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Chiefs pick up wins over Blues and Hurricanes in pre-season game-of-three-halves
The Chiefs have returned from last year’s winless Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign with two first-up pre-season victories over the Blues and Hurricanes in Upper Hutt on Saturday.
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The three North Island franchises took part in a game-of-three-halves at Maidstone Park, with each side facing off against each other one half at a time.
Without any of their 2020 All Blacks, the Chiefs emerged victorious in both of their encounters, running out 19-14 winners against the Hurricanes before following that up with a 12-5 win over the Blues.
In the place of their established stars, the Chiefs fielded numerous non-contracted and second-string players, as did the Blues and Hurricanes, although the hosts did have Peter Umaga-Jensen and Du’Plessis Kirifi, both of whom were part of last year’s All Blacks Tri-Nations squad.
There was also plenty of chopping and changing of players between all of the halves across all three teams, with players given the chance to shake off some pre-season rust and impress their respective coaches for places in starting teams.
In the first of the three halves, the Hurricanes bagged an early lead through hooker James O’Reilly, before his opposite Samisoni Taukei’aho dotted down in the 11th minute.
A Ruben Love try and conversion edged the Hurricanes out to a nine-point buffer, but converted tries to two-test All Blacks loose forward Luke Jacobson and non-contracted lock Samipeni Finau were enough for the Chiefs to win.
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The second half saw the Chiefs do battle with the Blues in a tight affair, with a try to Shaun Stevenson and a penalty try cancelling out the Harry Plummer try to give Clayton McMillan’s side victory.
The final half pitted the Hurricanes and Blues against each other, and it was the Aucklanders who got off to the better start when promising fullback Zarn Sullivan crossed the line in the fifth minute.
However, tries to halfback Jonathan Taumateine and wing Wes Goosen later in the half were enough to see the Hurricanes home.
The final week of Super Rugby Aotearoa pre-season kicks-off next Friday when the Highlanders take on the Hurricanes in Alexandra, while the Blues and Crusaders will square off at Eden Park on Saturday.
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Super Rugby Aotearoa kicks-off on February 26 when the Highlanders host the Crusaders at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
Chiefs 19 (Tries to Samisoni Taukei’aho, Luke Jacobson, Samipeni Finau; 2 conversions to Bryn Gatland)
Hurricanes 14 (Tries to James O’Reilly, Ruben Love; 2 conversions to Love)
Chiefs 12 (Try to Shaun Stevenson, penalty try)
Blues 5 (Try to Harry Plummer)
Hurricanes 14 (Tries to Jonathan Taumateine, Wes Goosen; 2 conversions to Jackson Garden-Bachop)
Blues 5 (Try to Zarn Sullivan)
Comments on RugbyPass
Absolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
5 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
4 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
5 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to comments