rugby champions likely ended yesterday when they were beaten 29-25 by the Highlanders, who stayed on track for their first playoffs’ place in 12 years.
All Blacks fullback Ben Smith finished a brilliant counterattacking try in the 49th minute to give the Highlanders a decisive lead after they trailed 13-10 at half-time. Flyhalf Lima Sopoaga added 16 points — six goals from six attempts — to reach 150 points for the season, a record for the Dunedin-based franchise.
The Hamilton-based Chiefs started the match in eighth place, clinging to playoffs’ contention, and, with only two matches remaining in the regular season, they likely cannot achieve the top-six finish, which would allow them to contest the postseason.
The Highlanders were in fifth place when the Super Rugby season resumed after a month-long break for June internationals. The win moved them temporarily atop the New Zealand conference at the start of the 17th of 19 regular-season rounds.
Their lead peaked at 13 points, 26-13, with Sopaga’s final penalty and they led by 11 points, 29-18, when Sopoaga’s replacement, Hayden Parker, added his only penalty in the 71st minute. Yet the Chiefs fought back on both occasions with tries, which demonstrated their fierce determination to defend the Super Rugby title they won in 2012 and last year.
Smith’s try was the turning point in a tight match. All Blacks scrumhalf Aaron Smith started the move with a daring breakout from within his own 22. New All Blacks center Malakai Fekitoa carried the movement on with a powerful run before turning the ball outside to winger Richard Buckman, who was the player of the match.
Buckman drew the last defender, then turned the ball back infield to Ben Smith who scored, giving the Highlanders their first lead since the 13th minute, when winger Patrick Osborne scored their opening try.
“It means a lot to us,” Highlanders captain Nasi Manu said. “We’ve really worked hard in the break and the result was awesome.”
“We knew the Chiefs were going to come down as defending champions — they’ve got a quality side — and put us under pressure. It was an ugly win but a win’s a win so we’re happy,” he said.
“Richard Buckman had an awesome game and our backs were inspirational.”
The Chiefs achieved parity through the first half, matching Osborne’s opening try with one to winger Dwayne Sweeney and taking a three-point lead to halftime thanks to a long-range penalty to fullback Gareth Anscombe.
Ben Smith’s try took away their advantage, and Sopoaga kicked Otago to a decisive lead, but the Chiefs twice came back, with tries to Tim Nanai-Williams and Josh Hohneck, to put them in with a chance of saving the match.
“We thought we’d put ourselves in a fairly good position at halftime and started the second half well,” Chiefs captain Aaron Cruden said. “We were putting phases together and putting them under pressure, then just one lapse and a team like the Highlanders will punish you on counterattack ball.”
REDS, REBELS
AP, MELBOURNE, Australia
Stand-in scrumhalf Nick Frisby made the best of a rare starting opportunity by scoring two tries for the Queensland Reds as they beat the Melbourne Rebels 36-20 in Super Rugby yesterday.
Frisby replaced Wallabies star Will Genia, sidelined after ankle surgery, and allayed fears that the Reds might struggle without Genia and his regular flyhalf partner Quade Cooper. The match was the first since 2008 in which neither Genia nor Cooper featured in a Reds starting lineup.
Winger Lachie Turner scored a double — his first since 2010 — and fullback Mike Harris scored a try, but gave up his perfect goalkicking record this season. He landed the conversion of Lachie Turner’s first try, his 13th success from as many attempts this year, but missed his next four shots at goal.
The Reds had a four-try bonus point and a 22-3 lead by halftime, but the Rebels rallied with second-half tries to scrum-half Luke Burgess, fly-half Bryce Hegarty and center Mitch Inman.
Turner’s second try and another to his fellow winger Rod Davis saw off the Melbourne threat and marked the first occasion this season the Reds have scored six tries in a match. Davis was called back several times for slight infringements before notching his 19th try for the Reds in the 71st minute.
The Rebels had the final say, scoring their third try two minutes after the final siren through Inman. Fullback Jason Woodward added the conversion.
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