June 2 (Reuters) – Asaeli Tikoirotuma scored four tries as
the Waikato Chiefs all but secured a Super Rugby playoffs berth
with a 41-34 victory over an Auckland Blues side that refused to
roll over at North Harbour Stadium in Albany on Saturday.
The victory consolidated the Chiefs’s lead at the top of the
Super Rugby standings as they moved to 58 points following the
bonus-point win for scoring five tries.
Teams that achieved 57 points or more in the standings last
year made the top-six playoffs.
“We are definitely happy with the five points. They were
hard earned,” Chiefs captain Liam Messam said in a pitchside
interview. “It was a tough game and full credit to the Blues
they really took it to us.”
Tikoirotuma’s fourth try turned out to be the matchwinner,
though it had appeared his third, when he finished a brilliant
counter-attacking move that had given the Chiefs a 34-20 lead,
was seemingly the final nail in the Blues’ coffin.
The Auckland side, who are second from bottom in the
standings and have been disappointing all season, however,
finally showed some of the form and spirit that had many picking
them as title contenders before the season started.
The home side fought back when Chiefs lock Michael
Fitzgerald became the third player yellow carded by referee
Chris Pollock for sparking a fight, after home flanker Steven
Luatua and Waikato winger Maritino Nemani were sinbinned for
dangerous “tip” tackles in the first half.
The Blues used their numerical advantage to score two
converted tries from Rudi Wulf and Rene Ranger, the latter a
superb individual effort when he broke from an uncontested ruck
and sprinted 60 metres down field, shrugging off several
defenders.
The Blues had doggedly stuck with the Chiefs throughout the
match, despite being pinned inside their own territory, and went
into halftime level at 20-20 after Lachie Munro converted his
own try following a superb break by Ranger.
Blues centre Francis Saili had also scored an early try,
which Munro converted and added two penalties for the home side.
Tikoirotuma and inside centre Sonny Bill Williams scored
first half tries for the visitors, while flyhalf Aaron Cruden
matched Munro with two conversions and two penalties.
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by John
O’Brien)
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