Chiefs maintain winning run

The Chiefs stretched their winning run to five Super Rugby matches with a 21-19 success over the Blues, while the Brumbies and the Waratahs also claimed victories on Saturday.

Tana Umaga’s Blues were consigned to a 63-40 defeat by the Sharks last weekend and looked set to respond with a win at Waikato Stadium until a penalty try seven minutes from time settled it for the home side.

The Chiefs are now unbeaten in 14 matches against the Blues, but they were made to work for their latest derby triumph in Hamilton, where the bottom side in the New Zealand Conference led 19-14 at half-time.

Both sides were hit by injury, with both Damian McKenzie and George Moala leaving during the first half.

Sean Wainui scored the opening try after taking an offload from McKenzie, who put the Chiefs ahead 14-9 with his third penalty of the match following three from Stephen Perofeta at the other end.

James Parsons bulldozed his way over for the Blues’ opening try after they had applied the pressure and Perofeta took his tally to 14 points with a fourth penalty on the stroke of half-time.

Resolute defending and unforced errors frustrated the Chiefs until referee Paul Williams awarded a penalty try following a collapsed scrum while Josh Goodhue was in the sin bin, as the Blues suffered a fifth defeat out of six.

FT | @ChiefsRugby extend their unbeaten run against @BluesRugbyTeam to a #SuperRugby record 14 straight games.#CHIvBLU pic.twitter.com/yqQE6IV6zw

— Super Rugby NZ (@SuperRugbyNZ) April 7, 2018

The Blues will now travel to Tokyo to take on the winless Sunwolves, while the Chiefs face a streaking Hurricanes side who have similarly won their last five fixtures.

CHIEFS 21 (S. Wainui try, penalty try, D. McKenzie 3 pens) BLUES 19 (J. Parsons try, S. Perofeta 4 pens, con) HT 14-19