FULLTIME: CHIEFS 28 - 24 HURRICANES
80mins: HURRICANES TRY - SAVEA: Alaimalo decides against kicking, steps inside and is tackled inside his own 22m. Chiefs playing for time but it squirts out the Hurricanes way and they have one last chance to get on the scoreboard. Eves is driven over the top by Boshier and the Chiefs get it back. Messam tries the cross-kick to Lienert-Brown, he collects, throws it back inside and Savea interceps to score.
77mins: Messam runs from the back of the scrum and makes plenty of metres down the right wing. Chiefs looking to close the game out, keeping it tight but knock on and we'll have a Hurricanes scrum.
75mins: Chiefs clear and Jodie sends it right back for McKenzie to clear now. West puts the foot down and makes a nice run down the left. Lousi charges and BUMPS off Jacobson. Wow. They put the kick through but Stevenson does brilliantly to get back and run it out and make plenty more before his support player throws the intercept.
72mins: Beauden goes long with the restart and the Chiefs want to play it out as McKenzie gives it to Messam to have a run. They do finally clear through McKenzie and the Hurricanes will have the lineout just outside the 22m. They win but their maul is stuffed and the Chiefs force the turnover.
70mins: CHIEFS TRY - KARPIK: Allardice picks off the Hurricanes lineout and the Chiefs look to counter. They put the grubber through and Laumape fumbles it for a Chiefs scrum. Weber darts down the left wing from the scrum and he almost goes over! Karpik has a crack and he's over for the try! They hit right back.
67mins: HURRICANES TRY - MAY: Perenara attacks the short side and almost crawls his way over! Hurricanes just a metre out and they could be over here! They're going to ask the TMO. Eves looks to have dotted down. And it's given! What a comeback from the Hurricanes. Change of try scorer. It was in fact May.
65mins: Hurricanes win the lineout and look to drive their way over. They're making good progress and win the penalty as Karpik is pinged for incorrect entry. Hurricanes turn down the shot at goal and call for a scrum.
63mins: Perenara boots it away and Stevenson's tied up nicely after taking it in. McKenzie clears but it's straight to Jordie. He looks to counter, gives it to Goosen and he's SMASHED by Fa'auli! He's down in a heap and we'll have a check upstairs. That's a shoulder straight to Goosen's jaw and that should be red. Disgusting. And he's shown a red card. Well deserved.
61mins: HURRICANES TRY - THOMSON: Thomson has a crack from the back of the scrum but he's well contained. Hurricanes keepinhg it tight, looking to bash their way over. Thomson has another go and he crashes over for the try! Hurricanes well back in it now.
59mins: McKenzie tries the grubber through but Lam's boot sends it the other way and Laumape's leading the chase! He toes it ahead for himself with two Chiefs players on either side but Karpik does brilliantly to dive early and get there first. McKenzie looks to clear but Lousi's straight on him to force the scrum for the Canes.
57mins: Parete has a crack from the back of the scrum and the Chiefs are just a couple of metres short now. Chiefs looking to bash their way over, keeping it tight but Henwood does superbly to get over the ball and win the penalty.
55mins: Lienert-Browns gets the ball behind the gain line, switches direction and puts the foot down! He beats several players to take the ball just five metres out from the try line. Rettalick wants a double but he's held up and we'll have a scrum.
53mins: Beauden kicks long and Alaimalo goes high with the bomb but Jordie's there to take it on the spin. Eves is penalised for not releasing and the Chiefs have the lineout just outside the Canes 22m.
51mins: HURRICANES TRY - GOOSEN: Perenara puts the grubber through, Alaimalo's under pressure and does well to run out of trouble before McKenzie tries a chip kick through but the Hurricanes are first to it. Lam gets it, steps in, steps out, beating two and finds Goosen on his inside and the centre dives over for the try.
48mins: Hurricanes forwards trying to bash their way through up the middle. They're just 10 metres out as Riccitelli is hit hard at the breakdown. Fatialofa has a brain explosion and takes out a Chiefs player at the ruck and concedes the penalty.
46mins: Perenara finds a charging Laumape but he's met by a Chiefs wall. Goosen has a crack and he's tackled well before Karpik gets over it and turns it over. Chiefs send it deep down field but concede the penalty with the Hurricanes under immense pressure.
43mins: Laumape bumps off one as the Hurricanes look to launch from halfway. Riccitell tries to get the ball out but is met by McKenzie and the first-five is penalised because the ball wasn't out. Jordie lines up the shot at goal and it's wide.
41mins: We're back underway and it's Alaimalo who gets under the restart before McKenzie clears for Jordie to counter.
HALFTIME: CHIEFS 21 - 0 HURRICANES
40mins: Prattley obstructs and is penalised as the Hurricanes survive after another way of Chiefs attack. Riccitelli under immense pressure and knocks on in the tackle before the Chiefs give it right back. Perenara's had a enough and boots it into touch.
38mins: Nankivell puts the the grubber through and Jordie does brilliantly to get out of a tricky situation and beats a couple of tackles to take the Canes out of danger. Perenara finally clears from the base of the ruck.
36mins: Chiefs try the drive and they're inside the Hurricanes 22m. They're struggling to go forward so break away through Fa'auli. Beauden drives through at the breakdown and forces the error before brother Jordie clears.
34mins: Chiefs go on the short side and Pulu's in space on the right and steps his way into the Hurricanes 22m. Chiefs looking dangerous but knock on shortly after. Pulu getting up slowly.
32mins: Weber puts the box kick up, Jordie gets up to catch it but tries an audacious offload to Lam and he knocks on for a Chiefs scrum just outside the Hurricanes 22m.
30mins: Beauden tries the bomb and McKenzie coughs another one up. Hurricanes up to the 22m but Lousi's off his feet at the breakdown and concedes the penalty. All going the Chiefs way at the moment. What a half of footy.
28mins: CHIEFS TRY - ALAIMALO: Fa'auli puts the grubber through for Stevenson to chase down the left wing, he's first to it and boots it ahead along the ground, Jordie fumbles, Stevenson picks it up and fires the offload over the top to Alaimalo and the fullback is in for the try! Sensational stuff.
26mins: Rettalick wins the lineout and the Chiefs drive it into the Hurricanes half. Fa'auli spots space out wide with Pulu all by himself, tries the cross-kick but it sails over the sideline.
24mins: Hurricanes try go through Laumape and who came blame 'em, but he's well looked after and Boshier's right up over him to win the penalty. Great defence Chiefs.
22mins: McKenzie clears from the scrum win and Jordie counters, beats one but is dragged down on halfway. Toomaga-Allen shows the ball and makes good metres. Beauden tries the bomb, McKenzie calls for the mark but knocks on.
20mins: Hurricanes looking to strike back, taking it up through their forwards. They're inside the Chiefs half but the hosts' defence is holding nicely. Ball comes free Chiefs way but Ta'avao knocks on.
18mins: CHIEFS TRY - WEBER: Shields straight back into the thick of it and wins the lineout. Barrett tries to get on the outside of Pulu but the winger drags him down. Beauden tries the inside pass and Weber reads it, intercepts and he's away! He sprints away from Lam and races 50 metres to score the try.
16mins: McKenzie finds touch as play comes to a stop with Shields down. Seems to have taken a knock to the rib area at the breakdown. Looks to be in serious discomfort. He'll soldier on.
14mins: Lousi wins the lineout and the Hurricanes look to drive it. Perenara finally breaks away, gives it to Beauden and he grubbers it through with nobody home and Alaimalo boots it into touch.
12mins: Weber spots space, shows it and he's away! He splits the defence open, puts the kick through but it's put into touch by the Canes and the Chiefs take it quickly! They're inside the Canes 22m but Jordie gets up to intercept and Beauden clears.
10mins: McKenzie steps one from the kick-off and then is smashed with interest! Chiefs do finally clear and the Canes will have the lineout on the hosts' 10m. They win it but it's a shocker of a pass and Karpick picks it up and he's away! He runs 20 odd metres but his offload is knocked on by McKenzie.
8mins: CHIEFS TRY - RETTALICK: Pulu busts through a couple of would-be tacklers and he's in space! He's into the Chiefs 22m, draws one in and finds Stevenson who takes it up to the five-metre line. Chiefs looking to bash their way over and Rettalick does just that! He goes over the top of his defender to dot down. Chiefs strike first.
6mins: Chiefs making plenty of metres with the maul, rolling towards the Hurricanes try line as they work their way into the 22m. Hurricanes defending it patiently and eventually bring it down to force the turnover.
4mins: Chiefs keen to play it quickly down the right wing from the maul, Weber gets it, gives it Pulu who has a bit of space but he's tackled into touch. Good cover defence from the Canes.
3mins: Goosen shows the ball and is dragged down just over halfway. Beauden puts the bomp up, McKenzie takes it easily and stabs it into touch around halfway for a Chiefs lineout after it touched a Canes player on its way.
1mins: McKenzie kicks-off and Beauden takes it in before clearing and finds touch inside the Chiefs half. Great nudge.
7:35pm: Chiefs captain for tonight, Brodie Retallick leads out the home side. Just moments away now from kick-off!
7:33pm: Toomaga-Allen leads out the Hurricanes in his 100th Super Rugby game. Late changes to the Chiefs with both Ngatai and Ardron failing late fitness tests and are out. Fa'auli and Allardice come in.
7:25pm: The Chiefs can mathimatically overtake the 'Canes on the ladder but it's a tall order as they need a bonus-point win and need to do it by more than 40 points.
7:20pm: Thanks for joining us as the Chiefs play host the Hurricanes in the opener to the final round of Super Rugby pool play. The hosts are without McKenzie or Cane, while Lam returns from the bench for the Hurricanes.
Kia ora and welcome to Waikato Stadium as the Chiefs take on the Hurricanes in the final round of Super Rugby before the playoffs.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, (BE SURE TO REFRESH YOUR BROWSER), and all the action.
Commentary will start at 7.20pm.
Lineups
Chiefs
15 Solomon Alaimalo, 14 Toni Pulu, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Johnny Fa’auli, 11 Shaun Stevenson, 10 Marty McKenzie, 9 Brad Weber, 8 Jesse Parete, 7 Mitch Karpik, 6 Lachlan Boshier, 5 Michael Allardice, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Liam Polwart, 1 Sam Prattley.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18 Jeff Thwaites, 19 Sosefo Kautai, 20 Liam Messam, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Tiaan Falcon, 23 Alex Nankivell
Hurricanes
15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Wes Goosen, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Blade Thomson, 7 Sam Henwood, 6 Brad Shields (c), 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Michael Fatialofa, 3 Jeff To’omaga-Allen, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Toby Smith.
Replacements: 16 James O’Reilly, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Ben May, 19 Gareth Evans, 20 Reed Prinsep, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Ihaia West, 23 Julian Savea.
Match officials
Referee: Mike Fraser
Assistant Referees: Richard Kelly, James Doleman
TMO: Ben Skeen
Previous results
Fri, 13 Apr 2018 Chiefs v Hurricanes 13-25 Wellington
Fri, 09 Jun 2017 Chiefs v Hurricanes 17-14 Wellington
Fri, 10 Mar 2017 Chiefs v Hurricanes 26-18 Waikato
Sat, 30 Jul 2016 Semi Chiefs v Hurricanes 9-25 Wellington
Sat, 23 Apr 2016 Chiefs v Hurricanes 28-27 Wellington
Head-to-head
Chiefs $2.50 Hurricanes $1.52
Pre-match banter: Chiefs rest big names for Hurricanes ahead of playoffs
Chiefs' hopes of snatching Super Rugby quarter-final hosting rights off the Hurricanes have waned after naming a team well short of full strength.
The teams meet in the final round of the regular season in Hamilton on Friday and will almost certainly square off again in the first round of the play-offs next week.
Sitting five points clear of their rivals in second place in the New Zealand conference, the Hurricanes are in the box seat.
To leapfrog them, the Chiefs must win by at least 22 points on Friday and snare a bonus point.
Coach Colin Cooper has rested in-form playmaker Damian McKenzie, who has only missed one match this season.
Under All Black stipulations, McKenzie is required to sit out two games. He is replaced at five-eighth by brother Marty.
Also missing from the team that pipped the Brumbies 24-19 last week are test flanker Sam Cane (concussion), centre Sean Wainui (shoulder) and hooker Nathan Harris (thigh), while All Blacks prop Karl Tu'inukuafe is on the bench, along with veteran number eight Liam Messam.
There are six changes to the pack, including the return of All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick (chest) in his first match for six weeks.
The Hurricanes have made three starting changes to the team that thumped the Blues 42-24.
Ben Lam returns on the left wing in place of Julian Savea, while prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen and lock Michael Fatialofa are in the pack.
Ngani Laumape, who scored four tries against the Blues, is retained at inside centre.
Newshub.
