'Heart in mouth stuff’: Jono Gibbes reflects on last-gasp extra-time winner

When the Sky Sport broadcast panned to the Chiefs coaching box after Daniel Sinkinson’s try in the second half in Hamilton, head coach Jono Gibbes was seen showing raw emotion and relief.

The reserve outside back’s try was the leveller, but it took some heroics by Wallace Sititi in Super Point to clinch victory for the Chiefs on Saturday night.

Damian McKenzie was in the pocket ready for a drop goal, before it was eventually charged down by Hurricanes lock Warner Dearns. The ball fell into the hands of Sititi, who marked his comeback from injury with an 84th-minute game-winner.

Departing Chiefs attack coach Roger Randle, who will join Clayton McMillan at Munster next season, was also visibly emotional after Sinkinson’s try, showcasing the level of intensity and effort put into the round ten matchup.

Gibbes, who spoke to media in Hamilton post-match alongside Luke Jacobson, said the emotion stems from how much his team put into the fight.

“I think you understand how much these guys have put into this. You have massive respect for the things that you ask them to do, they go out and do it, they’re generous with their bodies, they just hang tough,” the Chiefs head coach said on Saturday evening.

“And yeah, it’s that release of emotion is also because you get to see them rewarded for their effort. At that stage, you’re a spectator too. That’s the reality. It’s in the dying moments, like you are living in that moment, just like a spectator does as well. So yeah, it’s heart-in-mouth stuff.”

For Jacobson, on his 100th appearance for the Chiefs, Sititi’s try not only got his side over the line, but gave him a “new leaf of life”.

“Well, just before I was on the ground. I didn’t have much more to give, I was right at the bottom and, yeah, it’s at that moment you’re just like, come on, brother,” Jacobson said.

“When he put it down, I just found a new leaf of life. Yeah it was an awesome moment. I think it wasn’t just Wallace pulling the ball over the line, but it started at start of the week, I think we built a really good week.

“We had a lot of men fall down. Probably a lot of men just step into their place being ready, and then out on the field everybody’s working, everybody’s playing their part, and we were able to work our way up to that goal line.

“So Wallace got to score the try but I think us as a whole Chiefs squad, we all earned it.”

Gibbes was forced to make a number of late changes to the squad he originally named on Thursday, with Samipeni Finau, Reuben O’Neill and Kaylum Boshier all nursing injuries and illnesses.

“You would probably have to say 50, wouldn’t we, because the 23 they got named wasn’t the 23 that took the field, I pulled them in yesterday before the captain’s run and gave them okay, this is our final team, and then that changed again.

“Guys working really hard, and we had a difficult week that didn’t go exactly to plan but I think you saw tonight, the guys that got called on answered the call.”