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Chiefs 15 Blues 12
Chiefs (Taukei'aho, McKenzie try; McKenzie penalty goal, conversion)
Blues (Ioane, Robinson try; Black conversion)
Full time
80 mins - TRY CHIEFS to Damian McKenzie
Jacobson breakthrough the Blues defence and gets inches short of the line where Black makes a try-saving tackle. He offloads to Lienert-Brown who is brought down. The Chiefs get fastball and McKenzie shows great footwork to break to crash over.
The Blues use their captain's challenge to review the try. On review, the try stands. The Chiefs snatch it at the death. McKenzie converts his own try. (CHI 15-12)
77 mins
With their best opportunity, the Chiefs make a meal of the lineout and the Blues clear their lines. The home side build their attack again just past their own 22 and McKenzie goes for the cross-field kick but it isn't on and it bounces into touch. to ease the pressure on the visitors.
The Blues are trying to run the clock down but Jacobson wins a crucial breakdown penalty. The home side have a lineout 40m out.
75 mins
The Chiefs go straight back onto the attack and get back inside the Blues 22. After 16 more phases of scintillating Chiefs attack, it comes to nothing. Papalii goes for an intercept but had no chance of catching it and the referee awards a penalty and the home side have a lineout five metres out.
73 mins
After 17 phases of brutal Chiefs attack, Dalton Papali'i wins a crucial breakdown turnover. He dishes it off to TJ Faiane who smashes it off downfield and the Cheifs have to start again on their own 10m line.
71 mins
The Chiefs clear their lines with a high kick down to Perofeta who juggles it but somehow manages to hold on. From the next phase, the Blues look to offload but knock the ball on to hand the home side an attacking opportunity.
69 mins - NO TRY BLUES to Dalton Papali'i
From the lineout, the Blues set-up a rolling maul. It suddenly breaks free and a new maul is created and it catches the Chiefs unawares and Papali'i crashes over. The referee wants to have another look to see how the second maul was created.
On review, the try is turned down for obstruction.
68 mins
Blues dominate the scrum to win a penalty. Interestingly they turn down the easy three points and will have a lineout five metres out.
66 mins
After 16 phases of barnstorming Blues attack, Jonathan Ruru throws a cut-out pass looking for Robinson who again is standing out wide but the pass is forward to halt the visitors attack.
65 mins
The Blues are starting to look very dangerous as Reiko Ioane breaks down to halfway from inside his own 22. The visitors get very fast ball and come wide to Telea who breaks the defence and suddenly the Blues are inside the Chiefs 22 in no time.
63 mins - TRY BLUES to Tom Robinson
From the 22m dropout, the Blues counter-attack through Caleb Clark who gets down to the Chiefs 22 with a strong run. The visitors get fats ball and come wide quickly where they find Robinson who breaks two tackles and storms 20m to crash over.
Black can't convert the try. (BLU 12-8)
60 mins - MISSED PENALTY GOAL BLUES to Black
The game swings back in favour of the Blues. The home side wins the kickoff but straight away the visitors win a breakdown penalty and Black will have a shot at goal.
For his standards it's a pretty simple kick but he's missed it right.
57 mins - TRY CHEIFS to Samisoni Taukei'aho.
From the lineout, the Chiefs execute a perfect lineout drive that crashes over. The referee has seen the ball grounded but has lost sight of it getting there so he has gone upstairs to the TMO.
After a review, the TMO has awarded the try to hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho. McKenzie can't convert the try as the Chiefs hit the front for the first time tonight. (CHI 8-7)
56 mins
The Chiefs are setting up camp inside the Blues 22. The attack comes to nothing but the visitors give away their sixth penalty of the half and the referee puts them under a team warning.
54 mins
From the lineout, the Blues show stoic defence to hold up a rolling maul that looked certain to lead to a Chiefs try.
The Blues will have a goal-line dropout.
53 mins - NO TRY CHIEFS to Lienert-Brown
After six phases of attack, they spread it wide to the backs. McKenzie puts a nice grubber in behind and Lienert-Brown somehow holds onto it under pressure from Perofeta. The referee will review the grounding.
After review, the TMO has decided Lienert-Brown doesn't have full control but the referee will come back for a penalty. The home side will have a lineout five metres out.
51 mins
The home side are looking threatening on the attack just short of the Blues 22. Dalton Papali'i wins a crucial breakdown turnover. They counter-attacking but the Chiefs recover and win a breakdown penalty.
They will have a lineout five metres out.
48 mins
A huge scrum from the Chiefs and the home crow erupt as they win a penalty. This game could be swinging in favour of the home side who will have a lineout 30m out.
47 mins
The Blues go short from the kickoff and Chiefs lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi can't control it and the visitors have a scrum on the 10m line.
45 mins - PENALTY GOAL Chiefs to Damian McKenzie.
The Blues set up their attack on their own 10m line. They set up to clear but before they can Luke Jacobson wins a breakdown penalty.
McKenzie will have a shot at goal and he nails it. (BLU 7-3)
42 mins
The Blues make a hot start to the second half and get down to the Chiefs 22. They look dangerous with ball in hand before Perofeta gives away a breakdown penalty to ease the pressure.
Kickoff
Stephen Perofeta gets underway.
Blues make three changes, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Ofa Tuungafasi and Gerard Cowley-Tuioti are on.
Halftime
A very interesting halfway of rugby. Both sides had numerous attacking opportunities but unforced errors cost them.
Akira Ioane grabbed the games lone try to have the Blues seven points in front.
39 mins
The Blues squander another attacking opportunity and the Blues counter-attack and get down to halfway. Trask breaks through the Blues defence and gets down to the 22. McKenzie gets fast ball and goes for the cross-field kick and a poor bounce stops a certain try.
35 mins
From the scrum, the Blues spread the ball wide to Perofeta who gets on the outside of Lienert-Brown. The Blues fullback puts in an attacking grubber and Lienert-Brown takes him out late to give away a penalty.
The Blues will have a lineout five metres out.
32 mins
Blues make another mistake at the lineout and the Chiefs go wide to Tupaea straight away. He makes his second line break of the night and gets brought down on the 22.
The home side goes wide with fast ball but a poor pass stops the attack and the Blues have a scrum on their own 22.
30 mins
Another error from the Chiefs hands the ball back and the Blues counter-attack. Telea breaks down the wing and fends off a home side defender on a brilliant 50m run. He dives for the line but a try saving tackle from McKenzie forces Telea to knock the ball on.
28 mins
The Chiefs have rebounded well from the opening try and will have a lineout just short of the Blues 22.
24 mins - TRY BLUES to Akira Ioane
After looking like the Blues attack would come to nothing when a tunnel pass went over the sideline, the Chief's hand possession back with a shocking lineout that goes over te top of the jumpers.
Christie gathers and goes inches short. From just a metre out Akira Ioane powers his way over. Black converts the try. (BLU 7-0)
20 mins
After seven phases of strong Blues attack right on the Chiefs line, the attack comes to nothing but the referee comes back for another penalty. The visitors will have a scrum 5m out.
18 mins
The momentum starting to swing in favour of the Blues who get their first opportunity to attack inside the Chiefs half.
After six phases the attack comes to nothing but the referee was playing advantage and the Blues will have a lineout 5m out.
14 mins
The Chiefs are starting to set up camp inside the Blues half as the visitors make another error to give the home side a scrum 40m out.
11 mins
Mistakes are costing both sides. From a Blues lineout which they can't control, the Chiefs quickly spread the ball wide. They find Tupaea who breaks through the defence and gets down to the 22.
He looks to offload in contact but loses control of the ball and knocks it on.
8 mins
After a long passage of play where the ball goes from one half to another. Ah Kuoi delivers a great short pass to Taukei'aho who storms off down the field.
As he's tackled just past halfway, he loses control and the Blues will have a scrum.
5 mins
The Chiefs have made a bright start to the contest with the ball in hand. After nine phases, Telea wins a turnover and Black clears down to the Cheifs 22.
3 mins
After five phases of direct Chiefs attack, Quinn Tupaea gives away a breakdown penalty to hand possession back to the visitors.
2 mins
Christie goes high straight away, in the contest with McKenzie, Sotutu knocks the ball on so the Chiefs will have a scrum on the visitors 10m line.
Kickoff
Kaleb Trask gets us underway.
7:03pm - Sam Cane and Patrick Tuipulotu led their sides on a perfect Hamilton day.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Aotearoa clash between the Chiefs and the Blues at Hamilton's FMG Stadium.
The home side are looking for just their second win of the season after breaking their 11-match losing streak last time out against the Hurricanes in Wellington.
They need a win to keep in touch with second place Blues with the top two teams in the competition contesting the grand final in May.
The Blues will be looking to bounce back after their first loss of the season to the Crusaders at home last week.
They desperately need a win to keep the chasing pack at arm's length whilst also closing the gap on the top of the table Christchurch side.
Both sides make changes from their week's fixture with the Blues welcoming back Dalton Papalii, Mark Telea and Finn Christie to the starting side.
The home side also make three chnages with rookie Samipeni Finau has been promoted from the bench to start at lock, left wing Sean Wainui returns to the starting side while an illness to Jonah Lowe opens the way for Shaun Stevenson to join the run-on side.
Chiefs: 1-Aidan Ross, 2-Samisoni Taukei'aho, 3-Angus Ta'avao, 4-Samipeni Finau, 5-Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 6-Mitchell Brown, 7-Sam Cane (cc), 8-Luke Jacobson, 9-Brad Weber (cc), 10-Kaleb Trask, 11-Sean Wainui, 12-Quinn Tupaea, 13-Anton Lienert-Brown, 14-Shaun Stevenson, 15-Damian McKenzie.
Reserves: 16-Bradley Slater, 17-Ollie Norris, 18-Reuben O'Neill, 19-Simon Parker, 20-Pita Gus Sowakula, 21-Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22-Alex Nankivell, 23-Chase Tiatia
Blues: 1-Alex Hodgman, 2-Luteru Tolai, 3-Nepo Laulala, 4-Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 5-Josh Goodhue 6-Akira Ioane, 7-Dalton Papali'i, 8-Hoskins Sotutu, 9-Fin Christie, 10-Otere Black, 11-Caleb Clarke, 12-Harry Plummer, 13-Rieko Ioane, 14-Mark Telea, 15-Stephen Perofeta
Reserves: 16-Leni Apisai, 17-Karl Tu'inukuafe, 18-Ofa Tuungafasi, 19-Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 20-Tom Robinson, 21-Adrian Choat, 22-Jonathan Ruru, 23-TJ Faiane
TAB odds:
Chiefs $2.95 Blues $1.36
Pre match banter:
Barrett outburst sends message to All Blacks selectors
Just in case there were any doubts, Jordie Barrett has sent a clear message to All Blacks selectors about his preferred position in the national team.
Select me at fullback.
The youngest of the All Black Barrett brothers scored all his team's points, as the Hurricanes overwhelmed the Highlanders 30-19 for their first Super Rugby Aotearoa win of the season in Dunedin.
Over the 80 minutes, he stamped his class on proceedings with three tries, converting them all and adding three penalties - two from halfway.
"Things went my way tonight," he reflected afterwards. "But overall, I'm just stoked we got off the duck egg and got a good performance against the Highlanders.
Asked about the last time he scored three tries in a march, Barrett suggested he might have achieved it in U8 grade.
"It's nice to get a couple, but I'm just happy to contribute to wins and stoked we got over the line tonight."
With injuries decimating the Hurricanes' supply of first-fives, coach Jason Holland has refrained from shifting Barrett to a position he has filled once at international level - against Namibia at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Instead, Orbyn Ledger has filled the No.10 jersey for the last two outings, with Barrett sometimes stepping into first receiver to ease the load.
"Jordie is a world class 15 and is not a world class 10," insisted Holland. "We got Orby doing an awesome job for us at 10 at the moment, Jordie can do what he does.
"They run the game together, and they interchange a little bit at 10 and 15, but for me, it was a bit of a no brainer to leave Jordie at 15."
And Barrett has appreciated that opportunity to refine his craft.
"In a way, I try to take a little bit of that responsibility off 'Orbs', just so he can concentrate on his own game," he said. "I try to deliver and pitch in on team messages, so he can go out there with a clear head.
"As soon as [Jackson Garden-Bachop] found out his Achilles was no good, [Holland] didn't panic and told me he would keep me at 15, allow me to continue to try and grow at 15, and trust other guys to do the job. That's quite refreshing."
The All Blacks hierarchy opted to play Barrett on the wing last year, but if they are to heed his claims on the fullback spot, they face a dilemma over how best to use two-time World Rugby Player of the Year - and older brother - Beauden, currently playing in Japan.
"I'm not keeping any secrets about where I want to play," says Jordie. "I want to play 15 and I enjoy playing 15 for the Hurricanes.
"Hopefully, we can keep building on this performance - it's just a start for us."
