Rugby: Chiefs stutter to draw

The Chiefs scored five tries to three but all their kicks at goal. Photo / Getty Images

The Chiefs were left ruing a horror night with the boot as they scrambled to a 25-25 draw with the Cheetahs in a error-ridden Super 14 rugby match in Hamilton tonight.

Although the home team managed five tries, and led 20-10 at halftime, Stephen Donald and Callum Bruce missed every shot they had on goal, letting the Cheetahs finally pick up some points after losing their previous four matches.

The Chiefs were left to pile on the points from a series of well-taken tries after Donald's wayward boot let him down in the first half.

They ratcheted up four before halftime, the first coming after five minutes when No 8 Colin Bourke latched onto a sweet pass from Tim Nanai-Weilliams, stretching out in the tackle to touch down after the Chiefs had earlier moved the recycled ball at pace.

Wing Dwayne Sweeney picked up the second barely five minutes later when captain Liam Messam took a quick tap and found Sweeney out wide on the right.

The Cheetahs lost well-performed halfback Sarel Pretorius after 15 minutes, and replacement Tewis de Bruyn struggled with his pass as the Chiefs kept running hard at the fringes of the breakdown.

With the Cheetahs' defence struggling to organise, the Chiefs kept the pressure on, and young prop Toby Smith crossed in the 20th minute after a patient build-up from the home team created the overlap.

Cheetahs No 8 Davon Raubenheimer pulled one back for the South Africans after their rolling maul from a lineout 15 metres out proved unstoppable, but the Chiefs responded five minutes from halftime with a pushover try to Hika Elliot.

Ahead 20-10 at halftime, the Chiefs went off the boil when the game resumed and the Cheetahs, given a sniff, responded as their big men ran at the Chiefs with venom.

Tries to prop WP Nel and second five-eighth Meyer Bosman put the South Africans ahead 22-20 with 25 minutes remaining.

Soon after, Chiefs coach Ian Foster hauled off the out-of-touch Donald, and Richard Kahui took the field. Callum Bruce took over kicking duties with no more success than Donald, but two minutes later Messam dotted down to even the scoreline after the Cheetahs lost the ball at the breakdown.

Pounded 15-49 by the Stormers a week ago, the Chiefs were lucky to avoid their fourth straight defeat at Waikato Stadium, holding on to secure an unsatisfying draw and further cement their place near the bottom of the Super 14 table.

Chiefs 25 (Colin Bourke, Dwayne Sweeney, Toby Smith, Hika Elliot, Liam Messam tries) Cheetahs 25 (Davon Raubenheimer, WP Nel, Meyer Bosman tries; Naas Olivier 2 pen, 2 con). Halftime: 20-10.

- NZPA