Last-gasp McKenzie is match-winner

DAMIAN McKenzie’s 83rd minute match winning penalty put Chiefs into pole position to make the Aotearoa final with a 26-24 win at Waikato Stadium.

Chiefs’ five consecutive victories have transformed their season from whipping boys to title contenders.

Hurricanes started the better and took just a minute to open the scoring through a converted try by

James Blackwell. The Chiefs replied with a McKenzie penalty and quickly grew into the game.

Pita Gus Sowakula’s converted try off the back of a scrum put the Chiefs into the lead as the home side’s physical dominance began to show.

But Jordie Barrett’s huge 55 metre penalty tied the scores at half time.

McKenzie, the competition’s top scorer, restored the home side’s lead with a penalty and Bryn Gatland’s converted try put the Chiefs into a strong position. However, substitute Billy Proctor’s converted crossover cut the deficit to just three points before McKenzie increased the lead to six.

Asafo Aumua’s devastating carry off the back of a maul was unstoppable and the conversion put the Hurricanes ahead by a point with ten minutes to play. But McKenzie grabbed the headlines with an ice cool 45 metre penalty after the siren.

Crusaders vs Blues

Last year’s top two face off at Christchurch Stadium on Anzac Day as the Blues desperately need a win to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.

They trail second placed Chiefs by five points.

With captain Patrick Tuipulotu and stand-in skipper Tom Robinson unavailable through injury, the Blues captaincy will be shared by All Blacks Dalton Papalii and Rieko Ioane.

Blues head coach Leon MacDonald said: “We have to front-up at set-piece, be physical but disciplined at the collisions and trust our skills. At times we make the game look sublime and other times we switch off.

The Blues have not beaten the Crusaders away from home since 2004.

Leaders Crusaders are bolstered by the return of pack leaders Codie Taylor and Sam Whitelock.