The Chiefs have maintained their perfect record for the Super Rugby Pacific season with a bonus point 28-7 victory over the Highlanders in Hamilton tonight.
The competition leaders were always heavily favoured to beat the struggling southerners, who have already been on the receiving end of two thrashings by the Blues and Crusaders, but the home side, helped by a sparkling double by in-form wing Shaun Stevenson, didn’t have it all their own way.
The occasional heavy rain which fell at Waikato Stadium perhaps kept the score closer than it may have been, with the Chiefs helping their opponents by making enough errors to keep them in the game.
There was a key period late in the second half when, with co-captain Sam Cane sinbinned for a debatable offside, the Highlanders narrowed the gap to 21-7 when wing Mosese Dawai, who had earlier run straight through Damian McKenzie, barged over for a converted try.
And the Highlanders threatened again with a five metre scrum shortly after; first-five Mitch Hunt going close but judged to be held up (and injured in the process), and the visitors’ chance to really put pressure on the Chiefs down the stretch came to nothing.
Instead, the home side put the dagger in for their bonus point try with Stevenson’s second of the night.
The right wing, who had a clear run to the line, scored the first try of the second half when put into a gap by Rameka Poihipi.
Left wing Etene Nanai-Seturo had scored the Chiefs’ first following a neat switch by McKenzie, who had his moments throughout but was wayward with his boot – missing touch twice from penalties and kicking only three from seven at goal.
Replacement loose forward Samipeni Finau scored the Chiefs other try to give them a 21-0 lead.
The Highlanders welcomed back halfback Aaron Smith for his first game of the season and he was his usual vocal self in the No9 jersey before making his way to first-five late in the game due to Hunt’s injury; he didn’t look out of place either.
Prop Ethan de Groot and flanker Shannon Frizell also returned, with Frizell shown a yellow card by referee Paul Williams for not rolling away at the tackle despite being trapped under a pile of bodies.
Like their two defeats to the Blues and Crusaders, the Highlanders were competitive in the first half, but they badly lack depth and experience.
With English fullback Freddie Burns a mixed bag, they will badly miss Hunt if he is ruled unavailable. Lock Pari Pari Parkinson, who failed a head injury assessment, was another casualty.
It was a relatively routine victory for the Chiefs, who lost lock Tupou Vaa’i to injury in the first half.
Their benchmark was their round one win over the defending champion Crusaders in Christchurch and, with lock Brodie Retallick having a relatively quiet game, they appear to have improvements in them.
For the Highlanders, the outlook is far grimmer.
Chiefs 28 (Shaun Stevenson 2, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Samipeni Finau tries; Damian McKenzie 2 pens, con)
Highlanders 7 (Mosese Dawai try; Freddie Burns con)
Halftime: 8-0
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