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Dave Rennie explains Noah Hotham omission and possible Carter switch
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Chiefs v Drua takes: Fake competition leaders, D-Mac best 10 of the week
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The Chiefs finished the Super Round fixtures with a 42-22 win over the Fijian Drua to cap off a great weekend of Super Rugby Pacific in Christchurch.
Two brain explosions from fullback Ilaisa Droasese gifted the Chiefs a handy lead, from which they never looked like giving up.
They coasted to victory to extend their winning run to five in a row since their loss to the Brumbies in Canberra.
Here are quick takes following the Chiefs win in Christchurch.
Fake Chiefs were okay at best
The Chiefs got the bonus point win over the Drua, but were patchy through the second half. Considering that the Drua practically gifted 14 points through fullback Droasese, how much weight can be put on the win? Minus those two out and it’s 28-22.
The Chiefs backs were good, particularly in the wide channels where the overload plays seem to create numbers. There were two launch strikes that paid off on first phase, courtesy of McKenzie’s playmaking.
The Drua managed to fight back in the second half, with the Chiefs up by only 14-12 in the second 40. Two five minute periods either side of half-time decided the contest.
The Chiefs are back being the fake competition leaders, equal with the Hurricanes on 35 points at the top of the ladder but having played an extra game.
Turning Point
For 35 minutes the Drua had put up a good fight, trailing by just 14-10. After a Dan Sinkinson break down the right hand edge, the ball spilled into the in-goal. Drua fullback Ilaisa Droasese inexplicably put a grubber kick in from his own dead ball line, with the kick failing to make it out of the in-goal. Loosehead prop Jared Profitt dived on the ball, and although the put down was suspect, a try was awarded. Droasese clearly thought there had been a knock-on in the lead up that wasn’t checked.
It was a shocking moment that let off all the pressure in the match, allowing the Chiefs to get up by 21-10. Moments later, Chiefs centre Kyle Brown sparked a break and found Leroy Carter on the inside. Carter drew the last defender to put Cortez Ratima under the posts and in the space of a few minutes the Chiefs led 28-10.
That rally before half-time was a breaking point for the Drua, all started from a brain explosion.
Only five minutes into the second half Droasese was at it again, fielding a kick that went over his head in the field of play, before slipping over in the in-goal and grounding the ball. This handed the Chiefs a five metre scrum, from which a clever switch play led to Sinkinson scoring in the corner.
14 points gifted to the Chiefs in a heartbeat.
Chiefs debutant Isaac Hutchinson
Of the Chiefs backs, starting debutant Isaac Hutchinson was one of their best, showing a promising skillset under the high ball in the backfield. He defused every thing that came his way.
On defence he produced a much-needed try saver on Drua halfback Frank Lomani who had pinched an intercept from the pod. Hutchinson’s never-say-die effort got Lomani in the corner and he knocked the ball on trying to score.
He came agonisingly close to scoring twice, the first from a set play where he placed the ball short, leading to a turnover, and the second on Droasese’s in-goal slip but the fullback had forced the ball before losing it.
He finished with five defenders beaten on 12 carries for a memorable debut.
D-Mac polish too much for Drua
The contest was probably decided on the class of McKenzie, who had two key involvements on set plays to produce two tries. Across the park he was stable, running the Chiefs attack with precision.
There was one botched pass to Quinn Tupaea under pressure, but for the most part it was a slick showing from McKenzie who outplayed both Ruben Love and Beauden Barrett over the weekend.
Barrett’s lack of game management was brainless and inexplicable while Love’s wild showboating antics were careless. McKenzie made plays but didn’t put his side under undue pressure.
If the All Blacks were being picked today, McKenzie would be the starting No.10 on Super Round form.
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