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Chiefs 45 Moana Pasifika 12
Chiefs - Jacobson, Reihana, Nankivell 2 & Nanai-Seturo 2 tries, Gatland 6 conversions & penalty
Moana Pasifika - Tuitavuki & Kata tries, McClutchie conversion
Fulltime
40th minute - Chiefs control the kickoff and the siren goes, as Ratima finds touch to end the contest. Easy win for the Chiefs, who never really got out of second gear.
39th minute - TRY to Reihana
Chiefs forward lay a platform just metres out from the line and Ratima finds Reihana running off his shoulder to score. Gatland maintains his perfect kicking record, CHI 45-12
37th minute - Lord wins another lineout and Ratima bursts upfield. O'Keeffe is playing advantage for a high tackle.
36th minute - Eventually, the Chiefs win a clearing penalty, but Weber is down and clutching his right arm. He's leaving the field...
35th minute - Moana have penalty advantage for offside, but they burst upfield, where Tavatavanawai fends off a defender.
34th minute - Moana win another lineout in their own half and try to break out down the left.
33rd minute - Lord wins the lineout and Chiefs maul towards the tryline. Ah Kuoi bursts out of the maul, but he's penalised for not releasing in the tackle and McClutchie clears the line.
32nd minute - Chiefs have a penalty advantage from a lineout maul and Gatland kicks to the corner.
31st minute - McClutchie kicks to the corner, as Moana try to find a way across the line. They win the lineout and rumble towards the line, but Weber has stolen the ball and Chiefs hack the ball downfield.
30th minute - Moana stringing together phases, but the Chiefs easily cover them. Eventually, McClutchie finds a half-gap and wins a penalty advantage...
29th minute - Moana win a lineout and find Kata burst up midfield into the 22. They storm towards the tryline, but the Chiefs defence is good.
28th minute - Lindenmuth's hands let him down again, but O'Keeffe brings them back for the penalty and McClutchie kicks to the corner.
Moana lose another lineout throw and Ratima clears beyond the 22.
27th minute - Kaifa bursts into the Chiefs 22 and Moana have penalty advantage, as they head towards the tryline.
25th minute - Moana lose another lineout and Gatland kicks acrossfield to launch an attack, but Tavatavanawai soars high to claim the ball.
24th minute - Chiefs counter-ruck and Thompson busts upfield, but Lowe is penalised and Havili seeks the touchline again.
23rd minute - From the lineout, Chiefs shift left, but Nankivell has the ball jolted free in a tackle and Inisi hares upfield.
McClutchie creates a small break and Kata carries it on...
22nd minute - Lord steals another lineout and Havili botches a clearing kick for Moana Pasifika, who return to 15 men.
21st minute - Chiefs win the lineout and pour into the 22, but Moana turn the ball over and win a penalty.
20th minute - Chiefs pour into the 22 and kick through again, but Moana Pasifika cover the threat and McClutchie clears towards the 22.
19th minute - From the kickoff, Moana Pasifika try to mount an attack from their half, but Lindenmuth drops the ball cold.
16th minute - TRY to Nanai-Seturo
Chiefs win the lineout and a penalty advantage, as they maul towards the line. When the ball shifts left, Tiatia throws a long pass that bounces to Nanai-Seturo - it looks marginal, but allowed to stand.
Gatland maintains his perfect kicking record tonight, CHI 38-12
15th minute - Nankivell carries strongly up centrefield and the Chiefs win a penalty in front of the posts, but Gatland kicks to the corner.
14th minute - Moli's first throw to the lineout is straight and Moana Pasifika enter Chiefs half, but Norris creates a turnover for the Chiefs.
13th minute - From the kickoff, the Chiefs counterattack again and Nanai-Seturo backs his boot again, but McClutchie clears.
10th minute - TRY to Nankivell
Gatland fiels a clearing kick and Tiatia tries to find a way through. McClutchie dashes down the left touchline, but his kick infield is easily smothered by the Chiefs, who counterattack.
Nanai-Seturo makes ground down the left, kicks ahead and Nankivell chases it down to score.
O'Keeffe reviews possible foul play and shows Apua a yellow card for high contact further downfield, leaving Moana Pasifika a man down for 10 minutes. That won't help...
Meanwhile, Gatland converts, CHI 31-12
Ninth minute - Tavatavanawai touches the ball perhaps for the first time today and takes it into Chiefs territory.
Eighth minute - Slater's lineout throw is down the Chiefs side, so Moana have a lineout in Chiefs territory, but lose their throw again.
Seventh minute - Chiefs win a scrum penalty and Gatland clears towards halfway.
Sixth minute - From the kickoff, Moana Pasifika steal the ball and Kata tries to bust down the right side.
When the ball shifts right, Havili puts Taefu through a gap, but he's just ankle-tapped and the move dies.
Fourth minute - TRY to Kata
A bit of sleight-of-hand from Enari, who spies a gap from the ruck and dashes into the 22, where he links with Kata to score. McClutchie converts, CHI 24-12
Third minute - Moana win a scrum penalty and Havili kicks into Chiefs territory.
First minute - McClutchie kicks off for Moana Pasifika and Nankivell returns the kick. Vaa'i puts a big tackle on McClutchie in midfield.
Havili puts a kick acrossfield, but it beats Curry into touch.
Halftime
40th minute - Jacobson is penalised in the ruck and Havili kicks to the corner for one last attack in the first half.
Ngakuru wins the lineout, but knocks on, as the half ends.
39th minute - Moana win the kickoff and put into the Chiefs 22. They lose ground and lose shape in midfield.
37th minute - TRY to Nankivell
Another big Chiefs push, but Tuipulotu charges off the back of the scrum and Moana clear. Vaa'i bursts from a ruck and finds Nankivell on the bounce to score.
Gatland converts, CHI 24-5
36th minute - Vaa'i wins a lineout and the Chiefs maul towards the corner, but Moana sack the maul and win the scrum feed.
35th minute - Big Chiefs scrum earns a penalty outside the Moana 22 and Gatland kicks to the corner.
33rd minute - Moana win a free-kick at the scrum and Havili kicks to touch near the 10. Vaa'i wins the lineout, but Nanai-Seturo can't take a difficult pass in midifield.
32nd minute - Jones receiving treatment, but returns to his position.
31st minute - Lord wins a lineout on the Moana 22 and Chiefs pour onto attack, but mishandle to kill momentum.
29th minute - From the midfield scrum, Chiefs enter Moana half and Gatland finds touch inside the 22. Moana win the lineout and Enari clears.
28th minute - From the kickoff, Ratima clears and Moana knock on, as they try to build an attack. Chiefs scrum.
27th minute - Gatland slots the penalty goal, CHI 17-5
25th minute - From the scrum, Chiefs shift left and Nanai-Seturo torments his markers. Gatland tries a quick pass right, but Ngakuru disrupts and is penalised for a deliberate knock-on.
Gatland lines up a kick at goal...
24th minute - Chiefs win a scrum free-kick, but want another in midfield.
23rd minute - Kicking duel ends, when Havili's effort rolls over the deadball line, gifting Chiefs more good field position inside Moana half.
22nd minute - Chiefs lay seige to the tryline, but Stevenson is penalised for not releasing in a tackle and Moana clear.
21st minute - Tuitavuki is probably still reliving his try in his mind, when he drops the kickoff cold and Chiefs roar onto attack.
19th minute - TRY to Tuitavuki
Tuitavuki was the one who bundled Stevenson into touch and when Moana win the lineout, he is on the short side to score in the corner. McClutchie's conversion stays right, CHI 14-5
18th minute - Moana scrum is under pressure, but Enari clears and McClutchie kicks into the Chiefs 22. Chasers bundle the Chiefs into touch for an attacking lineout.
17th minute - Tiatia puts long kick into the Moana 22, but Havili returns with interest. Chiefs win the lineout and try to launch, but the pass to Luke Jacobson is forward.
14th minute - TRY to Nanai-Seturo
Enari's kick is partially charged by Lord, so Moana Pasifika have the ball back, but Havili's kick is in touch on the full, so Chiefs lineout on the Moana 10.
Slater's long throw is snatched in midfield by Gatland, who finds Nanai-Seturo at speed to score. Gatland converts, CHI 14-0
13th minute - From the kickoff, Chiefs clear their half and Moana Pasifika try to mount a counterattack.
11th minute - TRY to Jacobson
Big Chiefs scrum buckles their opponents and win a penalty, but they don't need it, as Jacobson controls at the back and barges over to open the scoring. Gatland converts, CHI 7-0
10th minute - Nuia has lost his last two throw-ins and over-compensates this time, pinged for a crooked feed. Chiefs have an attacking scrum five metres out.
Ninth minute - Chief regain possession and shift right, Nankivell draws the defence and gives Tiatia a run to the corner. He dives over for what seems an acrobatic try, but replays confirm he just grazes the touchline with his foot, so no try.
Eighth minute - Chiefs shift left and Boshier tries to ouflank his markers, but he's dragged into touch. Chiefs steal the lineout throw again and lay seige on the tryline, but are eventually penalised for not releasing the ball in the tackle.
Seventh minute - Lord wins the lineout and Chiefs maul to the line, but held up. The ball is released and Poihipi tries to bust through.
Sixth minute - Gatland kicks to the corner for a lineout maul...
Fifth minute - Chiefs take a quick lineout throw and Nanai-Seturo steams down the left touchline, before the move breaks down. O'Keeffe playing advantage to Chiefs...
Fourth minute - McClutchie spies a gap and is just taken down, but keeps the ball alive. Eventually, a loose pass goes into touch.
Third minute - From the scrum, Kata enters the 22, but the ball goes loose, hacked ahead by the Chiefs.
Second minute - Chiefs steal Nuia's throw, but immediately knock on.
First minute - Both teams line up as named today, with Ben O'Keeffe on the whistle.
Gatland kicks off for the Chiefs and McClutchie clears, but only as far as Tiatia, who sprints it back towards the 22. Penalty against the Chiefs will give Moana another chance to clear their half.
*****
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Pacific clash between the Chiefs and Moana Pasifika at Hamilton's FMG Stadium.
The euphoria of their maiden Super Rugby victory over the Hurricanes last month seems a long time ago for the competition newcomers, who have since slumped to four straight losses by an average of 26 points, including a 41-point dose of revenge from the team from the capital this week.
Moana Pasifika's record against the Chiefs is also unimpressive, with a 50-point pre-season drubbing underlined by another in the regular season.
For the second time in three weeks, they must back up from a midweek catch-up fixture, after their early schedule was disrupted by COVID-19. The odds seem stacked against the Pacific Islanders this season, but they have a chance to showcase a future star, when Nico Jones - son of All Blacks and Samoa legend Sir Michael Jones - makes his Super Rugby debut tonight.
The Chiefs have rested several of their frontline players, notably All Blacks captain Sam Cane and blockbusting No.8 Pita Gus Sowakula, with halfback Brad Weber coming off the bench and midfielder Anton Leinert-Brown now sidelined for the rest of the season.
TAB Odds: Chiefs $1.01, Moana Pasifika $13
Chiefs: 1-Ollie Norris, 2-Bradley Slater, 3-Angus Ta'avao, 4-Josh Lord, 5-Tupou Vaa'i, 6-Mitch Brown, 7-Kaylum Boshier, 8-Luke Jacobson, 9-Cortez Ratima, 10-Bryn Gatland, 11-Etene Nanai-Seturo, 12-Rameka Pohipi, 13-Alex Nankivell, 14-Shaun Stevenson, 15-Chase Tiatia
Reserves: 16-Tyrone Thompson, 17-Aidan Ross, 18-George Dyer, 19-Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20-Samipeni Finau, 21-Brad Weber, 22-Rivez Reihana, 23-Jonah Lowe
Moana Pasifika: 1-Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 2-Ray Niuia, 3-Chris Apoua, 4-Veikoso Poloniati, 5-Mahonri Ngakuru, 6-Michael Curry, 7-Niko Jones, 8-Sione Tu’ipulotu, 9-Ereatara Enari, 10-Lincoln McClutchie, 11-Anzelo Tuitavuki, 12-Henry Taefu (capt), 13-Solomone Kata, 14-Timoci Tavatavanawai, 15-William Havili
Reserves: 16-Samiuela Moli, 17-Taukiha’amea Koloamatangi, 18-Suetena Asomua, 19-Alex McRobbie, 20-Josh Kaifa, 21-Jonathan Taumateine, 22-Fine Inisi, 23-Tomasi Alosio
Cancer-victim brother inspires Chiefs star Nankivell to auction milestone jersey
Chiefs back Alex Nankivell reached a significant milestone in his rugby career last weekend, when he took to the field against the Blues to play his 50th game for the franchise.
But rather than keeping the prized jersey as memorabilia, he's put it up for auction to support Cure Kids and there's a deeply heartfelt reason why.
"My oldest brother William passed away at the start of 1996 from neuroblastoma, which is a type of cancer," Nankivell told Newshub.
After chemotherapy and an eight-hour surgery, William went into remission, but within a year, the cancer returned and this time, it was terminal. He died five weeks later at just four years old.
Although the brothers never met in person, they share a special connection.
"William passed away in January of 1996 and I was born nine months later, so Mum likes to think I'm a gift from him."
As he grew older, Nankivell realised how hard it must have been for his parents to lose their first child, so in 2019, he became an ambassador for Cure Kids.
"As rugby players, we get this pretty awesome platform, so we can use that to give back to the community."
Nankivell hoped the auction would raise both funds for and awareness of Cure Kids' cause.
"It might not be through monetary value, but just getting their name out there, so people can help and they can help towards research," he noted.
No matter the price tag on the jersey, come Saturday morning, when the auction closes, William will never stop being his younger brother's inspiration.
"Knowing that I had an older brother who never really got the opportunity to live, that kind of motivates me to do the best I can."
Given his eye-catching onfield form at the moment, who knows what jerseys Nankivell will wear and auction off next.
