Night of lasts for the Landers
It was a night of lasts.
Last game.
Last place.
And last match for Sam Gilbert in the Highlanders colours.
He is off to Irish club Connacht at the end of the NPC season.
The Highlanders are off to assess where the season went wrong.
The 41-24 defeat to the Chiefs in Dunedin tonight has left them stranded in last place.
The season could have been a lot different had they been able to reverse a few of those seven games they lost by seven or fewer points.
Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa'i nabbed a hat trick in stand-out performance for the visitors, who were blasted out to an 19-0 early lead.
Highlanders loosehead Ethan de Groot coughed up an early turnover and the Chiefs probed away four of five minutes until eventually, they found a way around the defence.
It was brilliant too.
Etene Nanai-Seturo gathered in a chip kick and linked up with centre Daniel Rona, who set off for the line but passed back inside to Samipeni Finau to score.
The competition front-runners were back lining up another conversion a few brief minutes later.
Vaa'i barged over and then grabbed a double when he pounced on a mistake and ran in from 45.
It was 19-0 in under quarter of an hour.
Thoughts turned to the Chiefs' 85-7 romp against Moana Pasifika last weekend.
Thoughts turned to how quickly the end of the season could come for the Highlanders.
Sixty-five minutes and counting.
But the Highlanders rallied and were rewarded.
They went close when Jonah Lowe made some yards down the right and Veveni Lasaqa put in a grubber.
Damian McKenzie scooped it up but got caught by Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens in the in-goal.
The Highlanders kept the Chiefs pinned in their 22 and de Groot crashed over from a tap kick 5m out.
There was no stopping the big Southlander.
Chiefs tighthead Reuben O'Neill picked up a yellow card moments for an untidy cleanout on Jack Taylor. He made contact with the head.
The Highlanders exploited the advantage. Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkins, Tanielu Tele'a and Taniela Filimone combined beautifully down the left.
That created some space on the right and Tavatavanawai powered over to close the gap to five points at halftime.
The home side was caught napping early in the second spell.
Hooker Bradley Slater rumbled free from a maul and passed to halfback Xavier Roe who had a clear run to the line.
The Chiefs threatened to score twice more, but the Highlanders added the next points through the boot of Cameron Millar.
But replacement back Manasa Mataele stretched the lead again with a try out on the left. The Chiefs had wriggled their way into the red zone and floated the ball wide to the unmarked finisher.
Gilbert scored a try to create some late drama.
But Vaa'i collected the ball from a short drop gone wrong to nab a hat trick right on fulltime.
And the Chiefs left with what they game for - four points and with pole position intact ahead of the playoffs.
The win came at a cost. Chiefs midfielder Quinn Tupaea was injured midway through the first half and transported from the field. Super Rugby Pacific
The scores
Chiefs 41 (Tupou Vaa'i 3, Samipeni Finau, Xavier Roe, Manasa Mataele tries; Damian McKenzie 4 con, pen)
Highlanders 24 (Ethan de Groot, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Sam Gilbert tries; Cameron Millar 2 con, pen, Gilbert con)
Halftime: 19-14.
adrian.seconi@odt.co.nz
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
10 hours ago
- 1News
Chiefs are top of the class as Blues save their best for last
Analysis: The Chiefs will be joined in the Super Rugby playoffs by fellow Kiwi sides the Crusaders, Hurricanes and Blues and all four hit form at the weekend, writes Patrick McKendry. There was an end-of-term feel to the final round of the Super Rugby Pacific season, with Moana Pasifika, the Waratahs and Fijian Drua failing fast, the Crusaders showing attention to detail in holding off the Brumbies in Canberra, and the Chiefs predictably coming top of the class. Credit should go to the Highlanders - their squad becoming thinner by the week - for showing starch in their final match of the season, but Clayton McMillan's men deserved to retain the top seed for the playoffs and their 41-24 victory, plus the Blues' 46-6 win over the Waratahs at Eden Park, puts the northern rivals into one of the three qualifying finals. The Chiefs will be heavy favourites to win the match at Waikato Stadium on Saturday night and they will be planning something special in the so-called battle of State Highway 1 after the Blues beat them in last year's grand final. The Blues, though, will feel they have at least built some momentum after having too much for an injury-hit Waratahs last night, with Rieko Ioane scoring a hat-trick of tries. ADVERTISEMENT Indeed, one of the aspects of the victory that may please head coach Vern Cotter the most near the end of a season in which his attack has struggled to fire is that the Blues' backs scored six of their team's seven tries. Unfortunately for the Waratahs, their attack never fired and neither – consistently, anyway - did Moana Pasifika's in Wellington last night. That was a win for the defensive capabilities of both the Blues and Hurricanes, the latter appearing almost irresistible in thrashing Moana Pasifika 64-12. Their reward is a qualifying final against the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night. Moana Pasifika have been one of the feelgood stories of the competition this year, and their season should not be defined by this result or the collapse a week earlier against the Chiefs in Hamilton. Moana skipper Ardie Savea signs autographs for fans at the Cake Tin. (Source: Photosport) They have relied on their close connections to get this far – they won a franchise-record six games this season (the same as the Blues) and beat the Hurricanes, Crusaders (in Christchurch), Highlanders (in Dunedin) and Blues – so it was probably not surprising that their inspirational skipper Ardie Savea, Super Rugby's player of the year, was almost overcome with emotion in a Sky TV interview straight after their defeat at the Cake Tin. ADVERTISEMENT 'Everyone doubted us but God believed in us,' Savea said. 'These boys came together. We brought people together. I've come home – it's a special place for me with the Moana fans and the Hurricanes fans. It means so much to me and it's close to my heart. 'For these boys to come here and do something for New Zealand rugby and the Super Rugby competition is a blessing in itself. 'We're not satisfied. Our goal was to win the thing and make the top six. That wasn't meant to be. Also, you've got to give credit to Doops [Hurricanes' skipper Du'Plessis Kirifi] and his team. They are quality men and a quality team and I hope they go all the way and win the comp.' For his part, Kirifi, the loose forward who again performed impressively at the breakdown and won two penalty turnovers in a row at one point, continued his record of speaking extremely eloquently in post-match television interviews. Bleeding from his right ear, Kirifi said: 'I do want to acknowledge Moana Pasifika and the season that they've had and the inspiration and excitement they've brought to our competition. 'You can see now the amount of fans and people who are behind them and what that means to rugby in New Zealand. ADVERTISEMENT 'Whether people were here tonight to support us or Moana, it doesn't matter. It's good for New Zealand rugby [as is] the brand of rugby they play. The values they represent are things we all have in common.' Du'Plessis Kirifi on the charge for the Hurricanes against Moana Pasifika. (Source: Photosport) As for the Crusaders, a franchise that has come to be recognised as the competition's prime over-achiever that had a year to forget in 2024, a mixture of physicality, good decision-making and a last-ditch tackle by Scott Barrett on wing Corey Toole in the final minutes got them home in Canberra to finish second on the table. Their prize is a home qualifier against the Reds rather than a potentially far tougher match against the Hurricanes. The Reds sewn up fifth place after they thrashed the Fijian Drua 52-7 in Brisbane. Finishing as high up the table as possible has extra benefits this year because of the inaugural 'lucky loser' concept. The highest-ranked loser in the playoffs gets a second life and will progress to the semifinals (while losing a seeding place). Should the first weekend of finals go to form, the Chiefs and Crusaders will beat the Blues and Reds respectively. ADVERTISEMENT Should the Brumbies lose to the Hurricanes, who have already beaten them this year, they will still make a semifinal. In the above scenario, the Chiefs will host the Brumbies and the Crusaders will host the Hurricanes in the semifinals. Alternatively, should the Hurricanes lose, they will face the Chiefs in Hamilton and the Brumbies will play the Crusaders in Christchurch. Super Rugby Pacific playoffs draw Crusaders v Reds, Christchurch, Friday – kick-off 7.05pm. Chiefs v Blues, Hamilton, Saturday – kick-off 7.05pm. Brumbies v Hurricanes, Canberra, Saturday – kick-off 9.40pm.
Scoop
11 hours ago
- Scoop
Social Media Spat: Blues And Moana Beef Online After Play-Off Spots Are Set
Analysis - It's fair to say that the while the final regular season round was primed to throw a cat amongst the pigeons, it ended up being more a showcase of ruthlessness. Friday night saw the Chiefs have no mercy, the Blues gave their most complete performance of the year to set up their play-off chance, which was confirmed by a now scarily impressive Hurricanes side. All of this came at the expense of the Highlanders' pride, the Waratahs' hopes and both of those plus some social media credibility for Moana Pasifika. Crusaders get the calls It's worth pointing out up front the Crusaders were fortunate in their they certainly put in enough tough defence to deserve their 33-31 win over the Brumbies. But plenty of scrutiny has come in following the officiating crew missing a pretty clear knock on from Sevu Reece in the lead up to George Bell's match winning try. It says a lot about rugby's issues that since the ref got it wrong, the TMO was right in the end for not referring back to it after Bell's try since the ball had been in touch since. It also isn't a great look that the entire refereeing crew were New Zealanders, despite the game taking place in Canberra. Blues and Moana beef online While the Blues' performance in their 46-6 win over the Waratahs was about as close as they've come to last year's campaign, the reward they get is a trip down the road to face the Chiefs. It's pretty easy to think the Blues have simply put off their holidays for a week, given that no team outside the regular season-ending top four has ever won any iteration of Super Rugby. But it's also worth remembering the last time they played in Hamilton, because that was the closest by far anyone's come to beating the Chiefs at home this season. However, the fact that Rieko Ioane scored a hat trick meant that we didn't have to wait long for him to jump on Instagram, where he shared a post noting that he's now equal first on the Blues all time try scoring list. On it was the not so subtle message that he's 'Heard the noise…Whatcha sayin?'. Just to make it even more spicy, the Blues closed out their online beef with Moana Pasifika (for now) by getting a last and no doubt very satisfying laugh. However, that didn't stop Moana captain Ardie Savea throwing a bit of passive-aggressive shade back at them, which drew a number of responses from Blues players and All Black teammates. Did Moana climax too early Moana's win over the Blues a fortnight ago was hailed as the performance of the season, given its historic nature and Ardie Savea's superhuman effort on the field from start to finish. But the virtual tickertape parade was jumping the gun a bit - in the two games since, they've conceded 149 points, were bounced from the play-offs by a Hurricanes team hell bent on revenge and suffered the aforementioned social media butthurt. Did Moana dine out a bit much on their success and suffer a bit? It certainly appears so, while neither team wanted to admit it up front, there was some serious feeling in the Blues fixture on and off the field. Perhaps Moana felt like the point they needed to prove this year was achieved that night. If so, then that's a pretty harsh lesson they've just learned because the losses to the Chiefs and Hurricanes rank among the worst in a short history that includes plenty of hidings. Hurricane warning Their inclement form in the first half of the season has meant that the Canes have flown under the radar a bit, but now nothing can hide the fact that they've won their last five games in a row. That's more than anyone else and while they have to travel to face the Brumbies in Canberra next weekend, they won there four weeks ago. Don't say it too loud but it's all starting to feel quite similar to 2016, when an unheralded group under a second year coach managed to overcome a rough start to the year to go on and win the whole thing.
Otago Daily Times
13 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Unwanted utensil for Highlanders
It was a night of lasts. Last game. Last place. And last match for Sam Gilbert in the Highlanders colours. He is off to Irish club Connacht at the end of the NPC season. The Highlanders are off to assess where the season went wrong. The 41-24 defeat to the Chiefs in Dunedin last night has left them stranded in last place. The season could have been a lot different had they been able to reverse a few of those seven games they lost by seven or fewer points. Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa'i nabbed a hat-trick in a standout performance for the visitors, who set up the win with a stunning opening quarter. Highlanders loosehead Ethan de Groot coughed up an early turnover and the Chiefs probed away for four or five minutes until eventually, they found a way around the defence. It was brilliant too. Etene Nanai-Seturo gathered in a chip kick and linked up with centre Daniel Rona, who set off for the line, but passed back inside to Samipeni Finau to score. The competition front-runners were back lining up another conversion a few brief minutes later. Vaa'i barged over and then grabbed a double when he pounced on a mistake and ran in from 45. It was 19-0 in under quarter of an hour. Thoughts turned to the Chiefs' 85-7 romp against Moana Pasifika last weekend. Thoughts also turned to how quickly the end of the season could come for the Highlanders. Sixty-five minutes and counting. But the Highlanders rallied and were rewarded. The went close when Jonah Lowe made some yards down the right, and Veveni Lasaqa put in a grubber. Damian McKenzie scooped it up, but was caught by Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens in the in-goal. The Highlanders kept the Chiefs pinned in their 22, and de Groot crashed over from a tap kick 5m out. There was no stopping the big Southlander. Chiefs tighthead Reuben O'Neill picked up a yellow card moments later for an untidy cleanout on Jack Taylor. He made contact with the head. The Highlanders exploited the advantage. Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkins, Tanielu Tele'a and Taniela Filimone combined beautifully down the left. That created some space on the right and Tavatavanawai powered over to close the gap to five points at halftime. But just a comeback glimmered, the home side was caught napping early in the second spell. Hooker Bradley Slater rumbled free from a maul and passed to halfback Xavier Roe, who had a clear run to the line. The Chiefs threatened to score twice more, but the Highlanders added the next points through the boot of Cameron Millar. But replacement back Manasa Mataele stretched the lead again with a try out on the left. The Chiefs had wriggled their way into the red zone and floated the ball wide to the unmarked finisher. Gilbert scored a try to create some late drama. But Vaa'i collected the ball from a short drop-out gone wrong to nab a hat-trick right on fulltime. And the Chiefs left with what they came for — five points and with pole position intact ahead of the playoffs. The win came at a cost, though. Chiefs midfielder Quinn Tupaea was injured midway through the first half and transported from the field. Super Rugby Pacific The scores Chiefs 41 (Tupou Vaa'i 3, Samipeni Finau, Xavier Roe, Manasa Mataele tries; Damian McKenzie 4 con, pen) Highlanders 24 (Ethan de Groot, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Sam Gilbert tries; Cameron Millar 2 con, pen, Gilbert con) Halftime: 19-14.
