March 31 (Reuters) – A shaven-headed Wakaito Chiefs team
bided their time before smashing the New South Wales Waratahs in
the second half to win their Super Rugby clash 30-13 in Hamilton
on Saturday.
The Chiefs players, sporting sheer hair-cuts to raise money
for charity, scored two tries after the break and conceded only
three points to notch their fourth win of the season from five
matches.
“It’s good to get back in front of the home crowd and grind
out a win,” said Chiefs captain Craig Clarke in a pitchside
interview.
“That’s good to just be playing winning rugby, it’s fun to
be a part of (but) we’re off on a road trip now and we’ve got a
lot of hard work in front of us,” added Clarke of their
three-match tour of Australia and South Africa.
The Waratahs held more than 72 percent of the territory in
the first half but still found themselves trailing 13-10 at the
break.
Winger Tom Kingston put the visitors on the board in the
fifth minute with a try, slicing through a pack of players to
take a quick inside pass and reaching his arms behind him to
plant the ball on the line.
The Chiefs made the most of their few chances, however, and
levelled at 7-7 after livewire winger Tim Nanai-Williams cut the
Waratahs defence to shreds with a breathtaking run through
midfield.
Nanai-Williams’s incursion allowed the Chiefs to spread the
ball wide where fullback Robbie Robinson crossed in the left
corner.
Aaron Cruden slotted a 47-metre penalty kick to cancel out
one from Brendan McKibbin a few minutes earlier and the All
Black flyhalf drilled a second after Wycliff Palu strayed
offside directly in front of the posts.
Continued…
