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Match Highlights - Chiefs stun Highlanders, Sunwolves win big

The Chiefs beat the Highlanders and closed the gap to the Hurricanes in Super Rugby’s highly competitive New Zealand Conference.

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All three sides are set for the play-offs, but they trail the Crusaders at the top of the group and jostled for position on Saturday.

The Chiefs secured a standout result as they won 45-22 on the road at the Highlanders for their third win in four away matches after a blistering first half.

Six tries before the break – including two from Toni Pulu – incredibly had the visitors up 42-0 at the break as they put the result beyond doubt.

But the hosts were able to deny the Chiefs a bonus point. Teihorangi Walden scored a brace soon after the restart, before another two tries followed.

The Chiefs will now have the Hurricanes in their sights ahead of their meeting, with the second-placed side in the conference losing 24-12 to Brumbies, who ran in three second-half tries to overturn a 12-5 deficit half-time deficit.

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There was a surprise thriller between two of the league’s strugglers, meanwhile, as the Sunwolves defeated the Bulls 42-37 in Singapore.

The two number 10s were the stars of the show as the Sunwolves’ Hayden Parker scored a try and kicked six conversions, while Handre Pollard crossed once and put away four conversions and three penalties.

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Nickers 37 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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