The Chiefs remain unbeaten in Super Rugby, but they had to grind out an almighty challenge from a Bulls side that was primed to cause an upset.
28-12 doesn’t tell the story of what was really a game of two halves, in every sense of the word. Missed tackles and poor passing was the order of the Chiefs opening half. Penalties were traded, but the Bulls went into the break with a 9-3 lead. Chiefs fans will just be thrilled at how their team came storming back with a clinical last half hour of rugby.
A win is a win, and the Chiefs even managed to get a bonus point out of this one, going against the grain of what was, honestly, an average performance.
A lack of energy was spoken about during the week, and familiar demons from a fortnight ago lingered in the Chiefs play. The Chiefs will look back on this encounter and should thank their lucky stars that the result went in their favor. For 50-minutes; attack was minimal, tackling was below average, and all round execution wasn’t present on the field.
It wasn’t until Shaun Stevenson scored with a brilliant side step that Dave Rennie’s men began to show any sign of life on either side of the ball.
In an area where the Chiefs have typically been poor, the last 20-minutes, attack was rife and field position good as they closed out the match with points. Damian McKenzie scored with ten minutes to go, putting final closure on the Bulls. But it was a lucky escape, and the Chiefs knew it.
Chiefs Beat Bulls But Don’t Win Battle At Breakdown
Tackling was a major issue for the Chiefs against the Bulls. To sum it up, in the opening ten minutes of play, the Chiefs had fallen off 11 tackles. This set the tone for the evening, and for the first 50-minutes, the Bulls exploited their clear advantage. Knowing that, the likes of Jesse Kriel and Jamba Ulengo made great decisions to power forward themselves when the ball did get out to the wing and as the Chiefs tried to kick for territory.
150 Super Rugby Caps For Liam Messam
Whatever the outcome, it was always going to be a special night for the Chiefs. 33-year old Liam Messam became the first ever Chiefs player to reach 150 caps in Super Rugby.
We sat down with Liam Messam ahead of his special 150th Gallagher Chiefs game tonight ? #ChiefsMana https://t.co/Zgmu5r3XIk
— Chiefs Rugby (@ChiefsRugby) April 1, 2017
In achieving the feat, Messam joins just seven other men to ever bring up 150 caps. Kevin Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett, Ma’a Nonu, Andy Ellis, and Corey Flynn are the other New Zealanders in this special group. They are joined by Wallabies skipper Stephen Moore and veteran lock Nathan Sharpe.
The Post Match Lowdown
For all the criticism he’s received in recent weeks, Handre Pollard kicked well in Hamilton. The Bulls forward pack was physical as expected, and the Chiefs couldn’t contend with the visitors up front for much of the match.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie said that while the win came, his side were poor in the First Half and did the exact things he’d said not to do.
We were really disappointed at halftime because we made some poor decisions in that opening half. The Bulls came at us with a plan and it was a frustrating first forty minutes.
Sam Cane left the field early in the piece with a concussion after taking a big hit to the side of the head while making a tackle. Rennie confirmed the injury and says the Chiefs medical team will now assess Cane to see if he will travel with the side. Chiefs prop Nepo Laulala is also under an injury cloud, also with concussion.
The result was always going to be crucial for a Chiefs side battling it out in what is once again a tight New Zealand conference. Rennie’s men were clutching at the Crusaders heels coming into this game, sitting just two points behind to be placed second (NZ conference) and third overall. With the win, the Chiefs not only remain unbeaten, but they managed to score a bonus point despite everything.
It’s so much about standards and expectations. The scoreboard is really irrelevant, but we are in good form, however the question will be asked about that first half.
The Chiefs fly out to South Africa on Monday in preparation for a clash against the Stormers in Cape Town next weekend.
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