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Chiefs put their campaign back on track

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 10:25

Seventeen points in the match: Chiefs flyhalf Stephen Donald

The Chiefs put their Super 14 campaign back on track with a hard-earned 27-21 win over a willing Highlanders outfit at Baypark Stadium, Mount Maunganui, on Saturday.

The three-tries-to-two victory sees the Chiefs move up into fifth place and in a good position to push for a spot in the play-offs in the latter stages of the competition.

It was a stunning game of great variety on a pleasant Saturday evening. It was a game of muscle and brain, hardness and daring, strong tackles and exciting running, unpredictability at line-outs, scrums and tackle/rucks, and it was close to the end. There were tries from long range and tries from close quarters, and splendid goal-kicking by Israel Dagg and Stephen Donald.

Donald played at inside centre and revelled in the change; Mike Delany had a rare start at flyhalf and made the best of the opportunity.

The biggest difference between the two teams was at the scrum where the Highlanders blew the Chiefs away, twice taking tightheads off them, and at the line-out where the Chiefs threw into 20 line-outs compared with the Highlanders' eight and of those eight the Chiefs won three.

The match started its excitement with a break by Luke Braid off Sione Lauaki - as he did again in the second half, but it was the Highlanders who provided the first great thrill. They counterattacked off a knock-on and got the ball wide to Fetu'u Vainikolo about 30 metres from his line but with space. The sturdy wing shot down the left, beat three and then after racing for 70 metres lost the ball over the line as Lelia Masaga tackled him.

That produced a five-metre scrum to the Chiefs and the Highlanders destroyed them to win the ball and start bashing, till Robbie Robinson stepped to his left and left-footed a drop to give the Highlanders a 3-0 lead. (For the third match of the weekend the team that scored first lost.)

When Jason Shoemark was penalised for an early tackle, Donald made it 3--all after 14 minutes.

Donald was soon back in action with a clean break. He got the ball to his right to Brendon Leonard but the handling then went awry.

When the Highlanders' destroyed another Chiefs scrum in the right corner Steven Setephano picked up and drove at the line. Held, he got the ball to Hayden Trigg who drove at the line as Sona Taumalolo tried to stop him. Trigg just managed to get the ball down right in the corner. 8-3 to the Highlanders' after 26 minutes.

The it was the Chiefs turn. They threw deep into the line-out where powerful Sione Lauaki rose, caught and gave to Leonard who passed immediately to Delany who passed immediately to Donald and the tall centre cut right through, selling a bit of a dummy on his 40-metre run to the try-line. It was a great try. 10-8 to the Chiefs after 31 minutes.

Vainikolo started and finished the next try. Leonard kicked and, under pressure, Vainikolo caught the ball and ran across the field getting a pass out of his armpit to Shoemark who gave to Ben Smith who set Kenny Lynn racing ahead. The outside centre gave to left wing Vainikolo on the right touch-line and he scurried through for the try. It was great team try with the right wing involved on the left and the left wing scoring on the right. Dagg converted from touch and now the Highlanders led 15-10 after 35 minutes. That was the score at half-time.

The Chiefs attacked at the start of the second half with a good effort by Masaga. They made a penalty into a five-metre line-out and bashed with Culum Retallick twice prominent and Mils Muliaina close.. Given another penalty they did the same but then went left with Delany close and came back right where Donald threw a long pass to unmarked Lauaki who ambled over for a try. Donald converted from far out. 17-15 to the Chiefs after 45 minutes.

The Chiefs had much the better of the half with a break by Braid, a sweet diagonal kick from Delany to Dwayne Sweeney, a break by Leonard with Messam close.

Donald kicked a penalty when Highlanders were offside at a kick and then Dagg, too, got one when Craig Clarke was penalised at a tackle. 20-18 to the Chiefs after 54 minutes.

After Leonard's break and Messam's bash, the Chiefs laid serious siege to the Highlanders line and eventually Sona Taumalolo managed to get the ball down on the line. Donald converted. 27-1`8 after 57 minutes.

The only score in that time was a penalty by Dagg when Messam infringed at a tackle, but they had a gilt-edged opportunity to score as they moved to the right. Mat Berquist, on for Donald, kicked low and the ball bounced straight back at him off the back of Lynn. Berquist was through with one man ahead. He passed to unmarked Tom Boys on his right but the pass was not the greatest and Boys lost an simple chance to score a try.

Man of the Match: Mike Delany, revelling in the opportunity to play flyhalf, controlling the match with great variety, kicking, running and passing well. It was a virtuoso performance.

The scorers:

For the Chiefs:
Tries: Donald, Lauaki, Taumalolo
Cons: Donald 3
Pens: Donald 2

For the Highlanders:
Tries: Triggs, Vainikolo
Con: Dagg
Pens: Dagg 2
DG: Robinson

Teams:

Chiefs: 15 Mils Muliaina (captain), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Stephen Donald, 11 Dwayne Sweeney, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Culum Retallick, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Ben Afeaki, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Sona Taumalolo.
Replacements: 16 Vern Kamo, 17 Toby Smith, 18 Jarrad Hoeata, 19 Colin Bourke 20 Junior Poluleuligaga, 21 Jackson Willison, 22 Tim Nanai-Williams.

Highlanders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Kenny Lynn, 12 Jason Shoemark, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Robbie Robinson, 9 Jimmy Cowan (captain), 8 Steven Setephano, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Hayden Triggs, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Clint Newland, 2 Jason Rutledge, 1 Chris King.
Replacements: 16 Jason Macdonald, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Joe Tuineau, 19 Tim Boys, 20 Sean Romans, 21 Mat Berquist, 22 James Paterson.

Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Garratt Williamson (New Zealand), Shane McDermott (New Zealand)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)

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