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That's all from me, stick around for the match wrap.
Chiefs 27-30 Highlanders
Full-time: Highlanders win.
79th minute: Highlanders holding the ball - penalty advantage.
76th minute: TRY!! Aaron Smith scores, off the scrum the Landers go at the line a couple of times before the All Black goes over.
75th minute: Penalty on the Chiefs line for the Highlanders - scrum called.
72nd minute: Rob Thompson knocks it on. Chiefs ball.
70th minute: Ioane slots the penalty kick. Four point game.
68th minute: Cometh the man cometh the hour. Donald slots the penalty.
67th minute: Huge moment in the game here. Sio Tomkinson has been sent off for a no arms tackle to the head. RED CARD!! Even as a big Chiefs fan I think that is harsh.
67th minute: Brodie Retallick is on the ground down. He took a big hit but looks to be okay.
64th minute: TRY!! It's Shannon Frizell who scores for the visitors - The replacement forward scores after a line break from the Highlanders. Lomax gives an offload and Frizell scores. Kick is good.
62nd minute: Chiefs defence is staying staunch.
58th minute: Weber is off the pitch, doesn't look too good - head knock maybe. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi is on.
57th minute: Stephen Donald is on the pitch to a big roar.
56th minute: Penalty to the Chiefs, great defence from the home side and they ping Ben Smith for a incorrect entry.
54th minute: A good passage from the Highlanders but it ends in a knock-on - Chiefs scrum.
49th minute: What a great try!! Nanai-Seturo gets his second. Leger kicks a great crossfield knock that goes into the hands of the young winger who strolls over for his second on the night.
47th minute: Aaron Smith is on the pitch for the Highlanders.
44th minute: Penalty to the Highlanders and Ioane makes no mistake.
41st minute: The second half is back underway in Hamilton.
Half-Time 19-10.
40th minute: The Highlanders win a penalty on the hooter. It's good.
38th minute: What a try!! Nanai-Seturo finishes it off. Lienert-Brown makes the break and quick hands from himself and Nathan Harris gift the winger the try. Coversion is good.
37th minute: The Chiefs have good position here, and will look to score just before half-time.
35th minute: The Chiefs are said to be offside, Highlander ball in their own half.
33rd minute: Penalty to the Chiefs after hands in the ruck from the Highlanders - Kick is wide.
29th minute: Some ball in hand has done wonders for the home side. Dominating now.
26th minute: Chiefs scrum after some good work from Sullivan at the breakdown.
22nd minute: TRY! Angus Ta'avao finishes off a great move from the home side. Anton Lienert-Brown fakes a kick gets past one and gives the pass of to Bailyn Sullivan who chips one down the wing and cleans up the ball and gives the offload to the prop.
Kick is good.
19th minute: TRY Tyler Ardron has scored off the back of the scrum, he goes blind side and dummies to Weber and goes over easily. Weber to take the conversion. It hits the post.
18th minute: Good bit of attack from the Chiefs, they get down to the 22. two chargedowns from the Chiefs and they have a five metre scrum.
15th minute: TRY! Pari Pari Parkinson gets the first try of the season! Highlanders have had all the ball and deserve the try. Pick and go from the big fella and he takes the 5-0 lead. Kick is good.
13th minute: Highlanders have all the ball in the opening 10 minutes. Chiefs finally get some ball and it's a knock on.
11th minute: Weber with a stone cold drop in his own half, Highlanders scrum.
10th minute: Good attacking play from the visitors but Ioane's kick is to long, Chiefs 22 drop out.
6th minute: Great defence from the Chiefs early on - they weather the storm from the Highlanders and it's Parkinson who knocks the ball on. Chiefs scrum.
4th minute: Good defence from the Chiefs - Early penalty advantage and the Chiefs work hard to get Ben Smith out - No advantage Landers call scrum.
2nd minute: WOW! huge moment early, the ref awards a soft signal try and the TMO says it's held up.. No try. big call early on.
1st min: Super Rugby season is underway!
Just moments away from kick-off now.
Some injury news. Atu Moli is out with an elbow injury. Aidan Ross to start with Tevita Mafileo to debut off the bench.
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Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's coverage of the Super Rugby opner for the 2019 season between the Chiefs and the Highlanders from Waikato.
It's a very young fairly inexperienced Chiefs side who will run out without the injured Sam Cane and Damian McKenzie.
They will be without over 200 appearances with the absence of Charlie Ngatai and Liam Messam who are now playing overseas.
The Highlanders will start with All Blacks Ben Smith and Luke Whitelock but will be without Liam Squire and Waisake Naholo who have been left of of the squad. Aaron Smith will come off the bench with Kayne Hammington starting at halfback.
Lineups
Chiefs: 1-Atu Moli, 2-Nathan Harris, 3-Angus Ta'avao, 4-Brodie Retallick (c), 5-Michael Allardice, 6-Mitchell Brown, 7-Lachlan Boshier, 8-Tyler Ardon, 9-Brad Weber, 10-Orbyn Leger, 11-Etene Nanai-Seturo, 12-Anton Lienert-Brown, 13-Tumua Manu, 14-Bailyn Sullivan, 15-Shaun Stevenson
Replacements: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Aidan Ross, Nepo Laulala, Telani Seu, Jesse Parete, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Stephen Donald, Ataata Moeakiola.
Highlanders: 1-Ayden Johnstone, 2-Liam Coltman, 3-Tyrel Lomax, 4-Pari Pari Parkinson, 5-Josh Dickson, 6-Jackson Hemopo, 7-James Lentjes, 8-Luke Whitelock (cc), 9- Kayne Hammington, 10-Josh Ioane, 11-Tevita Li, 12-Thomas Umaga-Jensen, 13-Rob Thompson, 14-Matt Faddes, 15-Ben Smith (cc)
Replacements: Ash Dixon, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Siate Tokolahi, Shannon Frizell, Dillon Hunt, Aaron Smith, Bryn Gatland, Patelesio Tomkinson
TAB Odds: Chiefs $1.95 Highlanders $1.86
Pre-match banter: Chiefs unleash sevens star Etene Nanai-Seturo for season-opener
New Zealand rugby sevens sensation Etene Nanai-Seturo will make his Super Rugby debut against the Highlanders.
The former NZ Warriors league junior has been named along with three other Chiefs debutants for the opening round of the competition this weekend.
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In 2018, Nanai-Seturo was at the centre of a tug-of-war battle between the NRL club and New Zealand Rugby - a struggle NZR eventually won.
The 19-year-old starred for the World Cup-winning All Blacks Sevens team last year and after a stellar Mitre 10 Cup campaign with Counties-Manukau, Nanai-Seturo earned a spot in the Chief Super Rugby squad.
Joining the exciting winger in making their first Super Rugby appearances will be 21-year-old first-five Orbyn Leger, centre Tumua Manu and Japanese under-21 international winger Ataata Moeakiola, who has been compared to the great Jonah Lomu.
That injection of youth is balanced by the inclusions of All Black internationals Nathan Harris, Brodie Retallick, Anton Lienert-Brown, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Angus Ta'avao.
After experiencing a shocking injury toll in 2018, Cooper has early headaches at number 10.
All Black Damian McKenzie (ankle), brother Marty (hip) and Jack Debreczeni (abdominal strain) are all sidelined, handing a start for Leger.
It is a blow for Debreczeni, who returned to his native New Zealand last year, after five seasons at the Rebels, earning a Chiefs contract with an impressive provincial campaign for Northland.
Former All Black Stephen Donald was added to the Chiefs squad this week to bolster their thinning five-eighth stocks. The 35-year-old is named on the bench for the opener.
Chiefs coach Colin Cooper can't wait to unleash his youth brigade onto the competition.
"It will be a proud moment for our debutants, when they run out with the team on Friday," Cooper said.
"It is a privilege to wear the Chiefs jersey and as a team, we want to demonstrate to our whanau and supporters how proud we are to represent our region and club."
