Chiefs 39 Highlanders 24
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The Chiefs are far from the finished article but they were still too good for the Highlanders, winning a Super 14 rugby match 39-24 in Hamilton tonight.
The home side scored six tries to four to improve their record to four wins and three losses.
But for a team with such experience and firepower at their disposal the margin of victory was not a convincing argument towards their playoffs aspirations.
The Highlanders, still without a win after six matches, at the foot of the standings and with the weakest playing roster of all the New Zealand teams, showed plenty of pluck to battle back from a 0-22 deficit as early as the 26th minute.
An industrious forward pack more than held its own against the Chiefs but the two back divisions were classes apart as the home side looked threatening throughout.
Little can be read into the result concerning the Chiefs' playoff prospects, though, simply due to the limited opposition provided by a Highlanders side playing with bucketloads of spirit but sorely lacking a cutting edge.
The signs were ominous for the Highlanders when winger Lelia Masaga's first try carried the Chiefs out to a 22-0 lead.
To their credit the Highlanders struck back with quickfire tries to Fetu'u Vainikolo and lock Hoani MacDonald to give themselves a chance when trailing 12-22 at halftime.
Any credible chance they had of causing an upset disappeared almost immediately after the restart when a gaping hole behind their defensive line was sighted by Chiefs first five-eighth Stephen Donald.
Donald chipped through the flat opposition defence, enabling Masaga to run on to the ball, toe it ahead and score in the corner.
That carried the Chiefs clear at 27-12 but still the Highlanders refused to go away, MacDonald scoring his second try after halfback Jimmy Cowan found him with a long cutout pass from a ruck near the line.
The Chiefs responded with a try to Donald, who waltzed through a big gap after a scrum then fullback Mils Muliaina scored after Daniel Bowden coughed up possession near the 22m line.
The visitors kept the Chiefs honest, giving their all in the dying stages despite their hopeless position.
They were rewarded when replacement Mike Delany scored their fourth try in the last seconds to ensure they pocketed a bonus point for the fifth time in six outings.
The Chiefs had threatened to tear the Highlanders apart when they almost scored at a rate of a point a minute in the opening 26 minutes.
Halfback Brendon Leonard starting the scoring with a try in the ninth minute after he picked up a loose inside pass from second five-eighth Callum Bruce, who ran straight and hard to pierce the defence.
Nine minutes later loose forward Liam Messam was over after following up a chip ahead by Bruce, then Masaga crossed for arguably the best try of the game after No 8 Sione Lauaki and Leonard combined off the back of a scrum.
They directed play to the blindside where Leonard linked with Masaga, who slipped his marker Paul Williams then cut inside fullback James Wilson.
The Highlanders gave themselves some hope by hitting back with fine tries to winger Vainikolo and MacDonald, with the big lock dotting down after a 22m run along the right-hand touchline.
But for all their honest toil and endeavour, the Highlanders simply did not possess the finishing touches, individually and collectively, required to test the Chiefs.
Chiefs 39 (Lelia Masaga 2, Brendon Leonard, Liam Messam, Stephen Donald, Mils Muliaina tries; Donald pen, 3 con) Highlanders 24 (Hoani MacDonald 2, Fetu'u Vainikolo, Mike Delany tries; Daniel Bowden 2 con). Halftime: 22-12.
- NZPA
