Chiefs go top with bonus-point win

The five-tries-to-two win saw the Chiefs go top of the tournament standings - the New Zealand outfit overtaking compatriots the Crusaders, who were denied a bonus point in their win over the Waratahs a day earlier.

It had been raining heavily on the Waikato and the field was, apparently, slippery, but the crowd of 11 806 would have enjoyed seeing their team score tries enough to win comfortably and take their team to the top of the overall log in Super Rugby. And the Chiefs seem able to do it without great strain. They seem to prefer skill to strain.

The Rebels on the other hand looked like a team making efforts and won the try-scoring two-one in the second half but the first half (and missed tackles) had left them too far behind. At the break the Chiefs led 26-3, four tries to none.

It did not take the Chiefs long to score. Nic Stirzaker kicked out on the full to give the home side a line-out just outside the Rebels' 22 on the Chiefs' left. Dominic Bird caught the line-out throw, the Chiefs mauled some 12 metres and then broke to bash and then sent the ball wide where outside centre Seta Tamanivalu stepped inside Mitch Inman and Reece Hodge and  beat Lopeti Timani on the outside to score a try that Aaron Cruden converted. 7-0 after 4 minutes. It all seemed easy.

But Sam Cane was penalised at a tackle and New Zealander Mike Harris kicked the penalty goal. 7-3 after 11 minutes - the end of the Rebels' scoring in the first half.

At the kick-off  the Rebels seemed confused, the ball bounced and the Chiefs attacked on the left, went right and came back left and turned over the ball but Jack Debreczeni gave them back the ball by not finding touch and the Chiefs came back. From a tackle they went left and Cruden pushed a grubber through which hooker Nathan Harris did well to dive onto to score just in from touch-in-goal. 12-3 after 13 minutes.

For Nathan Harris (no relation to Mike) it was a glorious return to top rugby after a long absence after his ankle injury playing for the All Blacks against the USA in Chicago in November 2014.

Lively Brad Weber broke off a pass from Michael Leitch at a scrum but a knock-on produced a scrum at which the Chiefs were freekicked. From the subsequent line-out on their left, the Chiefs went through phases till Webber dummied at a tackle and gave a short pass to Toni Pulu who beat the attempted tackle of Sam Jeffries and scored. 19-3 after 24 minutes.

The Chiefs counterattacked off a Debreczeni kick and on their left James Lowe, with step and dummy, beat two defenders and gave inside to Tamanivalu who gave to Anton Lienert-Brown who was tackled near the left cornerflag. The ball came back to Cruden who ducked under the arm of Tim Metcher to score a try which he converted. 26-3 after 29 minutes.

After 41 minutes of playing time, the Chiefs scored their next try.

In the second half the Rebels set up two series of phases, 11 and then 12 of them. They twice preferred to kick for touch when kicking at goal from penalties would have brought easy points. And they went over in the left corner only for the TMO to point out that the pass from Debreczeni to Tom English was forward.

But  Rebels' hopes were not dashed. They won a Chiefs' line-out and again went through phases - 11 of them - and this time Mike Harris surfed over for a try which he converted. 26-10 after 46 minutes.

The Chiefs came close after a scrum but Sefa Naivalu tackled Damian McKenzie out at the cornerflag. Then Sieggie Fisi'ihoi was over but the TMO advised that Lowe had put a foot on the touchline in the lead-up to the 'try'. He clearly had put his left foot on the line.

From now on the game seemed to lose its sharpness as handling became wobbly. There were bursts of energy - from Pulu, Sean McMahon and Lowe.

Cruden kicked a penalty and then sat out for a rest. 29-10 after 69 minutes.

The last 10 minutes produced two tries.

From a line-out in their own half, the Chiefs suddenly came to light and a long, looping, perfect pass from McKenzie over a leaping Debreczini to Andrew Horrell saw the centre cut through for a try behind the posts, which McKenzie converted. 36-10 after 73 minutes.

A minute later Mike Harris broke ran from just outside his own 22, broke, charged ahead and gave inside to Hodge who raced some 42 metres to score in the left corner. It was a brilliant try.

Man of the Match: Certainly Brad Weber was a candidate and so was Sam Cane but our choice is lively, creative, skilful James Lowe who made opportunities for others.

The scorers:

For the Chiefs:

Tries: Tamanivalu, N Harris, Pulu, Cruden, Horrell

Cons: Cruden 3, McKenzie

Pen: Cruden

For the Rebels:

Try: M Harris, Hodge

Con: M Harris

Pen: M Harris

Teams:

Chiefs: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Toni Pulu, 13 Seta Tamanivalu, 12 Anton Lienert-Brown, 11 James Lowe, 10 Aaron Cruden (co-captain), 9 Brad Weber, 8 Michael Leitch, 7 Sam Cane (co-captain), 6 Taleni Seu, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Dominic Bird, 3 Hiroshi Yamashita, 2 Nathan Harris, 1 Mitchell Graham.

Replacements: 16 Hika Elliot, 17 Kane Hames, 18 Siegfried Fisi'ihoi, 19 Michael Allardice, 20 Tom Sanders, 21 Kayne Hammington, 22 Andrew Horrell, 23 Sam Vaka.

Rebels: 15 Mike Harris, 14 Sefa Naivalu, 13 Mitch Inman, 12 Reece Hodge, 11 Tom English, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Nic Stirzaker (captain), 8 Adam Thomson, 7 Sean McMahon, 6 Colby Fainga'a, 5 Lopeti Timani , 4 Sam Jeffries, 3 Jamie Hagan, 2 James Hanson, 1 Toby Smith.

Replacements: 16 Siliva Siliva , 17 Cruze Ah Nau, 18 Tim Metcher, 19 Culum Retallick, 20 Jordy Reid, 21 Ben Meehan, 22 Jonah Placid, 23 Kotaro Matsushima.

Referee: Angus Gardiner

Assistant referees: Brendon Pickerill, Brett Johnson

TMO: Ben Skeen