Chiefs grab fifth win in succession

Super Rugby Aotearoa

WELLINGTON: Damian McKenzie nailed a lastminute penalty to earn the Chiefs a 2624 Super Rugby Aotearoa win over the Hurricanes in Hamilton last night.

The Hurricanes outscored the home team three tries to two, but the ever reliable boot of McKenzie once again got the Chiefs over the line.

He landed four penalties and two conversions for a 16point tally, enough for the Chiefs to win their fifth game on end and back up their upset 2625 win over the Crusaders last week.

However, it took less than a minute for the Hurricanes to stamp their mark on the game, Tyrel Lomax tipping a pass on to lock James Blackwell who stormed over from 30m out.

Jordie Barrett's conversion gave the Hurricanes an early 70 lead, but McKenzie nailed a 15thminute penalty from 40m to narrow the gap.

It took another 15 minutes of hard grind before the Chiefs could add to their tally, the try to No 8 Pita Gus Sowakula coming after a big shove from an attacking scrum.

McKenzie added the extras to give the Chiefs a 107 lead, but Barrett slotted a monster 58m penalty right on halftime to level the scores at 1010 going into the break.

The deadlock lasted only three minutes after the restart, broken by

Chiefs ....................................................... 26 Bryn Gatland, Pita Gus Sowakula tries; Damian McKenzie 2 con, 4 pen

Hurricanes ............................................... 24

Halftime:

another McKenzie penalty, then extended five minutes later when Chiefs skipper and halfback Brad Weber slipped a pass to a flying Bryn Gatland for a try.

Ahead 2010 after McKenzie converted, the Chiefs could only hold that lead for a couple of minutes. Hurricanes No 8 Devan Flanders made the initial breakthrough, and Billy Proctor finished in style to reduce the Chiefs' lead to just three.

Another McKenzie penalty eased the pressure as the hour mark ticked over, but the Hurricanes grabbed the lead back with 10 minutes remaining when replacement hooker Asafo Aumua powered over from a lineout drive.

Barrett's conversion gave the visiting side a 2423 lead, and it looked on track for just its second win of the season until McKenzie slotted the final crucial penalty. — RNZ

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie (centre) is mobbed by his teammates after kicking a lastminute, the matchwinning penalty in Hamilton last night.