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Chiefs 28 Brumbies 38
Chiefs - Nankivell, Sowakula, Ah Kuoi & Ratima tries, Gatland 2 & Trask 2 conversions
Brumbies - White, Ikitau, Pollard & Fainga'a tries, Lolesio 3 conversions & 4 penalties
Fulltime
40th minute - From the kickoff, the Chiefs try to bust out of their 22. Sowakula charges upfield, Lowe fends off a couple of tacklers, but the Chiefs lose the ball and the game is over.
39th minute - TRY to Ah Kuoi
Slater throws long over the lineout and Chiefs have a penalty. They take a tap and Finau charges towards the posts, before Ah Kuoi powers his way over from the second phase.
Trask converts, BRU 38-28
38th minute - Chiefs lineout is inaccurate, but they regain possession and Poihipi stabs a kick to the goal area. Brumbies clear to their 22.
37th minute - Trask chips over the top of the defensive line and regathers. Lowe kicks ahead towards the Brumbies goal-line and Wright is caught near his own line, but Sapsford clears.
36th minute - Chiefs steal the Brumbies lineout throw near their own line. Chiefs win a scrum in their own 22 and try to bust out.
34th minute - From the kickoff, Samu surges upfield and when the ball shifts right, Sapsford is tackled into touch. Pickerill is playing advantage for offside by Moli and Wright kicks to the corner.
32nd minute - TRY to Pollard
Norris tries to bust out of the 22 for the Chiefs, but the ball goes loose, the Brumbies have another chance and when the ball shifts left, Valetini offloads to the replacement hooker to score.
Lolesio converts, BRU 38-21
31st minute - From the Brumbies scrum, Lonergan kicks towards the goal-line and Narawa slides along the ground to cover the threat. Roes clears, but Brumbies re-enter the 22.
29th minute - From the kickoff, Brumbies kick high again and Narawa is safe, but the Chiefs lose the ball in a tackle.
27th minute - Lolesio could throw his over from where he stands and makes no mistake with the penalty, BRU 31-21
26th minute - Samu wins a lineout in the Chiefs 22 and Valetini charges towards the posts. Brumbies playing under advantage...
25th minute - Narawa has to throw a speculator infield, as he's tackled towards touch, the Brumbies have the ball and kick high, winning a penalty for obstruction.
24th minute - Vai'i wins the lineout, but the maul goes nowhere. Brumbies steal the ball and clear, but Vai'i rumbles back towards the 22.
23rd minute - Trask kicks to the corner for another attacking lineout.
22nd minute - Chiefs banging away at the 22. Nankivell enters the 22 and Chiefs have a penalty.
21st minute - Trask's kick to touch doesn't find it and a kicking duel ensees. Banks kicks straight up and Ah Kuoi has it for the Chiefs.
20th minute - Chiefs gather the kickoff and win a penalty advantage. Trask spills a pass and they lose ground fast, so Pickerill brings them back for the penalty.
18th minute - TRY to Sowakula
Vai'i wins the lineout and passes off the top to Sowakula, who cannot be stopped that close to the line. Trask converts, BRU 28-21
17th minute - Tupaea surges to the 22 and Chiefs have a new advantage in midfield. Trask kicks to the corner.
16th minute - Narawa comes on to replace Gatland, so Trask will shift to first-five. Chiefs win a lineout outside the Brumbies 22 and win a penalty advantage.
15th minute - Nanai-Seturo has barely touched the ball tonight, but tries to dance through midfield. Chiefs have a penalty advantage.
14th minute - From the kickoff, Brumbies control and White puts another high kick to Trash, who is safe this time, but a stay pass gives the ball back to Brumbies.
12th minute - Lolesio slots the penalty, BRU 28-14
11th minute - White dribbles a kick into touch near the corner, so Brumbies have an attacking lineout. Pickerill catches Cane off his feet at the breakdown and Brumbies have a penalty in front of the posts.
10th minute - Lolesio puts a big kick to Gatland, who is smashed in a tackle, but Lower charges upfield and Nankivell makes halfway. Chiefs spill another pass.
Ninth minute - Sowakula charges off the back of a scrum, but Jacobson's pass is loose and Brumbies recover the ball. Gatland has to deal with another high kick from White.
Seventh minute - Brumbies shift right off the scrum, but Nanai-Seturo dashes out to make a big tackle behind the advantage line. Chiefs control the maul and win the turnover.
Sixth minute - From the kickoff, White pumps another high kick at Trask, who spills it forward.
Third minute - TRY to Ikitau
Valetini with a couple more strong runs, as phases build. Chiefs are offside in front of their posts, but Brumbies shift right, where Ikitau runs an angle to score.
Lolesio converts from near touch, BRU 25-14
Second minute - Brumbies win a lineout inside Chiefs 22 and Valetini runs towards the posts.
First minute - Gatland kicks off the second half and White again tests Trask with a high kick. Chiefs surge into Brumbies half, but they're penalised for not releasing in a tackle.
Halftime
40th minute - Chiefs field the dropout in their own half and charge forward. Gatland chips over the defensive line, but Ikitau has it coverted and halftime arrives.
39th minute - Tupaea goes close to the line, so does Nankivell. Pickerill rules a goal-line dropout.
38th minute - Gatland kicks to the corner and Lord wins the lineout. The maul is sacked, so Chiefs forwards pick and go.
37th minute - Chiefs win a lineout in Brumbies half and win a penalty advantage. Ratima kicks to the corner and Fainga'a claims a mark, but we'll go back for the penalty.
36th minute - White is down, receiving medical attention to his shoulder.
35th minute - Brumbies are back on halfway and White kicks high again. Gatland is safe underneath, but Ratima is untidy at the back of the ruck - he's clipped in a high tackle and wins the penalty.
34th minute - From the scrum, Samu finds Lolesio bursting to halfway. White's kick stops in the goal area for a goal-line dropout.
Chiefs take a quick kick and retain possession for Ratima to clear.
32nd minute - Lord wins another lineout and Chiefs surge forward again, but Lowe spills the ball.
31st minute - Lord wins a lineout at the back for Chiefs and they mount an attack in the Brumbies half. Gatland puts a high kick into the 22, but Muirhead marks it.
30th minute - Lolesio slots the penalty, BRU 18-14
29th minute - Pickerill plays the offside penalty and Lolesio eyes the posts again.
28th minute - Lord spills the kickoff and Brumbies recover the ball. Chiefs are offside.
26th minute - TRY to Ratima
Chiefs have a penalty advantage in front of the posts, but Gatland offloads to Jacobson, who finds Ratima running a support line to score by the posts. Gatland converts, BRU 15-14
25th minute - Chiefs win the lineout and enter the Brumbies 22, building phases. Another strong carry from Tupaea...
24th minute - Samu charges off the Brumbies defensive scrum and Ikitau's clearance only reaches the 22.
22nd minute - Trask takes a high kick on halfway and Ratima kicks to space near the Brumbies goal-line. Pickerill spots a knock-on from the Chiefs.
21st minute - Lolesio slots the penalty from 40 metres out, BRU 15-7
20th minute - Brumbies kick ahead and Trask scrambles it into touch, but Pickerill brings them back for a Chiefs offside and Lolesio lines up the posts.
19th minute - Samu claims the kickoff and White's high kick bounces into touch off Tupaea. Brumbies win the lineout and Valetini crashes over halfway.
16th minute - TRY to Fainga'a
Brumbies take an attacking lineout and try to maul to the line. Eventually, Fainga'a peels away to dive over.
Lolesio hooks his conversion left, BRU 12-7
15th minute - Chiefs have a five-metre defensive scrum and are pushed around for a Brumbies penalty. That should give McMillan cause to ponder his words.
14th minute - From the lineout, Ratima kicks into Brumbies half. Trask is under the return kick and gets smashed in a tackle on landing.
Gatland has a clearing kick charged down by Valetini, who chases the ball to the tryline, but Gatland is clear to disrupt downward pressure.
13th minute - Brumbies chase the kickoff and win it back, but as they charge into the 22, they are penalised at the ruck.
11th minute - First scrum of the game and Chiefs fancy themselves in this area.
TRY to Nankivell
Chiefs win their scrum and Tupaea charges towards the posts. His offload goes loose and Nankivell dives on the ball to score - replays show the ball was deflected by Simone, so try stands.
Ninth minute - From the kickoff, Brumbies try to run from their 22, but spill the ball and Chiefs build an attack.
Brumbies almost steal the ball, but Pickerill blows for a Chiefs scrum just outside the 22.
Sixth minute - Brumbies snaffle a loose pass on the right touchline and White clears.
TRY to White
Banks chips ahead and Gatland gathers, but Brumbies have a turnover. Samu surges down the left touchline and White darts over in the corner from the ruck.
Lolesio converts, BRU 7-0
Fifth minute - Jacobson claims the lineout at the front and try to build an attack in Brumbies half.
Fourth minute - Ratima kicks over halfway and Banks brings it back into Chiefs half, but he's penalised for holding onto the ball in the tackle.
Third minute - Banks finds touch inside the Chiefs 22, but Samu can't gather the throw and Chiefs break out.
Second minute - Chiefs win a lineout and Gatland's high kick bounces into touch on halfway.
Chiefs steal the throw and Gatland chips over the advancing defence. Brumbies win a penalty near halfway.
First minute - Brendon Pickerill will referee this contest tongiht, as White kicks off for the Brumbies.
Ratima has his clearing kick charged down, but Pickerill has the Brumbies for offside.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Pacific clash between the Chiefs and ACT Brumbies at Hamilton's FMG Stadium.
Good news for the Chiefs is captain Sam Cane will line up on the side of the scrum, after the birth of his first child. He misses last week's win over the Reds to return home on babywatch.
His team have managed back-to-back wins over Australian sides and now sit fourth on the competition table, but they face a stern test today against the top-ranked Aussies, sitting in second.
The Brumbies are actually unbeaten against NZ sides this season, but cross the Tasman for an encounter that holds major implications for the playoff picture.
All Blacks halfback Brad Weber will miss a match-up against Wallabies counterpart Nic White, but coach Clayton McMillan will have another chance to show the dominance of his scrum.
TAB Odds: Chiefs $1.33, Brumbies $3.10
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-Etene Nanai-Seturo, 12-Quinn Tupaea, 13-Alex Nankivell, 14-Jonah Lowe, 15-Kaleb Trask
Reserves: 16-Bradley Slater, 17-Ollie Norris, 18-Atu Moli, 19-Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20-Samipeni Finau, 21-Xavier Roe, 22-Rameka Poihipi, 23-Emoni Narawa
Brumbies: 1-James Slipper, 2-Folau Fainga'a, 3-Sosefo Kautai, 4-Darcy Swain, 5-Cadeyrn Neville, 6-Rob Valetini, 7-Jahrome Brown, 8-Pete Samu, 9-Nic White, 10-Noah Lolesio, 11-Andy Muirhead, 12-Irae Simone, 13-Len Ikitau, 14-Tom Wright, 15-Tom Banks
Reserves: 16-Billy Pollard, 17-Scott Sio, 18-Allan Alaalatoa, 19-Nick Frost, 20-Tom Hooper, 21-Rory Scott, 22-Ryan Lonergan, 23-Ollie Sapsford
Chiefs dad-to-be Cane 'pretty confident' of availability against Brumbies
Chiefs skipper Sam Cane is confident the imminent birth of his first child won't prevent him taking the field for the Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Brumbies on Saturday.
After missing the win over the Reds last weekend to be with his family, the All Blacks No.7 has been named for the run-on side against the surging Australians at Hamilton's FMG Stadium.
Wife Harriet was due to give birth on Tuesday, so she'll be four days overdue by the time Cane takes the field.
But the 30-year-old is comfortable playing the odds that even if she goes into labour around kickoff, he'll have plenty of time to be on hand for the critical stages of the birth.
"They don't come out on the due date normally," said Cane. "I am told that five percent do, so all is looking good to be playing this Saturday - it would have to be something pretty drastic to happen.
"Last week, I was getting a bit frustrated and then sort of just decided it will come when it will come. Hopefully that could be tonight or tomorrow morning, who knows."
In fact, no formal emergency line exists to Chiefs brass, should the process begin around game time.
"The only thing we've been told is that births don't happen within a couple of hours, so I think we'll know before kickoff what I'm doing. I'm pretty confident I'll be out there."
Kaylum Boshier has been bracketed as his replacement.
Being back at home obviously makes the situation a lot easier to manage, and Cane said the support of teammates and coach Clayton McMillan has eased unwarranted additional stress around the situation.
"It's really reassuring, from a player's point of view, to have such a vote of confidence from the boss around what's the priority and where you can lay the majority of your focus when it's needed," he noted.
"It's actually been a good week. I feel in control and what will happen will happen - glass half full."
The Chiefs went through a similar situation with back Emoni Narawa, whose child was born on the morning of the clash with the Blues.
"He's a new dad as well and for the first time dads, they probably don't realise how big a job that is until the baby actually arrives," said McMillan. "Emoni found that out and Sam will find that out soon.
"Our philosophy is family always comes first."
Turning their attention to the challenge at hand, McMillan is satisfied with where his team is positioned, after banking nine competition points from their two-game salvo across the Tasman. Three straight wins have pushed the Chiefs up to fourth in the overall standings.
They'll face a stern litmus test against the Brumbies, who are riding the high of two consecutive wins over NZ teams the past weekends, after toppling the Highlanders and Hurricanes.
Perhaps the most intriguing subplot will be the battle at scrum-time, where two of the best packs at set-piece will square off.
After the win over the Reds, McMillan boldly stated his team's scrum set the standard for the competition - a claim he still firmly stands behind.
"We got a bit of flack for that during the week, but I think our scrum has been fairly dominant for the best part of the last two seasons," said McMillan. "We've learned some lessons and we've grown, and it's become an area of strength.
"Our internal trainings are often as competitive or more competitive than what we encounter on the weekend. That's great for us, but it doesn't guarantee you dominance on the weekend, you still have to go out and earn that.
"Being two from two against two of the top Aussie teams, looking back now, it's a good outcome and we look forward to taking on the Brumbies in our own backyard.
"We'll find out a bit about ourselves and a bit about where they're at too."
