Chiefs turn it on in final quarter to overtake Reds at the top

They made hard work of it at times in admittedly tough conditions, but the Chiefs have gone back to the top of the Super Rugby Pacific table with a 27-15 victory over the Reds in Hamilton tonight.

In a tight contest during which both teams struggled with the constant rain and slippery ball, the Chiefs had the better of the final quarter to run out winners and overtake the Queenslanders at the top.

The stacked Chiefs’ bench was always likely to be a key factor and so it proved, with replacement hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho scoring a crucial converted try from a lineout drive with nine minutes remaining to help extend a slim 13-10 lead to 20-10, and reserve halfback Xavier Roe scoring from close range with only minutes remaining.

But this Reds team under head coach Les Kiss, the likely new Wallabies supremo, are nothing if not resilient, and, while even a losing bonus point was beyond them as the siren sounded for full time, they still crossed the line thanks to Harry Wilson’s nifty left foot assist for the diving Tom Lynagh.

The Chiefs probably enjoyed the rub of the green as far as referee Nic Berry’s decisions were concerned, and they were unlucky not to break the 10-10 deadlock after halftime when, despite being at a numerical disadvantage after prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen was in the sinbin, scored what appeared to be a sensational individual try for first-five Harry McLaughlin-Phillips from an attacking scrum.

There was a hint of a knock-on near the tryline from McLaughlin-Phillips, but the score was signed off by assistant referee Angus Maybe only for the television match official to rule it out after a series of replays.

It was a huge blow for the visitors, who were dismayed at the Chiefs' tactics of taking defenders out far beyond the breakdown, but they enjoyed a little bit of luck on the stroke of halftime when loose forward Joe Brial got the barest of downward touches on the ball for a long-range kick-and-chase try.

From there, the Chiefs, who scored early through Luke Jacobson but failed to capitalise and struggled with their ball control in the first half especially, took control.

Earlier hooker Matt Faessler had scored the visitors’ first try from a driving maul but that success served only to convince the Reds to go to the maul at nearly every opportunity – to their detriment.

Kicks for goal and the resulting scoreboard pressure would probably have been more sensible but the Reds, as they have all season, spurned chance after chance at the posts.

The Chiefs were worthy of their victory, and it allowed them to celebrate fullback Shaun Stevenson's 100th game milestone in style, but there remains a suspicion they were let off the hook by the visitors.

Left wing Filipo Daugunu was a constant menace with his defence for the Queenslanders, with halfback Tate McDermott and loose forward Wilson excelling.

For the home side, Jacobson was his usual danger at the breakdown, with Stevenson influential late in the game.

Chiefs 27 (Luke Jacobson, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Xavier Roe tries; Damian McKenzie 3 cons, 2 pens)

Reds 15 (Matt Faessler, Joe Brial, Tom Lynagh tries)

Halftime: 10-10