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Chiefs 39 Waratahs 15
Chiefs - Weber 2, Sowakula, Nankivell & Jacobson tries; Gatland 2 penalties & 4 conversions
Waratahs - Pietsch & Harris tries; Edmed conversion & penalty
Fulltime
40th minute - The siren sounds, but there's time for one more scrum, Chiefs feed. Roes hoofs it into touch and the Chiefs are safely into the semis.
39th minute - Another loose pass sees the Chiefs hack the ball forward, but the Waratahs charge back upfield and the last pass to Roberts floats forward.
37th minute - Big scrum from the Chiefs disrupts the Waratahs feed and they knock on again, just mistake after mistake.
35th minute - Waratahs win a lineout and Edmed finds space in midfield. Newsome reaches halfway.
34th minute - Chiefs win the scrum and move left, where Gatland finds space in midfield, kicking to the sideline for Lowe to chase.
33rd minute - Moli replaces Ta'avao. Waratahs secure the kickoff, but Hooper's pass to Pietsch is forward.
31st minute - TRY to Sowakula
Ah Koui wins the lineout and the forwards have a couple of digs, before Sowakula lunges over to clinch this contest. Gatland converts, CHI 39-15
30th minute - Gatland kicks to the corner, Weber is not happy to be subbed off, replaced by Roe.
29th minute - Loose pass from Weber loses 15 metres. Gatland kicks ahead and Gordon forces, but Waratahs are offside.
28th minute - Waratahs steal the lineout throw, but there's a knock-on and they're called back. Nankivell leaves, replaced by Poihipi.
Big scrum from NSW, but Sowakula has the ball off the back. Chiefs pour towards the tryline.
Chiefs shift left, but Lowe is held up by Gordon.
27th minute - Waratahs spill the ball in midfield and Chiefs counterattack. Lowe kicks ahead, but Donaldson slides across to take the ball into touch.
26th minute - Chiefs win a penalty in their own half and Gatland finds touch inside the Waratahs 10. Slater's long throw is snaffled by Waratahs.
24th minute - TRY to Weber
Another strong run from Tupaea and Chiefs road into the 22. Lowe probes down the left and finds Weber running off his shoulder to score.
Gatland's conversion drifts left, CHI 32-15
23rd minute - Waratahs counterattack down the left and Hanigan finds Pietsch with a long pass, but there's obstruction.
22nd minute - Waratahs win the lineout and Gordon looks left, but Pietsch spills the pass. From the scrum, Tupaea bursts up midfield and Weber kicks high...
21st minute - Chiefs win another free-kick at the scrum and Gatland finds touch on halfway. Slater replaces Taukei'aho.
20th minute - Holloway wins the lineout for Waratahs, but Berry finds a knock-on and Chiefs have another chance to clear downfield. Ioane replaces Nanai-Seturo - he will play fullback, with Narawa moving to wing.
19th minute - From the scrum, Narawa clears towards the 22.
18th minute - Hanigan wins the lineout and Foketi charges towards the line, but the ball goes forward off Ryan and Chiefs can clear.
17th minute - Gordon puts up a high kick, secured by Lowe, but Chiefs are penalised. Donaldson kicks for the corner.
16th minute - Waratahs win the scrum outside their 22 and Bell runs strongly again.
15th minute - Chiefs win a scrum free-kick and Gatland kicks downfield.
Waratahs launch a counter-attack, but Jacobson knocks the ball loose in a tackle.
14th minute - Waratahs win the scrum outside the Chiefs 22, but Newsome loses the ball in Tupaea's strong tackle.
13th minute - Sowakula charges off a scrum in his own 22 and Nanai-Seturo kicks ahead. Waratahs gather and Donaldson also kicks ahead, Gatland fumbles.
11th minute - Berry has trouble sorting the lineout on halfway, but Waratahs eventually win it and Gordon puts up a high kick, taken by Lowe, but stolen by Waratahs.
Nawaqanitawase spills the ball in a tackle.
Ninth minute - Chiefs not making much headway and Gatland tries a kick that goes out on the full.
Eighth minute - Chiefs win a lineout in Waratahs territory...
Fifth minute - TRY to Harris
Chiefs building phases on the 22, Gatland finds a half-gap, but the ball goes loose and Hooper bursts away, putting Harris into the clear for a gallop to the line, totally against the run of play.
Edmed pulls his conversion again, CHI 27-15
Fourth minute - Chiefs win a lineout outside Waratahs 22...
Third minute - Waratahs win a lineout near halfway and Harris finds space down the right touchline.
Retallick rocks Edmed with another big tackle and Nanai-Seturo almost dives on the loose ball. Chiefs win a clearing penalty.
Second minute - Chief secure the kickoff and Narawa puts a little chip kick ahead, which he gathers.
Halftime
40th minute - As the siren sounds, Gatland slots the kick from pointblank range, CHI 27-10
39th minute - Big scrum from the Chiefs, Sowakua off the back and Narawa is over the line, but held up. Berry gets a call for Waratahs offside and Gatland will take the kick.
38th minute - Nani-Seturo charges within a couple of metres of the tryline, but a couple of phases later, Waratahs knock on and Chiefs have a scrum feed in the shadow of the posts.
37th minute - Waratahs take the kickoff back into Chiefs half, but the Chiefs win a clearing penalty.
Chiefs win a lineout and stream into the 22...
34th minute - TRY to Nankivell
Waratahs win a scrum in their own 22, but when they shift right, Edmed throws a pass in front of Donaldson, the ball goes loose and Nankivell toes ahead to score.
Gatland converts, CHI 24-10
32nd minute - Vaa'i wins a lineout on the 22, but as the move develops he handles again and mishandles.
31st minute - Retallick wins a lineout and a penalty for being played in the air. Vaa'i gives Hanigan a bit of howsyourfather, as the forwards disperse.
30th minute - Waratahs win a lineout on their own side of halfway and the Chiefs drive them back in midfield.
29th minute - Chiefs win a lineout and Jacobson charges towards the 22. Waratahs win a turnover penalty to clear...
28th minute - Gatland kicks deep into the Waratahs 22, but it's cut off before it finds touch and Edmed clears.
27th minute - Waratahs secure the kickoff and Bell charges to halfway. Nanai-Seturo steals the ball, but his pass is regained by the Waratahs.
26th minute - Edmed lines up a midfield penalty from 38m out and pulls it left again.
25th minute - Waratahs win the lineout, but Retallick smashes Donaldson in a tackle. Waratahs playing advantage and eventually come back for the penalty.
24th minute - Chiefs secure the kickoff and Weber clears towards the 10.
22nd minute - TRY to Jacobson
Gatland kicks to the corner, Chiefs win a short throw and Jacobson emerges from the middle of the maul to score.
Gatland converts from wide, CHI 17-10
21st minute - Retallick barely wins the long throw and Taukeiaho fends off Johnson-Holmes. Nankivell races into the 22 and Berry penalises the Waratahs.
20th minute - Chiefs haven't had the ball for a while, but will throw to a lineout in Waratahs territory.
19th minute - Edmed slots this one to level the score, 10-10
18th minute - Waratahs have the ball deep in the 22, Chiefs counter-ruck to win the ball, but Berry penalises them and Edmed has another chance to draw even.
17th minute - Tupaea tries to take a short dropout, but Berry rules it wasn't taken properly and Waratahs feed to a scrum on the 22.
16th minute - Edmed pulls the kick left...
15th minute - Hanigan wins a lineout and Bell fends off a couple of tacklers. Jacobson is penalised for taking a man off the ball and Edmed will take the kick at goal this time.
13th minute - Waratahs win the lineout and maul towards the line. It's a slowburner and they eventually shift right, but Vaa'i steals the ball and hacks downfield to ease the threat.
12th minute - Harris wins the lineout and Waratahs build an attack outside the 22. Sowakula is penalised and Donaldson kicks to the corner.
11th minute - Waratahs counter-ruck and Nawaqanitawase runs within a few metres of the Chiefs line, but the Chiefs steal the ball and Gatland clears outside the 22.
10th minute - Gatland fields a kick and sends Finau on a big run back into Waratahs half.
Eighth minute - TRY to Pietsch
Waratahs win a lineout and Bell makes good ground into the 22. Donaldson kicks ahead to the corner, where Pietsch gathers and dives over.
Edmed converts from the sideline, CHI 10-7
Sixth minute - TRY to Weber
Taukeaiho throws long, where Gatland puts Weber into a big hole in midfield to run under the posts. Gatland converts, CHI 10-0
Fifth minute - Chiefs win the lineout and Hanigan is penalised for playing his opponents in the air. Gatland finds touch just outside the Waratahs 22.
Fourth minute - Waratahs win a lineout and charge into the Chiefs 22. Tupaea is over the breakdown and wins a clearing penalty.
Third minute - Gatland slots the penalty, CHI 3-0
Second minute - Hooper is over the breakdown in midfield, but he's penalised and Gatland will have a shot at goal to open the scoring.
First minute - Nic Berry will referee this match, as Bryn Gatland kicks off for the Chiefs.
Waratahs secure the kickoff in their own 22 and Edmed clears to the 10.
Finau wins the lineout and Tupaea makes a midfield charge.
*****
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final between the Chiefs and NSW Waratahs at Hamilton's FMG Stadium.
The Waikato-based outfit snuck into third last week, after ACT Brumbies dropped three straight games, including their season finale against bottom-placed Moana Pasifika.
Since beating the Crusaders in March, they have largely scrambled to overcome their opponents and keep their playoff hopes alive. They are duly rewarded with a home fixture against the Waratahs.
They've suffered a major blow with the absence of All Blacks captain Sam Cane through injury, leaving the Chiefs exposed to the guile of Wallabies captain Michael Hooper around the breakdown.
The Waratahs will want to bounce back from their heartbreaking loss to a second-string Blues outfit last week.
TAB Odds: Chiefs $1.13, Waratahs $4.80
Chiefs: 1-Aidan Ross, 2-Samisoni Taukei’aho, 3-Angus Ta’avao, 4-Brodie Retallick, 5-Tupou Vaa’i, 6-Samipeni Finau, 7-Luke Jacobson, 8-Pita Gus Sowakula, 9-Brad Weber, 10-Bryn Gatland, 11-Etene Nanai-Seturo, 12-Quinn Tupaea, 13-Alex Nankivell, 14-Jonah Lowe, 15-Emoni Narawa
Reserves: 16-Bradley Slater, 17-Ollie Norris, 18-Atu Moli, 19-Naitoa Ah Khoi, 20-Mitch Brown, 21-Xavier Rowe, 22-Josh Ioane, 23-Rameka Poihipi
Waratahs: 1-Angus Bell, 2-Dave Porecki, 3-Harry Johnson-Holmes, 4-Jed Holloway, 5-Ned Hanigan, 6-Charlie Gamble, 7-Michael Hooper, 8-Will Harris, 9-Jake Gordon, 10-Tane Edmed, 11-Dylan Pietsch, 12-Lalakai Foketi, 13-Alex Newsome, 14-Mark Nawaqanitawase, 15-Ben Donaldson
Reserves: 16-Tom Horton, 17-Paddy Ryan, 18-Archer Holz, 19-Hugh Sinclair, 20-Jeremy Williams, 21-Langi Gleeson, 22-Jack Grant, 23-Jamie Roberts
NZ Rugby defends underfire Super Rugby Pacific playoffs format
NZ Rugby is having to fend off criticism of the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs format.
Fans, pundits and even some All Blacks have been left baffled at the disparity between the top teams and those who snuck into the post-season, particularly the eighth-placed Highlanders, who qualified with just four wins.
But NZ Rugby insists there are no changes imminent for the much-maligned format that many are struggling with, including All Blacks hooker Dane Coles.
"It would've been nice to have it top six," Coles said.
NZ Rugby maintains the Highlanders - who boast just four wins and 10 losses - deserve their spot.
"People will always have their views, won't they, about what's right and what's not," professional rugby and performance general manager Chris Lendrum told Newshub.
"I know, in the case of the Highlanders, while they've only posted four wins, they've also come incredibly close in a large number of other games."
On Saturday, the southerners will face a Blues team that finished 35 points ahead of them.
"Part of the thinking behind the eight-team finals series was leaving tension in the regular season for as long as possible," Lendrum added. "To that extent, we saw it work."
Regardless of the various challenges it faced, NZR believes it was a successful regular season, with the advancement of Moana Pasifika and the Fijian Drua among the highlights.
"We are all looking forward, not just those teams, but all of us, to a more normal year, next year."
