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Chiefs 51 Waratahs 27
Chiefs - Taukei'aho, Tupaea 2 & Lowe 4 tries, Gatland 2 penalties & 5 conversions
Waratahs - Gordon 2 & Newsome tries, Harrison penalty & conversion, Edmed 2 conversions & penalty
Fulltime
40th minute - TRY to Lowe
From another uncontested scrum, Roe spots his winger lucking wide and kicks ahead. Lowe controls the high bounce and scores his fourth.
Gatland converts from the sideline to bring up 50, CHI 51-27
39th minute - From another scrum, Finau makes the initial break and Jacobson finds another space in midfield, before Hooper disrupts a pass.
38th minute - From the scrum, Chiefs enter Waratahs half and Gatland kicks aimlessly, but Newsome passes waywardly into touch.
37th minute - Chiefs win a lineout and maul towards halfway. Waratahs recover a kick, but lose the ball forward.
36th minute - Waratahs shift right from the scrum and Roberts kicks to his winger Nawaqanitawase, who is tackled by Reihana and penalised for not releasing.
34th minute - Chiefs down to 14 men, after a yellow card to Tupaea, and Waratahs are hot on attack, winning a penalty and calling an unconstested scrum five metres out.
33rd minute - Off the uncontested scrum, Waratahs run from their own line, but can't exit. Hooper breaks out and Peach kicks ahead, tackled inside the 22 by Finau.
32nd minute - Vaa'i wins a lineout and Finau charges around the back of the lineout, but Nankivell spills the ball just metres out from the line.
31st minute - From the kickoff, Chiefs win a ruck penalty in Waratahs half and Gatland kicks to the corner.
28th minute - TRY to Lowe
Gatland enters the 22 and Chiefs mass near the goal-line. Gatland finds Lowe on his shoulder for a hat-trick, then bounces the conversion off the left upright and over, CHI 44-27
27th minute - Prop Johnson-Holmes is throwing into the Waratahs lineout, but this one is crooked, so Chiefs scrum feed in Tahs half.
26th minute - Chiefs disrupt the Waratahs lineout, but Gatland's kick is horrible. Chiefs retain possession and Roe finds touch near the Tahs 22.
25th minute - Edmed finds touch near the Chiefs 10, but is subbed off immediately.
24th minute - Nankivell threatens again down the left, Vaa'i carries the move, but Waratahs win a clearing penalty.
23rd minute - Gatland takes a high kick in midfield, but Waratahs steal it and kick long. Gordon throws a spiral pass over the lineout, but Chiefs win the ball and Lowe makes metres down the right.
22nd minute - Chiefs ringing changes and Cane wins another lineout near halfway. Gatland kicks high and Newsome takes the ball at second attempt.
21st minute - Gatland kicks long, Edmed returns the kick and Vaa'i spills the high ball. Edmed eventually finds touch near halfway.
20th minute - From the scrum, Waratahs try to launch an attack, but Nankivell has another intercept with Tupaea outside him, but the winger takes his eye off the pass and spills it.
19th minute - Waratahs contest the kickoff and win it in the air, but Hooper knocks on. Eventually, Berry rules a knock on by Cane in the air.
17th minute - TRY to Lowe
Waratahs try to run from the unconstested scrum, but Roberts' long pass left is met by Lowe and he has too much speed. Gatland converts, CHI 37-27
16th minute - Edmed puts up a high kick and Tiatia knocks on on halfway for Waratahs scrum feed.
15th minute - Chiefs win the scrum and Poihipi runs from his own line. Gatland clears outside the 22 and Watatahs an untidy lineout.
13th minute - Waratahs win the lineout 10 metres out and maul, but go nowhere. Vaa'i holds up Hooper in the maul and Chiefs win a scrum feed.
12th minute - Cane wins another lineout and Chiefs maul towards the Waratahs 22 again. The ball squirts out of the maul and Gordon hoofs it down field for a 50-22, Tahs feed to an attacking lineout.
10th minute - TRY to Gordon
Chiefs are looking for an entry into the Waratahs 22, but Gatland's pass finds Gordon lurking in the backline for an intercept and clear path 70 metres to the tryline. Edmed converts, CHI 30-27
Ninth minute - Nankivell makes another half break, carried on by Sowakula.
Eighth minute - Ratima darts from the uncontested scrum and Chiefs pour into Waratahs half, but are drive back in a tackle on Ta'avao.
Seventh minute - In the absence of a hooker, halfback Gordon throws into the lineout and Edmed eventually clears beyond halfway. Tupaea bursts back towards halfway, but runs into Berry, Chiefs will have a scrum.
Berry realises the Tahs have brought a loose forward on to replace a front-rower and isn't having that.
Sixth minute - Nankivell puts Tupaea down the left sideline, but he's tackled into touch outside the 22.
Fifth minute - Lord wins the lineout at the back and Chiefs shift left. Ta'avao is over the line, but Berry needs to check the grounding and refers it as no try.
Replays show the ball held up, so goal-line dropout. Replacement hooker Horton is leaving the game and the scrums will now become uncontested.
Edmed's dropout reaches halfway and Sowakula beats a tackle in midfield.
Fourth minute - Cane wins a lineout and Chiefs win a penalty, when Holloway grabs him in midair. Gatland kicks inside the 22.
Third minute - Gatland kicks off and Waratahs forwards take the ball inside their 22. Gordon kicks towards halfway.
Second minute - Taukei'aho is penalised in midfield and Edmed will line up a kick at goal. He slots it, CHI 30-20
First minute - Chiefs may be disappointed about conceding a couple of late tries in that first half and only really dominated that period where Waratahs were down to 13 men.
Edmed kicks off for the Tahs, Poihipi tries to run out of his 22, but Gamble steals the ball and Waratahs on attack.
Halftime
40th minute - TRY to Newsome
Waratahs secure the kickoff and Gamble bumps off a would-be tackler, before finding Newsome outside him. Edmed replaces Harrison as the goalkicker and slots the sideline conversion, CHI 30-17
39th minute - Harrison is helped off, as Gatland's sideline conversion flies left of the posts, CHI 30-10
37th minute - TRY to Tupaea
When the Chiefs come left, Cane puts Tupaea towards the corner, where he powers over Harrison to score his second try. Harrison needs medical attention.
36th minute - Waratahs clear the scrum, Tiatia runs it back towards the 22. Chiefs shift right where Gatland puts Lowe into the 22.
35th minute - Chiefs shift left, where Jacobson is on the wing. They move right again, where Taukei'aho lowers his head, but Sowakula knocks on about 10 metres out.
34th minute - Lord grabs a long lineout throw with one hand and Chiefs stream into the 22.
33rd minute - Lord wins the kickoff and Chiefs maul over halfway, where the Waratahs are offside. Gatland finds touch outside the Waratahs 22.
32nd minute - Gatland slots the penalty, CHI 25-10
31st minute - Gatland puts a kick behind the defensive line, Perese retreats to gather, but is penalised in midfield.
30th minute - Chiefs take a quick lineout in their own half, but Tupaea slips in midfield. Chiefs retain possession and cross halfway.
28th minute - TRY to Gordon
Waratahs win a lineout, but Edmed runs straight back into Jacobson. Holloway bursts upfield and finds Gordon in support for the try.
Harrison converts, CHI 22-10
27th minute - Chiefs win another lineout, but Sowakula is penalised for a side entry to a ruck outside the Waratahs 22.
26th minute - Waratahs penalised at the breakdown, where Jacobson is over the top. Tahs are also back to 15, with Bell replaced after 20 minutes.
25th minute - Chiefs win the lineout near their own line and Ratima finds a good touch on halfway. Roberts has returned from the sin bin, so Waratahs are back to 14.
24th minute - Tahs win the lineout and try to work it around the front , but Ratima is there to tackle into touch.
23rd minute - Nawaqanitawase makes a midfield break outside the 22 and Waratahs win a penalty. Edmed kicks to the corner...
22nd minute - Chief secure the kickoff and drive outside their 22.
20th minute - TRY to Tupaea
Lord wins a lineout and the Chiefs move the ball quickly right, where Tupaea has no-one near him. Gatland sneaks his sideline conversion inside the left uprgith, CHI 22-3
19th minute - Berry penalises Waratahs for collapsing the scrum and Gatland kicks into the 22.
18th minute - Chiefs pouring through on another high kick, but Waratahs control possession. It's slow and Gatland spills a high kick on halfway.
17th minute - Berry is telling Gordon to hurry the kickoffs, so Waratahs under plenty of pressure from the officials early.
16th minute - TRY to Lowe
Vaa'i wins a lineout and Nankivell makes another break, before the ball is shifted to Lowe. Gatland slices his conversion attempt, CHI 15-3
14th minute - Tiatia tries a speculative pass and Berry sees a deliberate knock-on by the Waratahs. He's reviewing, so maybe another card coming here...
Wow, Roberts is yellow-carded and the Waratahs are down to 13 for 10 minutes.
13th minute - Lord rises high to claim the kickoff and doesn't get caught in the maul this time.
11th minute - TRY to Taukei'aho
Vaa'i wins the lineout and the Chiefs maul to the line, where the hooker scores a hooker's try. Gatland converts, CHI 10-3
10th minute - Cane can't find his support and the move breaks down, but the Chiefs have the ball back and Jacobson sends Tupaea dashing towards the corner. He's stopped, but Berry awards a penalty. Gatland kicks to the coenr.
Ninth minute - Chiefs still haven't progressed much past halfway through 10 phases, but move right, where Nankivell makes a break and finds Cane in support.
Eighth minute - Tupaea takes a high ball and counterattacks to halfway, as the Chiefs go on attack.
Seventh minute - Harrison lines up the penalty from just right of the posts and slots it, 3-3
Sixth minute - Waratahs put a kick to the corner and Gatland barely makes the touchline, but Berry brings them back for the penalty.
Fifth minute - Waratahs scrum is under pressure, but they clear and build phases in midfield. Berry is playing advantage.
Fourth minute - Waratahs hooker Porecki has also gone off for an HIA, so their scrum is in trouble already.
Lord takes the kickoff for Chiefs, but is held up in the maul and Waratahs have a scrum feed in Chiefs territory.
Third minute - Eventually Berry brings them back for the penalty on that tackle, with Bell tipping Cane onto his head, remembering Cane has had concussion issues in the past.
Angus Bell is shown a red card for that, so the Waratahs will be a man short for 20 minutes until they can replace him. Gatland slots the penalty, CHI 3-0
Second minute - Gatland kicks high and his teammates turn the ball over on the 22, as they go onto attack. Cane is tipped in a tackle and Berry is playing advantage about 10 metres out.
First minute - With the postponement of tonight's second game - Moana Pasifika v Force - this match has been put back to a 9pm (NZ time) kickoff, with Nic Berry the referee.
Gatland kicks off for the Chiefs...
Gordon kicks high and Tiatia is underneath, as the Waratahs defence pours onto him.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Pacific clash between the Chiefs and Waratahs at Melbourne's AAMI Park.
After nine weeks of conference match-ups on both sides of the Tasman, the competition now enters a crossover phase, with NZ-based teams taking on their Australian counterparts.
Historically, this rivalry has been rather one-sided, with teams from across the ditch winning just two of 25 fixtures in last year's Super Rugby Trans Tasman. Before that, NZ sides compiled a 40-game winning streak against the Aussies over three seasons, ending when the Waratahs toppled a short-handed Highlanders outfit in May 2018.
So this first match-up of the new format holds particular interest, with the Waratahs and Chiefs sitting fifth and sixth respectively on the competition table, sharing a record of five wins and three losses. The New South Welshman edge ahead by a single bonus point.
The Chiefs were one of the NZ sides to lose last year, falling to the Reds to end their title aspirations, but last time these two sides met, the late Sean Wainui unleashed a record five tries on the Waratahs in a 40-7 romp.
They are coming off a convincing win over Moana Pasifika, but have lost some key personal through the opening stages of the season, with halfback Brad Weber joining All Blacks teammates Brodie Retallick and Anton Lienert-Brown injured on the sidelines for this match.
They will be spearheaded by a dynamic loose forward trio of All Blacks captain Sam Cane, Luke Jacobson and Pita Gus Sowakula, with Cortez Ratima and Bryn Gatland filling the inside-back positions. Cane's match-up with Wallabies counterpart Michael Hooper should set the tone for the contest.
TAB Odds: Chiefs $1.12, Waratahs $5.50
Chiefs: 1-Aidan Ross, 2-Samisoni Taukei'aho, 3-Angus Ta'avao, 4-Josh Lord, 5-Tupou Vaa'i, 6-Luke Jacobson, 7-Sam Cane (c), 8-Pita Gus Sowakula, 9-Cortez Ratima, 10-Bryn Gatland, 11-Quinn Tupaea, 12-Rameka Poihipi, 13-Alex Nankivell, 14-Jonah Lowe, 15-Chase Tiatia
Reserves: 16-Bradley Slater, 17-Ollie Norris, 18-George Dyer, 19-Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20-Samipeni Finau, 21-Xavier Roe, 22-Rivez Reihana, 23-Inga Finau
Waratahs: 1-Angus Bell, 2-Dave Porecki, 3-Harry Johnson-Holmes, 4-Jed Holloway, 5-Hugh Sinclair, 6-Charlie Gamble, 7-Michael Hooper, 8-Will Harris, 9-Jake Gordon (c), 10-Tane Edmed, 11-Alex Newsome, 12-Jamie Roberts, 13-Izaia Perese, 14-Mark Nawaqanitawase, 15-Will Harrison
Reserves: 16-Tom Horton, 17-Tetera Faulkner, 18-Archer Holz, 19-Geoff Cridge, 20-Rahboni Warren-Yosayaco, 21-Jack Grant, 22-Ben Donaldson, 23-Dylan Pietsch
Super Rugby players urged to stop criticising referees in post-match comments
Alex Powell
NZ Rugby has instructed Super Rugby players not to criticise match officials, after controversial incidents over the past two weeks.
Earlier this month, Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea didn't hold back in his post-match appraisal, after his side was on the receiving end of a controversial call that resulted in defeat against the Crusaders.
Last weekend, Highlanders captain Aaron Smith also vented his frustration over officiating, after a decision to not take action against Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua after a high tackle on Gareth Evans.
Josh Dickson is shown a red card against the Hurricanes. Photo credit: Image - Getty Images
And after they were reduced to 14 men thanks to a red card to Josh Dickson, the Highlanders fell to a one-point defeat, as a contentious call this time went in the Hurricanes' favour.
Neither Savea nor Smith have been reprimanded for their comments towards the officials, but NZ Rugby head of professional rugby Chris Lendrum asserts his organisation is taking steps to see criticism of referees go through the correct channels.
"We've had some dialogue with our teams over the last couple of weeks about trends that we're seeing and left it at that really," Lendrum said. "We've raised particular matters around post-match comments with teams this week, obviously, over the last couple of weeks.
"But generally… there's been discussion around cards and so forth. We're in constant dialogue with the teams over that from our high-performance team."
Lendrum has also urged patience and understanding from players towards match officials, since the fast-paced nature of the modern game will inevitably lead to mistakes, even at the highest level.
"Generally, openness and passion for the game that we see from our players is positive," Lendrum said. "We like to see that across all spheres of the game.
"In this case, it's slightly different. Clearly, those comments haven't met the threshold for SANZAAR to pursue conduct charges against them, but respect for referees is a critical value in our game.
"I know what we want to see is feedback around referees and from referees to teams, vice versa, being made through the appropriate channels, and the focus being on outstanding rugby that's being played, rather than anybody's particular views of incidents that might happen in the course of a game, that then lead to comments being made in the heat of the moment.
"We all know it's a very fast-paced and complex game to referee. There will be errors from time to time, that just shouldn't be our focus."
