Chiefs open up with guns blazing
SUPER RUGBY’S defending champion Chiefs fired in their opening hit-out of the pre-season yesterday with a convincing win over the Highlanders in Taupo.
Six months on from winning the championship, the Chiefs, on the back of some solid set-piece work and slick back play, ran out winners at Owen Delany Park.
With the game played in four 20-minute quarters, the home side dominated the majority of proceedings before the visitors got the better of the last quarter.
The Chiefs gave All Blacks Brodie Retallick and Sam Cane a run in the last 10 minutes, Aaron Cruden and Tawera Kerr-Barlow also featured near the end, while Liam Messam was not used.
Meanwhile, the Highlanders’ side featured three players from the end-of-year tour – Hosea Gear, who was captain, as well as Ben Smith and Aaron Smith, though the latter spent the entire match on the bench.
Brad Thorn made his return to New Zealand rugby after his time in Japan and Ireland, and got through a solid half of work.
However, the Chiefs had the better of possession and territory throughout and took the majority of their chances. First five-eighth Gareth Anscombe, unwanted by the Blues, impressed, dotting down for two tries as well as nailing five from six with the boot for a haul of 21 points.
The Chiefs took a 7-0 lead to quartertime then went to halftime up 22-7 before wholesale changes were made by both teams.
A powerful surge early in the third quarter by Fritz Lee powered the Chiefs further in front before some solid defence by the Highlanders held the score at 29- 7 heading into the last stanza.
Handling errors crept into the game in the second half, but for a first hit-out they weren’t too obvious. Chiefs co-captain Craig Clarke was pleased with the first-up effort from his side, although he felt their attacking shape at times wasn’t great, with players becoming isolated.
The Chiefs face the Reds on the Sunshine Coast on Friday night; the Highlanders host the Crusaders in Oamaru on Friday afternoon.
Chiefs (Gareth Anscombe 2, Asaeli Tikoirotuma, Augustine Pulu, Fritz Lee tries; Gareth Anscombe 4 con, pen) Highlanders (Hosea Gear, Tony Ensor tries; Lima Sopoaga 2 con). Ht: 22-7.