Damian McKenzie aviods the tackle. Photo / Getty
Who doesn't love a New Zealand Super Rugby derby?
The play isn't always pretty, but hey, pretty isn't an adjective typically associated with the sport.
It's all about the contest, and in a rugged affair in Hamilton on Friday night, the Chiefs got the better of the Highlanders, 27-22.
The Highlanders were forced to make an early change in their backline, with back-up first five-eighth Fletcher Smith getting thrown into the action in the sixth minute when incumbent No.10 Lima Sopoaga went down with a non-contact leg injury.
With the better of the opening exchanges, the Chiefs looked to open the scoring inside 10 minutes when Damian McKenzie burned his defender to get himself and winger Sean Wainui in a two-on-one situation with Waisake Naholo inside the Highlanders' 22.
Naholo was up to the task and held his ground to force a play from the Chiefs No.10, which the Highlanders winger quickly snuffed out.
The home side did open the scoring soon after, with McKenzie slotting home three points from the tee in the 11th minute, then again in the 20th minute.
Against the run of play, the Highlanders scored the first try of the match through Naholo, planting for his seventh try in his past six matches against the Hamilton-based club. Inside 25 minutes of the match, the Chiefs were up to everything the visitors threw at them; however a condensed line inside the 22 left Naholo alone on the wing and midfielder Rob Thompson picked him out with a beautiful chip kick across the park.
Smith converted and the Highlanders found themselves in the lead. Despite being hurt by penalties in the first half – conceding five to the Chiefs' zero – it looked as though they would go into the break with a one-point lead.
McKenzie had other ideas.
Following suit from Thompson, McKenzie picked out winger Toni Pulu with a chip kick close to the try line. Pulu rose high to pluck it out of the air over the on the touch line and fire it back inside to Solomon Alaimalo to waltz over.
McKenzie converted, and the Chiefs held a six-point lead at the half.
Less than four minutes into the second half, that lead was pushed to 13 when Nathan Harris barrelled over from close range after the hosts strung some passes together to run about 60 metres.
The Highlanders were far from done with, though, and edged five points closer when halfback Aaron Smith picked out winger Tevita Li with a pass fired across the face of the Chiefs' defensive line.
With 20 minutes to go, a horror bounce for McKenzie turned into gold for the visitors. The Chiefs' No.10 had a kick charged down which the Highlanders gathered. They then spread it to midfielder Sio Tomkinson who sold a dummy and went in untouched. Fletcher Smith converted, and the visitors had the lead once more.
It didn't last long, as Wainui went over in the corner for the Chiefs in the late stages to clinch the match.
Chiefs 27 (Solomon Alaimalo, Nathan Harris, Sean Wainui tries; Damian McKenzie 3 cons, 2 pens)
Highlanders 22 (Waisake Naholo, Tevita Li, Sio Tomkinson tries; Fletcher Smith 2 cons, pen)
HT: 13-7
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