The Waikato Chiefs sealed their place in the Super Rugby playoffs with a 24-3 demolition of the Queensland Reds in Brisbane, Australia, yesterday.
The Chiefs put in a brilliant defensive effort to keep the Reds try-less at Lang Park and spoil departing scrumhalf Will Genia and former skipper James Horwill’s final game in front of home fans.
Bryce Heem and captain Liam Messam touched down early to give the Chiefs a 14-3 lead at halftime and centre Charlie Ngatai scored a third after the break.
Photo: EPA
The game started off on a sombre note with a moment of silence for former All Black Jerry Collins, who died with his wife in a car crash in France on Friday.
The Reds’ loss, laden with handling errors and defensive howlers, was a record sixth at home this season and will heap additional pressure on embattled coach Richard Graham.
Elsewhere in Super Rugby yesterday, winger Nemani Nadolo scored a virtuoso try to help seven-time champions the Crusaders to a 34-11 win over the Auckland-based Blues, which sustained their slim hopes of a playoffs place.
When flyhalf Dan Carter put in a pinpoint crossfield kick to Nadolo’s left wing in the 12th minute, Fiji-born Nadolo soared high, plucked the ball out of the air with his outstretched right hand, then controlled it with his left and plunged over his marker to score.
The try helped relieve early pressure on the Crusaders, who had to win this game and must still win their last match in the regular season next weekend to have any chance of securing a place in the top-six playoffs zone.
A try to lock Luke Romano lifted the Crusaders to a 17-6 lead at halftime and two tries, including a penalty try, in the second half gave them an essential bonus point which further supported their late playoffs run.
Earlier yesterday, lock Lopeti Timani scored a try midway through the second half that clinched the Melbourne Rebels’ 21-20 win over the Pretoria-based Bulls, eliminating the three-time champion Bulls from playoffs contention.
The Bulls started the round in ninth place with 36 points and had to post their fourth-straight win over the Rebels to stay in the race for a playoffs spot.
Bulls center Burger Odendaal crashed over in the 60th minute for what seemed to be the match-winning try, but the television match official ruled he could not see the ball grounded and the try was disallowed.
The Bulls had taken a 17-14 lead to halftime with tries to prop Dean Greyling and backrower Lappies Labuschagne but the Rebels reclaimed the lead with Timani’s try and sealed the seventh win in 15 matches with Mike Harris’s third conversion.
Harris had also converted first half tries to backrower Sean McMahon and flyhalf Jack Debreczeni and his goalkicking accuracy helped to separate the teams.
Greyling’s try came after only four minutes, but the Rebels replied through McMahon only seven minutes later. Labuschagne scored his third try in as many matches from a rolling maul to put the Bulls ahead again before the Rebels hit back with Debreczeni’s try which cut the lead to three points at halftime.
The Bulls’ only points after halftime came from a penalty to Jacques-Louis Potgeiter.
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