[Libe commentary has concluded]
Full time: Chiefs 31 Highlanders 33
Highlanders 33 (Tomkinson, Nareki, Smith, Hunt, Tu'u tries, Hunt 4con)
Chiefs 31 (Slater x2, Boshier, Lienert-Brown tries, McKenzie 4con, 1pen)
Wrap: Stunning! The Chiefs led 24-0 and 31-7 three minutes into the second spell. What a comeback from the Highlanders who were dead after 20 minutes. Aaron Smith was simply inspirational, Shannon Frizell was fantastic and Jona Nareki provided the spark towards the end of the game to turn the tide. Lachlan Boshier was excellent for the Chiefs and I thought Trask ran the game well for the first hour.
80+1mins - Try Highlanders: Sio Tomkinson - Wow! The Chiefs do well in combating the maul, but Smith snipes from the back and puts Tomkinson through the gap to score next to the posts. Conversion is good and that's the game! HIG 33-31
79mins - Hold the phone! Highlanders penalty and they have a lineout 5m as the siren goes.
78mins - Penalty for the Chiefs. Lachlan Boshier again! Parete with a decent run but Boshier is there over the ball and wins his side a crucial penalty.
77mins - Frizell charges down the left hand side but is pulled down by McKenzie. Penalty for the Highlanders and they have a lineout on the Chiefs 22.
75mins - Try Highlanders: Jona Nareki - Here comes the Highlanders. Nareki coasts through the Chiefs defence on halfway to run away and score. Alamailo got turned inside out on that play. Conversion is good. CHI 31-26
71mins - Lachlan Boshier take a bow. Maul is good again but the ball gets to the ground and Boshier has come through and got over the ball to win his side a penalty.
70mins - Maul is good with Frizell at the back, but a second push from the Chiefs breaks it down. Chiefs pinged for playing the ball on the ground. Lineout 5m.
69mins - Highlanders go 80m to get within a whisker of the line.....good goaline defence prevents the try but it was under advantage for offside play. Lineout Highlanders 5m.
67mins - Chiefs with ball in hand play through several phases but Wainui coughs up possession 20m out.
65mins - McKenzie has a try taken off him for accidental offside.
62mins - Sowakula carries a couple of Highlanders defenders to get within 10 of the line, but two phases later, Trask coughs up the ball. Highlanders scrum on 5m from their own line.
60mins - Penalty for the Chiefs on halfway. The game is really opening up now. Trask finds touch on the 22.
55mins - Try Highlanders: Aaron Smith - Try of the game. McKay makes a break and puts Smith through a gap - Smith looks certain to score but Weber pulls him down - Geldenhuys is there and he goes close - he pops the pass back to Smith who scores in the tackle of Smith and ALB. Converted. CHI 31-19
53mins - Defensive lineout for the Chiefs.
51mins - Lineout 10m out for the Highlanders after Cane is pinged for not rolling away.
50mins - 22 dropout for the Chiefs after a nice kick and chase from Smith almost leads to a Highlanders try.
47mins - Try Highlanders: Mitch Hunt - Great back play as sharp passing from McKay to Collins to Hunt sets the No.10 free and he runs 40m to score. Not converted. CHI 31-12
46mins - Nankivell with a powerful run, but Hunt is there to win the penalty for the Highlanders. Lineout Highlanders midway 10m and 22.
45mins - Lineout on halfway for the Chiefs - great defence by Alaimalo and McKenzie shits down Frizell running wide on the right hand side.
42mins - Try Chiefs: Bradley Slater - Supreme lineout drive for the Chiefs as they roll up field and Slater scores from the back of the maul. McKenzie converts. CHI 31-7
41mins - Chiefs have an early penalty on halfway for offside play from the Highlanders. Trask finds touch midway 22 and tryline.
Second half - Josh Ioane replaces Tomkinson to begin the second frame - McKenzie gets us back underway.
Halftime - Chiefs attack through a good run from ALB - Highlanders repel and hold out to the final whistle.
37mins - Scrum for the Chiefs - Parkinson's pass floats a metre forward.
36mins - Great maul defence from the Highlanders. The win a turnover after combating theieChefs drive expertly. Scrum Highlanders on their own 10m line.
34mins - Sean Wainui wins a penalty for his side with a counter-ruck over a couple Highlanders forwards. Hunt pinged for entering from the side. Lineout Chiefs on halfway.
33mins - Highlanders attacking with intent. Makaele Tu'u makes a bust right up the guts, pulled down by Sowakula 20m out. Sixth phase and Gregory coughs up the ball in contact trying to offload. Chiefs scrum midway 22 and tryline.
30mins - Try Highlanders: Marino Mikaele Tu'u - Ash Dixon goes super close from the lineout maul ..... under advantage now. Couple of phases and Tu'u crashes over for the Highlanders. Sam Cane given a yellow card for slowing the ball down at the ruck. CHI 24-7
29mins - Another penalty for the Chiefs - Cane gets warned by referee Mike Fraser - next time it'll be in the bin. Lineout 5m for the Highlanders.
27mins - Bit of biff as Smith and Weber get stuck into each other. The Highlanders were playing under advantage. Weber cracked Smith with a bot of swinging arm that set that off.
26mins - Lineout for the Highlanders 5m out. Chiefs pinged for offside play after a break from McKay off a lovely pass from Hunt.
24mins - Highlanders go close. Great period of attack with Frizell and Smith in the midst of the action. 12 phase and Smith snipes and creates space for McKay on the right wing but he spills the pass with the line open.
21mins - Try Chiefs: Bradley Slater - Lineout drive proves to much for the Highlanders to handle as Slater tumbles over the line to score. McKenzie converts. CHI 24-0
20mins - Lineout for the Chiefs midway 22 and try line following another ruck penalty.
19mins - Highlanders with their first decent period of possession comes to nothing. Ash Dixon pinged for diving over the top of the ruck. Lineout Chiefs on the Highlanders 10m line.
16mins - Scrum for the Highlanders on the Chiefs 10m line. ALB creates space and floats a nice pass to Alaimalo, but the Chiefs winger spills the pass.
15mins - Penalty goal Chiefs: McKenzie from 40m is succesful. CHI 17-0
14mins - Penalty for the Chiefs just inside Highlanders territory for offside play. One-way traffic at the moment. TMO looking at a high shot from Tomkinson on Tupou Vaa'i ..... yellow card for the Highlanders second-five. Shoulder to the head on first point of contact.
11mins - Try Chiefs: Anton Lienert-Brown - Chiefs on the attack and it's McKenzie who slips a lovely inside ball to a charging ALB and he crashes over to score. McKenzie converts. CHI 14-0
9mins - Quick tap restart from Lienert-Brown gets his side on the front foot and they win a penalty just short of halfway. Lineout on the Highlanders 22 for the Chiefs.
8mins - Hunt hooks it from 30m out and in front.
7mins - Penalty for the Highlanders. Nice attack from the visitors with Frizell making a couple of decent runs. Cane pinged for not rolling away.
5mins - Try Chiefs: Lachlan Boshier - Chalk an assist up for Sam Cane. McKenzie brings the ball back froma Hunt kick .... third phase and it's Weber to Cane, who double pumps and sends Boshier through a gap and he runs a good 30m to score under the posts. McKenzie converts. CHU 7-0
3mins - Chiefs on the attack and building nicely. Good offload from Trask sets Boshier free down the left, but from the resulting ruck, Weber knocks the ball on. Highlanders scrum on their own 22.
1min - McKenzie kicks in behind the Highladers defence - Michael Collins with the return. Box kick from Aaron Smith finds touch near halfway. Chiefs prop Aidan Ross looks done for the day as he leaves the field with an injured ankle.
Kickoff - Mitchell Hunt with the start ..... doesn't go 10 and it's a scrum for the Chiefs on halfway.
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3:31pm - Almost set to go at FMG Stadium. No late changes to report.
3:23pm - Lovely day in Hamilton for this bottom of the table clash - the Chiefs looking to get off the duck this afternoon.
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Aotearoa clash between the Chiefs and Highlanders at FMG Stadium in Hamilton.
The match is a must-win for both teams if they want to remain in contention for the Super Rugby Aotearoa trophy.
Last time these two sides met, Bryn Gatland - son of Chiefs coach Warren - came off the bench and slotted a 40m drop goal in the closing minutes to secure a 28-27 for the Highlanders.
The Highlanders haven't managed to win since, while the Chiefs are winless.
Kick-off is at 3:30pm.
Betting odds: Chiefs $1.34, Highlanders $3.05
Pre-match banter
Chiefs out to avenge Super Rugby Aotearoa defeats after tough start
A week off has done the Chiefs the world of good for the rest of Super Rugby Aotearoa, claims captain Sam Cane.
Earlier in the year, the Chiefs were one of the surprise packets in the opening rounds of Super Rugby, before the coronavirus pandemic brought the southern hemisphere competition to a halt.
They've failed to replicate that form in Super Rugby Aotearoa, sitting at the foot of the five-team ladder with a winless run and three bonus points.
Speaking to Newshub, Cane feels his side has the goods to turn their fortunes around, starting with a rematch against the Highlanders at FMG Stadium on Sunday.
"Despite the results we're a happy team and we have to keep trusting that what we're doing is right," he says.
"The break did us good. Lots of us got away and none of us chatted about rugby, and we've come back and had some good days at practice.
"The uniqueness of this competition is that we get a crack at the same four teams that we just lost too. They're fresh in our mind and we're excited to have another crack at these teams.
"The feeling in camp has been awesome, but the frustration has crept in that we haven't been able to do it in the park."
In that match five weeks ago, Bryn Gatland - son of Chiefs coach Warren - came off the bench and slotted a 40m drop goal in the closing minutes to secure a 28-27 for the Highlanders.
"We could have been saying it was our drop kick that won it, if we secured our own kickoff," says Cane, reflecting on the loss
"The Highlanders were good up front, they created two tries from rolling mauls, so we will have to improve that area.
"Aaron Smith has taken another step up since wearing the captaincy armband, but a big part of our game will be slowing their ball down."
Cane also noted the importance of taking their opportunities, something the other teams have done when facing the Chiefs.
"These series remind me of test matches, where we've had arm wrestles and then there has been a five-minute spell where the team pulls away.
"The Crusaders have been finishing strong later in the halves, so we need to be better in those moments and not allow the opposition to take theirs."
