LIVE COMMENTARY (Be sure to refresh your browser)
Highlanders - 28 Chiefs - 27
FULLTIME - Crazy finish at Forsyth Barr Stadium, as the Highlanders take the spoils in a genuine thriller. Click here for more.
79 mins - Landers win the restart. Gatland looms in the backfield, Smith finds him and he bangs over the drop goal from 40m out! Scenes here at Forsyth Barr!
78 mins - Drop goal from Damian McKenzie to give the Chiefs the lead!
77 mins - Chiefs roll the maul from the lineout. Phase after phase in the shadow of the posts....
75 mins - Chiefs spoil an attacking lineout with an awful throw and the Landers are back into Chiefs' territory. The 77th defensive penalty of the game is blown up, this one goes to the Chieffs. Lineout at the Landers 22m.
72 mins - TRY CHIEFS - Cruden holds up the defence to link with McKenzie, who makes a deft pass over the top to Lienert-Brown to waltz over in the corner. Huge conversion here from the sideline...McKenzie just drags it to the left. (Highlanders 25-24)
69 mins - Stevenson with acres of space on the right edge, cuts in and powers his way over the line, but he's held up by the defence. Back for the penalty advantage to the Chiefs, 5m out. They call for a scrum.
68 mins - The 14-man Landers defence continues to hold firm in the face of the Chiefs onslaught.
66 mins - Penalty Chiefs. Lineout at the Landers 22m.
65 mins - Massive shunt from the Landers to spoil the scrum, ball spills backwards and they earn a penalty at the ensuing ruck. That may well prove to be a real moment in this contest.
64 mins - Penalty Chiefs, the Highlanders dicing with danger here. Cruden declines the shot at goal and the Chiefs will opt to pack a scrum, about 7m from the line.
60 mins - McKenzie soars to grab a Smith bomb and he's tackled in the air. Lucky that was just a penalty against Jona Nareki. Hold the phone, the referees want another look at this. No arms from Nareki there, that won't help his cause. And out comes the second yellow card of the night for the Highlanders.
59 mins - Lienert-Brown pinged for offside. Gives Hunt a chance from in front of the posts, just 22m out....sends it right down the middle to extend the hosts' lead. (Highlanders 25-19)
57 mins - Tupaea with a rampaging carry, reels off 20m before going to ground near the Landers 10m. Defensive penalty to the Landers, and Hunt finds touch near the Chiefs 10m.
56 mins - Poor delivery from Weber, Cruden can only get a fingertip to it. Landers scrum at their own 22m.
54 mins - Weber rolls a grubber to the corner, far too strong for the chaser. Landers clear and the Chiefs return fire, back to the brink of the 22m.
53 mins - Landers through the phases, Frizzell down the right edge and into Chiefs terriroty. Defensive penalty to the Chiefs, that's the 20th so far. Lineout Chiefs at the Landers 22m, great chance to attack here.
52 mins - Cruden enters the game for Trask. Mark down that time.
50 mins - Another defensive penalty at the breakdown, this time to the Chiefs. Trask relieves the pressure as far as the Landers 10m line.
48 mins - Chiefs giving the ball some air as they look to work their way back from the restart. Stevenson clears, Koroi returns and Sowakula is off his feetm, again. Landers penalty, lineout at the Chiefs 22m. Aaron Cruden prepares to enter the fray for the visitors.
46 mins - Referee blows up the advantage. McKenzie looks to the posts from 22m out, right in front...no mistake. (Highlanders 22-19)
45 mins - Chiefs recycle smartly, Lienert-Brown drives his way inside the 22m. Penalty advantage now....
44 mins - Chiefs penalty, 15th of the game so far in total. Lineout at the Landers 22m.
43 mins - Koroi back on the park after his sinbin offence. No damage done in his absence.
42 mins - Chiefs nab the turnover, Landers infringe and Trask finds touch at the 22m for a Chiefs lineout.
41 mins - Lineout at halfway for the Chiefs but Parkinson soars to make the steal for the Landers.
Second half underway...
HALFTIME
39 mins - TRY HIGHLANDERS - They go blindside off the rolling maul from close range, Hunt holds up the pass in the tackle for Mikaele-Nu'u, who powers his way over the chalk. Hunt slots the sideline conversion and that will take us to halftime. (Highlanders 22-16)
38 mins - Penalty Highlanders. Hunt will look for the corner and they'll try to make use of what's been a highly effective lineout so far.
37 mins - Wainui streaks clear on the left edge, finds Sowakula but the movement breaks down. Landers lineout at the 50m.
35 mins - Frizzell with space, looks to burst through a hole until a copy-book cover tackle from Trask saves the day. Penalty Chiefs and they clear the danger.
34 mins - Promising overlap looming out wide but the execution is poor, pass falls behind and they concede an accidental offside. Landers penalty, lineout at the Chiefs 22m.
33 mins - Hunt compounds the yellow card by kicking out on the full from the restart. Chiefs scrum in the middle of the paddock.
32 mins - Ah Kuoi makes a break up the middle, looking for the offload but he's lifted in a sketchy looking tackle from Koroi. The referees congregate for a chat and it looks like it will be a yellow card for the Fijian in his Super Rugby debut. Landers down to 14 until about halftime. McKenzie steps up to slot the easy penalty. (Chiefs 16-15)
29 mins - Frantic period of back and forth ends with a Chiefs penalty after a monster hit from Sowakula. Chiefs edge to the Landers 22m...
27 mins - TRY CHIEFS - Lovely team try from the visitors that started with a McKenzie raid on the right edge and finished on the other touchline, Sean Wainui set free by Tupaea to run 22m to score their first try. McKenzie converts from wide. (Highlanders 15-13)
25 mins - Turnover for the Highlanders, Tu'u makes great metres crossing into Chiefs territory. Fumble at the ruck kills momentum, Chiefs scrum on their 10m.
24 mins - Mistake from Hunt, ball passed back into the 22m before the clearing kick. Chiefs lineout 22m out...
22 mins - TRY HIGHLANDERS - Rob Thompson with a superb line off a short ball from Smith, finds Sio Tomkinson in support and it's a try right next to the posts. Hunt claims an easy conversion. (Highlanders 15-6)
20 mins - Sowakula concedes again, off his feet at the ruck. Landers penalty right in the centre of the park, Hunt finds touch 5m from the Chiefs line. Big opportunity again for the hosts...
18 mins - Chiefs win the ball at the restart and suddenly they're inside the Landers 22m.....but penalty Highlanders, second movement on the ground from Sowakula.
16 mins - TRY HIGHLANDERS - Well executed drive from the lineout ends with a blue tidal wave over the Chiefs' line, and it's Ash Dixon who comes up with the spoils. Conversion missed from handy range. (Highlanders 8-6)
15 mins - Highlanders attacking lineout, they roll the maul from 5m out...
13 mins - McKenzie lines up the shot at goal, 37m on the angle....slides inside the lefthand upright to give the Chiefs their first lead. (Chiefs 6-3)
12 mins - Defensive penalty to the Chiefs after the turnover. Side entry from Parkinson at the breakdown.
11 mins - Poor throw Taukei'aho, Highlanders swarm onto the attack. Turnover at the ruck and the Chiefs are able to clear deep. Gilbert replies, and we'll have a Chiefs line-out at the Landers 10m.
10 mins - Both sides kicking for field position, we end with a Chiefs lineout at the 50m.
8 mins - Weber grubbers for Boshier who can't quite reel it in, just a metre from the crossbar. Penalty advantage though, and McKenzie evens the scoreline from right in front.
6 mins - Inside ball to Stevenson who breaks clear, finds Weber in support, whose oppsoite Smith is right on the spot with a tackle that looked a tad early. Play on and Chiefs continue to work through their phases...
5 mins - Chiefs look to maul their way over, quick ball wide to a looping Stevenson but the cover defence is up to the task. Hunt clears back to the 10m mark for a Chiefs lineout.
4 mins - Penalty Chiefs immediately from the restart, Highlanders not releasing the ball. Trask tutrns down the shot at goal and the Chiefs will throw the lineout 5m out...
2 mins - Penalty advantage cashed in, Chiefs offside at the ruck. Hunt will call for the kicking tee, 35m out on a slight angle....and over it goes. (Highlanders 3-0)
1 min - Mitch Hunt gets things started and it's Tupaea up to the plate with a huge opening charge. Defence scrambles and we'll have a Highlanders line-out at the Chiefs 10m.
We're underway...
7:06pm - A few moments to recognise New Zealand's stirling effort in getting rid of COVID-19, which draws a huge cheer. Now let's get into the LIVE RUGBY.
7:03pm - Both teams are out on the paddock in front of a lively Forsyth Barr Stadium crowd.
Commentary will start from around 7pm. In the meantime check out the video above for a preview of tonight's game.
Kia ora and welcome to play-by-play coverage of the return of live sport to New Zealand, as the Highlanders and Chiefs square off down in Dunedin in the opening game of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, video highlights (be sure to refresh your browser) and all the action.
Betting odds:
Highlanders - $2.95 Chiefs - $1.36
Pre-match banter:
Highlanders lose Ioane for opener against Chiefs
Highlanders first-five Josh Ioane has been ruled out of Saturday night's Super Rugby Aotearoa opener against the Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium with a groin injury.
The one-test All Black sustained the injury at training on Friday and will be assessed next week.
Mitch Hunt will wear the No. 10 jersey, with NZ Sevens star Vilimoni Koroi promoted to the starting side where he'll play fullback in what will be his Super Rugby debut.
Bryn Gatland, the son of Chiefs coach Warren Gatland, has been added to the bench.
The match would have been the first this year Ioane played at first-five, as he shifted between second-five and fullback, with former Crusader Hunt assuming playmaking duties before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus.
But coach Aaron Mauger opted to move Ioane back to his natural position, where his form in at first-five saw him make his All Blacks debut against Tonga before last year's World Cup.
Along with Koroi, Sam Gilbert will also make his Super Rugby debut after being named on the right wing.
The Chiefs have lost only one of their last five Super Rugby games against the Highlanders, but their last encounter ended in a 31-31 draw.
