RECAP: Highlanders v Chiefs

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our live coverage of the Super Rugby Aotearoa Round Seven encounter between the Highlanders and Chiefs in Dunedin.

The Highlanders are undefeated in their last five Super Rugby games against the Chiefs. Their 39-23 win over the Chiefs when they last met in Round Two of this Super Rugby Aotearoa season was their biggest win against them since May 2015.

The Highlanders will be hunting for back-to-back Super Rugby wins for the first time since April 2019 after picking up a team-record 33-12 win over the Crusaders in their last game (Round Six, Super Rugby Aotearoa 2021).

The Chiefs have made 12 or more clean breaks in three of their last four Super Rugby games, more times than they had done so in their 13 games prior.

* To read our pre-match predictions, CLICK HERE!

* Our live blog will appear below, it might take a little while to load, please be patient. We apologise for the inconvenience!

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Teams:

Highlanders: 15 Connor Garden-Bachop, 14 Ngatungane Punivai, 13 Patelesio Tomkinson, 12 Scott Gregory, 11 Jona Nareki, 10 Mitch Hunt, 9 Aaron Smith (co-captain), 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 James Lentjes, 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Paripari Parkinson, 4 Bryn Evans, 3 Josh Hohneck, 2 Ash Dixon (co-captain), 1 Ethan De Groot.

Replacements: 16 Liam Coltman, 17 Ayden Johnstone, 18 Siate Tokolahi, 19 Josh Dickson, 20 Billy Harmon, 21 Kayne Hammington, 22 Josh Ioane, 23 Hugh Renton.

Chiefs: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Jonah Lowe, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Etene Nanai-Seturo, 10 Kaleb Trask, 9 Brad Weber (captain), 8 Luke Jacobson, 7 Kaylum Boshier, 6 Mitchell Brown, 5 Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 4 Tupou Vaa’i, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Aidan Ross.

Replacements: 16 Bradley Slater, 17 Ollie Norris, 18 Joe Apikotoa, 19 Samipeni Finau, 20 Pita Gus Sowakula, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Alex Nankivell, 23 Shaun Stevenson.

Referee: Ben O’Keeffe

Assistant referees: Mike Fraser, Brendon Pickerill

TMO: Chris Hart