Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Match Highlights: McKenzie turns on style as positional switch pays off for Chiefs

The switch to fullback from five-eighth worked wonders for Damian McKenzie on Friday as he scored a try and added 13 points from the boot to help end the Chiefs’ losing streak with a 23-23 draw with the Hurricanes in Hamilton.

ADVERTISEMENT

McKenzie had struggled to impose himself in his three previous appearances and with the Chiefs mired in a run of four successive Super Rugby losses coach Colin Cooper decided to make a positional change.

The tactic paid off as the All Blacks‘ utility back was able to exploit space with his pace and footwork to create opportunities for the home side, who also got a try from Anton Lienert-Brown.

Matt Proctor and Wes Goosen scored tries for the visitors, while Beauden Barrett added 10 points off the boot and younger brother Jordie slotted a long-range penalty.

The match was played under the shadow of New Zealand’s worst mass shooting, with 49 people killed after at least one gunman opened fire at two Christchurch mosques earlier on Friday.

Both teams stood silently in a huddle before the kick-off to commemorate the victims of the shooting, while the crowd also stood silently as a mark of respect.

When the match began, Lienert-Brown gave home fans something to cheer about in just the second minute, charging down a Chase Tiatia clearing kick and scored the opening try.

ADVERTISEMENT

The visitors were far more structured in their play but made numerous errors in attack, allowing the Chiefs to clear their lines.

After a Beauden Barrett penalty, the Hurricanes’ pressure paid off when Proctor was put over from an attacking scrum to give the visitors an 8-7 lead.

That advantage did not last long as McKenzie finished off a sweeping try that had begun from a scrum deep inside their own territory, though there was the hint of at least one forward pass during the move.

The Hurricanes’ Jordie Barrett landed a long-range shot at goal to reduce the gap before McKenzie added two further penalties to give the home side a 20-13 lead at the break.

ADVERTISEMENT

The visitors appeared to have taken on board the blunt message delivered by their coaching staff at half-time as they scored 10 unanswered points through Beauden Barrett’s second penalty and Goosen’s try after a spectacular burst from Tiatia.

The Chiefs would not allow themselves to suffer yet another defeat though, and McKenzie slotted his third penalty to tie it up at 23-23 and cap the scoring with more than 20 minutes left.

AAP

You may also like: The Rugby Pod aren’t too keen on the World league proposals

Video Spacer

ADVERTISEMENT

Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Quarter Final Replay

Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
Solenn Bonnet 7 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING 'Sickened': Jamison Gibson-Park's admission over Lions call-up Jamison Gibson-Park admission over Lions call-up
Search