Cats turned into jellymeat

Sitiveni Sivivatu cleans up a great night for the Chiefs as he powers off to score the last of their six tries. Picture / Fotopress

Chiefs 45 Cats 14

It was the Chiefs doing all the purring after putting fresh life into their Super 12 campaign at Waikato Stadium last night.

For the second consecutive week, the Chiefs had a bonus point and tight grip on a game against South African opposition by halftime and will savour their flight to South Africa today.

This was an improvement on the beating of the Sharks, as the Cats had their moments and stuck to the job despite being outplayed for the majority of the match.

Spurred by the ugly stamping of prop Deacon Manu's head by a Cats boot, the Chiefs had their gander up and weren't about to let their early control slip.

Manu went to ground as the Cats pack were marching forward late in the first half. One player, not easy to identify, clearly stamped down hard on Manu's head.

As the incident, which was missed by touch judge Steve Walsh and referee Matt Goddard and went unpunished, was replayed on the big screen, an angry Chiefs captain Jono Gibbes remonstrated with the referee and the crowd gave voice to their feelings.

More will be heard of this in the next couple of days.

The Cats had begun the better and had a concerted period of attack, but made little headway against staunch Chiefs defence. They kept trying and were rewarded with the last try of the match.

But inspired by magnificent work from Marty Holah, the Cats couldn't find a way through for most of the match.

The Chiefs got on the board in memorable fashion. Sitiveni Sivivatu began the move from inside the Chiefs' 22. His wing mate, Sailosi Tagicakibau carried it on, carving through a broken Cats defence.

Stephen Donald and Aleki Lutui made ground before Byron Kelleher finished off a terrific team try.

The lead doubled in a fortuitous manner. After centre Niva Ta'auso made one of several strong breaks, lock Bernie Upton was clearly brought to ground before the line. Referee Goddard, after the man in the stand gave the call back to him, awarded the try. Then again, the Chiefs haven't had the rub of the green much this season.

Conrad Jantjes scored the Cats' first try, a fine move involving clever handiwork by lock Boela du Plooy.

Donald, growing in confidence, kicked ahead, and grabbed a try after Chumani Booi made a hash of his defensive grounding, before Sione Lauaki picked up and dived over after Tagicakibau was stopped short of the line after the halftime hooter had sounded.

Kelleher's fine solo second try, dummying and shooting through a gap off a ruck, shut the door on any second-half comeback from the Cats.

Sivivatu scored a slashing individual try and Donald joined Lutui and Sosene Anesi in the group of players who dropped the ball with the line begging.

Of the Cats, wing Jantjes, centre Jaque Fourie and ageless prop Os du Randt stood out.

But this was a night for the Chiefs to savour. The back three frequently showed clean pairs of heels, Holah was superb, Kelleher pugnacious, the tight five a diligent unit, while Donald, David Hill, who again kicked impeccably, and Ta'auso justified coach Ian Foster's belief in them as a class act.

The Chiefs play the Bulls in Pretoria next Sunday morning. They must keep winning but the spring is back in their step. They're up to seventh, the semifinals are still improbable but unlike the Cats at least they are still alive and kicking.

Chiefs: B. Kelleher 2, B. Upton, S. Donald, S. Lauaki, S. Sivivatu tries; D. Hill 1 pen, 6 con

Cats: C. Jantjes, J. Smith tries; A. Pretorius 2 con. Halftime: 31-7.