By Louis Anderson-Rich
Hello and welcome to Forsyth Barr Stadium where we have the Highlanders hosting the Chiefs in Super 15 (Super Rugby) rugby.
This is a must win for the Highlanders while the Chiefs want to keep top spot.
We’ll bring you video live updates throughout the match, including video highlights of all the big plays and tries.
Make sure you refresh your page occasionally. We’ll add VIDEO COMING SOON when we’re cutting the highlights and VIDEO UP when it’s ready to be viewed.
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LIVE COMMENTARY… Highlanders 21 - 27 Chiefs
83 Min: Haskell sends the pass to Burleigh who goes to Thomson in some space…16 phases so far…Good defence from the Chiefs and they almost turn it over…in fact they have and Leonard kicks it into touch for the win!
82 Min: Highlanders still with the ball…Gear makes some more ground…Delaney with a couple of goose steps but he can’t break the line…Aaron Smith to a feisty looking Popoali’i…
81 Min: Aaron Smith feeds and gives it back to Gear…he’s tackled but Aaron Smith has it again and now it’s Haskell who has men to his left…now Delaney out wide to Ben Smith…Highlanders over the halfway line now…
80 Min: Highlanders have managed to win a scrum in their own half, the siren has sounded and this will be their last throw of the dice…
78 Min: Highlanders looking to salvage this match here…Hoeata makes some good ground and the chiefs are under real pressure…but they concede a penalty and lose their momentum.
74 Min: Highlanders pushing hard…they’re only a metre or two away…and it looks like Hosea Gear has gone over the line! TRY! VIDEO COMING SOON…Delaney adds the 2
73 Min: Tameifuna puts a very big hit on Ben Smith there…it’s up around the neck and will it be a yellow card as well?
70 Min: Highlanders lineout…Highlanders win it and look to spread it to the wings…defence from Tioirotuma is good though and the Highlanders look a little untidy…they retain possession though and Hosea Gear makes some inroads…Aaron Smith finds Mike Delaney who is wrapped up tight by the Chiefs defence…still probing though and Ben Smith almost finds a gap…Highlanders win a penalty.
68 Min: Chiefs win another penalty out in front…Cruden will line this up…he manages to put this one over.
67 Min: Tamati Ellison has limped off the field…that’s a big blow for the Highlanders…
66 Min: Chiefs with another attack from the kick-off….Cruden with the ball spins it to SBW who tries to go back inside to Jackson but he’s caught completely unawares and knocks the ball on.
64 Min: Cruden slots a penalty.
62 Min: Chiefs with a scrum on the five metre line after that try wasn’t awarded…but the Chiefs scrum goes early and Highlanders win the penalty.
61 Min: Scrum for the Chiefs deep in their half and the Chiefs look happy to run iot out from their tryline as SBW goes to Cruden who goes to Robinson who finally kicks ahead….Chiefs have got it back and Cruden storms down the right side…tackled, Chiefs continue to go blind with Toby Smith who appears to have gone over the line! TMO decision…NO TRY! VIDEO UP SOON
60 Min: Highlanders have done brilliantly in the midfield to turn the ball over and now Smith fires a pass out to Delaney…Highlanders in a good position on the Chiefs 22…Delaney fires it to Haskell…Tamati Ellison makes some good ground and Smith recycles the ball quickly to Ben Smith who makes some good ground! Spins it away to Thomson down the left side! Pass is judged to have gone forwards…
57 Min: Cruden somehow gets the ball after it popped out over the Highlanders defence….Highlanders turn the ball over brilliantly though.
56 Min: Chiefs with the ball over on the left side…very strong defence from the Highlanders…
52 Min: Robinson has picked the ball up from the Highlanders restart and there’s a fantastic run from him! He puts the kick ahead! Luckily Mike Delaney is running back to tidy it up! He does brilliantly there to keep possession but the Highlanders do eventually give away a penalty and the Chiefs have a scrum 5 metres from the line…
51 Min: Cruden puts the kick wide…not his best figures tonight…
50 Min: Scrum to the Chiefs in a dangerous position…Kerr-Barlow feeds…McKintosh gives away a penalty which Cruden will kick at goal…
48 Min: Robbie Robinson finds a great gap in the Highlanders defence! Chiefs find themselves just outside the Highlanders 22….Cruden gives it out to SBW who finds Cruden back on the inside and he tries to fling it out to the right side but it’s intercepted by Gear! That’s judged to have been knocked on though.
46 Min: From a resulting Highlanders lineout they go for a big push at the line! Held up brilliantly by the Chiefs…but it appears they’ve gone over with a second chance! Ref going to the TMO…TRY! VIDEO COMING SOON
45 Min: So no one goes to the bin from the resulting punch up, appears to be all handbags at 10 paces.
44 Min: Noakes makes a good run and almost busts through the line…now Andrew Hore…and now Kade Poki who is over on the left side…Big tussle at the moment between Hoeata and a number of Chiefs players….and its carrying on at the moment so much so that the ref has stopped play…
43 Min: Highlanders now win a penalty that is in range of the posts….and Noakes will take a pop at goal…drags it wide.
41 Min: We’re back underway at Forsyth Barr as the Chiefs restart….and they win a penalty so Cruden has an early chance to add 3 points…and he does.
40 Min: Cruden adds the 3 points.
40 Min: Siren goes and it looks like the Highlanders will attack…but they’ve lost it and the Chiefs are rampaging up the field now…ball still there for Tameifuna….Tikoirotuma finds himself in some space and the Highlanders concede a penalty…
38 Min: Kerr-Barlow makes a very decent dash beating one defender, he then gets the offload away to SBW who draws the defenders and passes it out to Robbie Robinson who waltzes over the line! TRY! VIDEO UP…Cruden can’t land the conversion.
36 Min: Kerr-Barlow with a loose pass out to the left side for the Chiefs and that is very close to being intercepted by Poki…Chiefs kick it downfield and the Highlanders look to run it from within their own 22…adventurous play from them as Noakes attempts a kick which is knocked down by Tameifuna and now the Chiefs put the pressure on.
35 Min: Highlanders win a line out on the halfway line and the ball makes it’s way to Crosswell on the other side…he spots a gap and gets a nice offload to Ben Smith who knocks it on.
33 Min: Crosswell slips it to Thomson who tries to look for an offload but now it’s Fia…now Noakes to Gear and he’s been tackled and the ball’s been turned over…Tikoirotuma has made some good ground down the left hand side…kick ahead from Willison Jackson into the 22 but it’s regather by the men in blue.
32 Min: Brodie Rettalick is looking a little dazed as he stays n the ground…but he’s up now….scrum for the Chiefs…Kane Thompson tries to go off the back but the Highlanders have walked right over the top…
30 Min: Straight down the middle for Noakes.
29 Min: Aaron Smith flings a pretty poor pass out to Poki off the back of the scrum…quick recycling from the Highlanders…now Noakes tries to send it back inside to Smith but he is tackled early by Latimer and Noakes will have another shot at goal.
27 Min: Highlanders launch another attack…Thomson goes hard at Schwalger…Kade Poki gets hit strongly by Messam…Highlanders win a scrum from a Chiefs knock-on.
25 Min: Williams has it back inside the Chiefs half…Latimer gives it to Cruden who can’t find a gap…Robinson with a big up and under but Noakes takes it calmly…Hosea Gear bumps one defender off and goes on a jaunt again through the middle of that Chiefs defence…
24 Min: Robinson in some space, he tries to go route 1 but Jamie McKintosh puts a big ol’ hit on him…
24 Min: Chiefs line out on the Highlanders 5 metre line…my apologies Highlanders throw…
22 Min: Chiefs on the Highlanders 22…Kerr-Barlow goes blind to Same Cane…now Cruden finds SBW who gets the pass to Robinson…Tikiroituma looks like he’s in but Hosea Gear puts in a great tackle.
21 Min: Robinson’s restart is fielded by Nasi Manu…Aaron Smith clears it with a nice kick past halfway…Chiefs win the lineout…Kerr-Barlow spots a gap but is dragged down by Fia…Highlanders concede a penalty this time.
20 Min: Noakes puts the penalty over.
19 Min: Aaron Smith with quick recycle ball but he passes into the ref who calls a penalty for the Highlanders…think he felt a little guilty…
17 Min: Cruden hasn’t put his kick into touch and the Highlanders are back on attack…but again Tanerau Latimer turns it over…kick from Cruden has been regathered by Nanai Williams…back to Cruden who kicks again which is fielded by Gear who goes on a run right up the centre…
15 Min: Highlanders have gone for the lineout which they win…Chiefs are well organised in defence…now the Blue army are rolling forwards though…Crosswell carries the Highlanders up to the 5 metre mark…Latimer has gone in and turned the ball over though…and the Chiefs win a penalty.
14 Min: Strong Highlanders scrum down that same left hand side see’s them win a penalty…5 metres out from the Chiefs try line.
13 Min: Aaron Smith has made a great little kick down the left hand side, Gear is in pursuit! But he can’t hold on to the ball which bounced too high.
11 Min: Jamie McKintosh concedes a penalty for the Highlanders and the Chiefs will have a kick at goal through Aaron Crude…his kick is successful. VIDEO UP
9 Min: Rettalick reclaims the Chiefs restart and they are now in a position to put some pressure on the Highlanders defence…
8 Min: Noakes strikes it poorly and the kick lands short of the posts…Chiefs decide to run it out which backfires on them as they concede a penalty and Noakes will now have a kick from right out in front…which he lands.
7 Min: Highlanders with a penalty, which they will kick at goal.
6 Min: Head high on Routledge from SBW but Highlanders still have it pout on the wing with Kade Poki who is put into touch.
5 Min: Highlanders with a scrum just outside the Chiefs 22, their chance to strike back….Aaron Smith gives it to Noakes who goes with an early bomb that is fielded by Robinson.
2 Min: Highlanders with pressure here as Crosswell makes some decent ground and Noakes continues to go blindside…Chiefs have turned it over though and Messam has turned it back in field to SBW who is in plenty of space! He finds Kerr-Barlow who just manages to get over the line! TRY! VIDEO COMING SOON
1 Min: Hello and welcome we’re underway at Forsyth Barr…Highlanders with a quick excursion into the Chiefs half as Smith puts a kick though which is fielded well by Robbie Robinson.
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Teams
HIGHLANDERS:1 Jamie Mackintosh (c) 2 Jason Rutledge 3 Ma’afu Fia 4 Jarrad Hoeata 5 Nick Crosswell 6 Adam Thomson 7 Tim Boys 8 Nasi Manu 9 Aaron Smith 10 Chris Noakes 11 Hosea Gear 12 Phil Burleigh 13 Tamati Ellison 14 Kade Poki 15 Ben Smith. Reserves 16 Andrew Hore 17 Chris King 18 Josh Bekhuis 19 James Haskell 20 Jimmy Cowan 21 Mike Delany 22 Buxton Popoali’i.
CHIEFS: 1 Toby Smith 2 Mahonri Schwalger 3 Ben Tameifuna 4 Craig Clarke (c) 5 Brodie Retallick 6 Liam Messam 7 Tanerau Latimer 8 Kane Thompson 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow 10 Aaron Cruden 11 Asaeli Tikoirotuma 12 Sonny Bill Williams 13 Willison Jackson 14 Tim Nanai-Williams 15 Robbie Robinson 16 Hika Elliot 17 Sona Taumalolo 18 Michael Fitzgerald 19 Sam Cane 20 Brendon Leonard 21 Andrew Horrell 22 Lelia Masaga.
Pregame banter
Because of the All Black test series against Ireland, the Highlanders haven't played since their 33-point whipping at the hands of the Crusaders a month ago.
But behind the scenes they've been working hard and coach Jamie Joseph knows what's needed as the Super Rugby season reaches its conclusion.
“The guys are well aware - we have to win two games or we are history,” says Joseph.
Their half-dozen All Blacks are back for Friday's home game against the table-topping Chiefs. And halfback Aaron Smith is looking at Superman for inspiration as they try to emulate their win over the Waikato-based team back in round one.
“That seems a long time ago - then they went a nine-and-zero trot - but hopefully we are their kryptonite,” says Smith.
It was 23-19 that night in Hamilton and the Chiefs are a much better side now than they were then.
“When you give guys like Aaron Cruden and Sonny Bill one on opportunities they are dangerous - but it's up front we have to match them and beat them,” says Jamie Mackintosh.
“Obviously they've got a lot of X-factor in their backline so defensively we have be at the top of our game and play well,” says Joseph.
With 44 points, the Highlanders are currently eighth after nine wins and five losses but are still play off contenders, but with the Chiefs and then defending champs the Reds in Brisbane, it's a tough finish for a tough team.
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