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Match Highlights - Chiefs stun Highlanders, Sunwolves win big

By Ben Spratt

The Chiefs beat the Highlanders and closed the gap to the Hurricanes in Super Rugby’s highly competitive New Zealand Conference.

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All three sides are set for the play-offs, but they trail the Crusaders at the top of the group and jostled for position on Saturday.

The Chiefs secured a standout result as they won 45-22 on the road at the Highlanders for their third win in four away matches after a blistering first half.

Six tries before the break – including two from Toni Pulu – incredibly had the visitors up 42-0 at the break as they put the result beyond doubt.

But the hosts were able to deny the Chiefs a bonus point. Teihorangi Walden scored a brace soon after the restart, before another two tries followed.

The Chiefs will now have the Hurricanes in their sights ahead of their meeting, with the second-placed side in the conference losing 24-12 to Brumbies, who ran in three second-half tries to overturn a 12-5 deficit half-time deficit.

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There was a surprise thriller between two of the league’s strugglers, meanwhile, as the Sunwolves defeated the Bulls 42-37 in Singapore.

The two number 10s were the stars of the show as the Sunwolves’ Hayden Parker scored a try and kicked six conversions, while Handre Pollard crossed once and put away four conversions and three penalties.

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Bull Shark 42 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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