Highlanders 25 - Chiefs 15
FULL TIME - Highlanders 25 - Chiefs 15. The Hurricanes have gone from 4th - 1st in the New Zealand conference in 3 hours. Two superb games of rugby tonight. The Highlanders were brilliant in the second half and the Chiefs struggled to gain any momentum.
73rd minute - TRY HIGHLANDERS - Sapoaga scores in the corner. Some debate around a potential Highlanders knock on but the TMO decides it's all gravy and the home side could be heading towards the win, and the Hurricanes to the top of the New Zealand conference. Highlanders need two tries in the last seven minutes.
68th minute - TRY CHIEFS - Replacement Lachlan Boshier crashes over in the corner. Great set up play by the Chiefs. Back in the hunt. Sam Cane is having a blinder. McKenzie fails to convert.
FYI if this result stands the Hurricanes will top the NZ conference. The Highlanders must win with a bonus point.
63rd minute - Chiefs blow another try scoring chance. James Lowe drops the ball with the line open. Highlanders have a defensive scrum.
58th minute - TRY HIGHLANDERS - Dan Pryor scores off the back of brilliant interplay between his teammates. Ben Smith opened up the Chiefs again and it went through multiple hands allowing the flanker to crash over in the corner. Great Try! Conversion is good. 8 point lead for the hosts.
55th minute -PENALTY GOAL HIGHLANDERS - Sopoaga lands from right in front. Highlanders take the lead for the first time tonight.
54th minute - YELLOW CARD CHIEFS - Tom Sanders is sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle on Ben Smith. Chiefs down to 14 men for 10 mins
52nd minute - Sam Cane pulls off the hit of the season on Fekitoa to save a try for the Chiefs. This is a superb game of rugby. End to end.
50th minute - Game is really opening up. Highlanders piling on the pressure now. Attacking line-out for the hosts five meters out.
45th minute - PENALTY GOAL HIGHLANDERS - Sopoaga smokes it from half-way and the gap is back to two points.
43rd minute - PENALTY GOAL CHIEFS - McKenzie nails a 35 meter shot at goal as the Highlanders are pinged for offside. Chiefs extend lead to five.
KICK OFF - 2nd Half is underway
HALF TIME - Chiefs lead the Highlanders 7-5. A super first half. Both sides playing great rugby. The Highlanders had 60% possession in the half so would be disappointed not to have the lead. We will be back in about 10 minutes.
34th minute - Brodie Retallick blows a great chance for the Chiefs. Decides to take the line on with four men outside him. Chiefs knock on at the ruck and the Highlanders clear.
31st minute - TRY HIGHLANDERS - This game is Test match intensity. Naholo crosses in the corner after Ben Smith opens up the Chiefs resilience. Magnificent effort from Naholo with no room to move. Sopoaga fails to convert. 7-5 Chiefs. Great game folks.
30th minute - Magnificent Chiefs defense is holding out the home side. Wave after wave is being propelled by Dave Rennie's men.
23rd minute - TRY HIGHLANDERS - No wait! Penalty for the Chiefs as Naholo benefits from obstruction on Aaron Cruden and the try is disallowed. 7-0 Chiefs it remains.
22nd minute - Some real feeling coming into this game. Both sides looking to start off the ball stuff. Highlanders on attack with a line-out five meters out
19th minute - No foul play detected. Great attacking opportunity here for the Highlanders.
18th minute - Waisake Naholo splits open the Chiefs midfield but the home side can't finish. Referee Glenn Jackson looking at some possible foul play from Highlanders flanker James Lentjes. As it stands it would be a five meter scrum to the home side.
16th minute - I guess i just cursed the young fullback. McKenzie shanks his shot at goal and the lead remains 7 points.
15th minute - Chiefs are dominating the run of play and have a penalty close to the posts which McKenzie should have no problem with.
7 minutes - TRY CHIEFS - Toni Pulu scores for the visitors after solid forward play. Damien McKenzie adds the extra 2 points.
3 minutes - Lima Sopoaga misses an early chance at points for the home side. His effort from 30 meters out just drifting wide.
KICK OFF - We are under way in Dunedin
Welcome to the live updates everyone. Pretty simple scenario for both teams tonight. A win for the Chiefs is good enough for top spot in the NZ conference, whilst the Highlanders can get top spot with a bonus point win. Outside of those two results and the Hurricanes will top the New Zealand conference.
Commentary will start from around 7.30pm. In the meantime click the video above for the latest edition of the Crooked Feed giving you a look at some of the key math-ups in tonight's fixtures.
TEAMS
HIGHLANDERS
1. Daniel Lienert-Brown , 2. Ash Dixon , 3. Siosuia Halanukonuka , 4. Tom Franklin , 5. Alex Ainley , 6. Elliot Dixon , 7. James Lentjes , 8. Luke Whitelock , 9. Aaron Smith , 10. Lima Sopoaga , 11. Patrick Osborne , 12. Malakai Fekitoa , 13. Matt Faddes , 14. Waisake Naholo , 15. Ben Smith (C)
Replacements : 16. Liam Coltman , 17. Aki Seiuli , 18. Josh Hohneck , 19. Mark Reddish , 20. Liam Squire , 21. Dan Pryor , 22. Te Aihe Toma , 23. Fletcher Smith
CHIEFS
1. Kane Hames, 2. Nathan Harris , 3. Atu Moli , 4. Dominic Bird , 5. Brodie Retallick , 6. Tom Sanders , 7. Sam Cane (cc), 8. Liam Messam , 9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow , 10. Aaron Cruden (cc), 11. James Lowe, 12. Anton Lienert-Brown, 13. Seta Tamanivalu , 14. Toni Pulu , 15. Damian McKenzie
Replacements : 16. Hika Elliot , 17. Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, 18. Hiroshi Yamashita , 19. Taleni Seu , 20. Lachlan Boshier, 21. Brad Weber , 22. Stephen Donald , 23. Sam McNicol
Last five results 07 May 2016 Highlanders v Chiefs 26-13 Hamilton 20 Jun 2015 Highlanders v Chiefs 24-14 Dunedin 30 May 2015 Highlanders v Chiefs 36-9 Dunedin 06 Mar 2015 Highlanders v Chiefs 20-17 Hamilton 27 Jun 2014 Highlanders v Chiefs 29-25 Dunedin