Highlanders secure dramatic late comeback to sink Chiefs for second time in Super Rugby Aotearoa
What a match.
That’s all that needs to be said about the Highlanders’ clash against the Chiefs at FMG Stadium Waikato, as they overturned a 24-0 deficit to claim the unlikeliest 33-31 win.
It echoes that of the Highlanders’ last-gasp 28-27 win in Dunedin last month, where Bryn Gatland slotted a late drop goal to sink his father’s side at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
This time, it was Sio Tomkinson who was the hero as he scored a thrilling injury time try to give his side the win in what must surely be heralded as the match of the season.
It was a win that nobody would have seen coming by the 22nd minute given how things panned out from the get-go.
Deprived of field position throughout the opening five minutes of the match, the Highlanders were punished through a Lachlan Boshier try.
Patient build-up by the hosts was rewarded when the blindside flanker burst through a gap created by a Rob Thompson slip up, allowing Boshier to scorch in under the posts untouched.
Highlanders first-five Mitch Hunt had the chance to put a dent in the Chiefs’ lead just moments later via a penalty attempt after some good continuity from his side placed them inside the opposition half for the first time in the match.
The sprayed kick at goal from out in front let the home side off the hook, though, and Warren Gatland’s men showed no mercy in retaliating.
A slew of infringements put the ball back into the other end of the field, and some hard, direct running was enough for Anton Lienert-Brown to double the Chiefs’ lead.
The Highlanders’ lack of discipline shown continued to hurt the visitors, with Rob Thompson sent to the bin for a high shot on young lock Tupou Vaa’i.
McKenzie nailed the ensuing 45m penalty attempt to leave the 14-man Highlanders in a real rut as they faced a 17-0 deficit after just 15 minutes.
The onslaught carried on while Thompson served his sentence in the naughty chair.
Further penalties went against the Highlanders’ favour, which let the Chiefs set up a rolling maul from a lineout five metres from their own line.
Hooker Bradley Slater reaped the rewards as his forward pack marched their way through their opponents to heap more misery on the out-of-sorts southerners.
Some impressive athleticism by Shannon Frizell from the following restart provided the Highlanders with a source of inspiration as they eyed to get themselves on the board and chew into the Chiefs’ hefty lead.
A pair of knock ons by Marino Mikaele-Tu’u and Aaron Smith just moments apart from each other with the opposition tryline in sight looked to have killed off their chances of doing just that.
However, the Chiefs couldn’t maintain their discipline in their quest to hold out the Dunedin franchise, and the Highlanders’ sturdy lineout drive laid the platform for Mikaele-Tu’u to crash over on the half hour mark.
Bolstering their chances of an unlikely comeback was Chiefs captain Sam Cane’s dismissal to the sin bin for excessive infringements in the space of about four minutes.
His absence injected plenty of confidence into the Highlanders’ attack at the back-end of the half, but the undermanned Chiefs managed to hold out their energised opponents to take a 17-point lead into half-time.
The long-awaited return of All Blacks playmaker Josh Ioane was completed as the second half kicked off, with the 24-year-old entering the fray in place of the error-ridden Thompson.
His entrance into the game couldn’t stop the Chiefs from starting the second stanza with a bang, though, as an early penalty allowed the hosts to set up a rolling maul from close range.
As he did in the first half, Slater took full advantage of the situation to push his side’s lead out by another seven points.
It didn’t take long for the Highlanders to hit back, though, with a heads-up play down the short side – mixed in with some beautiful distribution – enough to set Hunt away for his second try of the Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign.
The increased impetus of the Highlanders’ attack noticeably coincided with Ioane’s induction in a playmaking capacity, illustrating how much he had been missed in the opening half of the season.
It was his halves partner Smith who proved to be more impressive of the duo, however, when he combined with the ever-present McKay and reserve lock Manaaki Selby-Rickit to score a scintillating counter-attack try that spurned from inside their own half.
That renewed sense of energy with ball in hand not only made for captivating viewing, but it put the Highlanders within striking distance of the hosts as the match entered the final quarter.
An overthrown lineout by replacement hooker Liam Coltman looked to have put that all to waste when McKenzie splintered the Highlanders’ defence to score his side’s fifth try of the afternoon, but an accidental offside called against Kaleb Trask acted as a lifeline for the visitors.
From there, the Highlanders edged their way deep into enemy territory to set up a series of pick-and-go’s with the tryline begging.
A breakdown turnover forced by Boshier looked to have defused that threat, but the Highlanders were unrelenting as they continued to chase the unlikeliest of comebacks.
Step up Jona Nareki, who caught the Chiefs napping on defence to canter in untouched from 40 metres with just five minutes to play, and the trusty boot of Hunt closed the gap to only five points.
The Chiefs looked to have solidified their win when Boshier snatched another penalty at the breakdown, but a Ross Geldenhuys infringement handed the Highlanders one last chance at victory.
Tasked with halting the Highlanders’ lineout right on their own line, the Chiefs couldn’t do anything as Smith flung the ball wide from the back of the maul to send Tomkinson through a gaping hole to score under the posts with time up on the clock.
Scenes of jubilation were evident in both the coaching box and on the field as the midfielder dotted down for what proved to be the winning score – with the help of Hunt’s successful conversion.
By comparison, the Chiefs’ coaching box and playing contingent cast a grim picture of dejection and despair as they continue their quest to clinch their first win of the Super Rugby Aotearoa season.
The result leaves the Hamiltonians rooted to the bottom of the competition’s standings ahead of next week’s clash with the Blues, who lead the fourth-placed Highlanders by just three points leading into the latter side’s upcoming bye week.
Chiefs 31 (Tries to Lachlan Boshier, Anton Lienert-Brown and Bradley Slater (2); 4 conversions and penalty to Damian McKenzie; Yellow card to Sam Cane)
Highlanders 33 (Tries to Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, Mitch Hunt, Aaron Smith, Jona Nareki and Sio Tomkinson; 4 conversions to Hunt; Yellow card to Rob Thompson)
Comments on RugbyPass
Gee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
72 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
19 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
4 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
19 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
19 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
19 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
1 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
19 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
19 Go to comments