Chiefs sitting pretty in first place as playoff turmoil continues in Super Rugby
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Hamilton-based Chiefs will have the opportunity in next weekend’s last regular season round in Super Rugby Pacific to survey the turmoil below them from the lofty and secure position of first place.
The Chiefs’ impressive 31-21 win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday ensured they will finish the regular season in first place and carry top-seeding into the playoffs.
Their win over the powerful Brumbies on their home ground also sent a message to potential playoff rivals. It was a complete performance but most notable for the quality of the Chiefs’ defense. They shut down the Brumbies for most of the match, only bending late in the match when the game already was won.
“Our defensive effort was huge,” coach Clayton McMillan said. “We understand what feeds the Brumbies’ game.
“If we’re ill disciplined, if we allow them to play at the right end of the field and they can get their maul game going, it’s really hard to stop. But our maul defense, in particular, was really strong and then off the back of that phase play we made really good decisions.
“We got up and banged them. It was pretty relentless, the boys didn’t stop. That was the most pleasing thing.”
The Chiefs will play the Western Force in Perth in the last match of the regular season on Saturday. By then they will know who has won the battle for eighth place and will be their opponent in the first round of the playoffs.
The last round will involve much more anxiety for many teams still in the race for top four places, which also bring home quarterfinals, and the remaining top eight places.
The Crusaders likely are safe in second place, five points clear of the Auckland-based Blues with a superior points differential. The second-placed team also has home advantage unless it plays the first-placed team in the final.
The Christchurch-based Crusaders 42-18 win over the New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday came at a cost. Center David Havili and backrower Cullen Grace both left the field and are in doubt for next weekend’s match against the Hurricanes.
The defending champions still were not at their best and lacked their usual efficiency in the second half.
“We couldn’t quite get our rhythm,” coach Scott Robertson said. “We had a lot of opportunities and the last pass didn’t go our way then you top that off with a couple of injuries and it’s tough.
“It’s hard to say it’s a good win when you’ve got injuries but you definitely take it and hopefully the boys are only a couple of weeks out.”
The Blues are in third place, the Brumbies fourth and the Hurricanes are still just in the race for a top four finish after their loss to the Blues in Auckland on Saturday.
The margin of the Blues lead changed constantly through the last 15 minutes as the Hurricanes closed in with two late tries to winger Kini Naholo. But the Blues kept ahead, eventually winning 36-25, thanks to four tries to winger Mark Telea. The last of Telea’s tries sealed the Blues’ 11 point margin.
“He’s on fire,” Blues coach Leon MacDonald said of Telea. “He was the difference really.
“Close to the line, in the middle of the field or wherever he decides to pop up, that’s probably his point of difference.”
The Blues and Brumbies have easier tasks next week than the Wellington-based Hurricanes who have to face the Crusaders. The Brumbies will play the 11th-placed Melbourne Rebels and the Blues take on the eighth-placed Highlanders who are eighth and among a tight contest for a quarterfinal place.
There are only three points between the seventh-placed Queensland Reds and 11th-placed Rebels, making all of their last round matches still pertinent.
___
More AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
