THE WAIKATO CHIEFS staged a superb comeback from 22-12 down, with 20 minutes to go, to win the Super Rugby title. A Liam Messam try on 62 minutes sparked the fightback and the Chiefs eventually won out 27-22 for their second title in two years.
Brumbies coach White, who led the Springboks to the 2007 World Cup, looked set for glory as his players implemented a forwards-dominated gameplan, when the New Zealanders may have been expecting backline enterprise.
The score was 9-9 after 32 minutes as the Chiefs Aaraon Cruden traded penalties with Brumbies’ centre Christian Leali’fano. The first try of the came arrived when Leali’ifano, a composed kicking talent during the Lions Tour, got over for a score that the TMO confirmed. 16-9 turned to 19-9 when Leali’fano added a penalty on 45 minutes.
Cruden tagged three points back but Leali’fano’s penalty, soon after a TMO ruled out a possible Brumbies try, made it 22-12. Chiefs flanker Sam Cane, the man earmarked as Richie McCaw’s long-term All Blacks replacement, blew a great scoring chance close to the Brumbies’ posts when he spilled forward.
The Australian side could not clear their lines and the final 20 minutes was fascinating viewing as the 2012 champions pounded into rucks and built phases. A TMO briefly denied them but the Kiwis got a good push on from the 5m scrum. The Aussies were creaking and inspirational blindside Liam Messam dived over. His score made it 22-17 but Cruden could not add the extras.
Brumbies tried to play out the remainder of the match in the home side’s half but a scything Chiefs break had them on the back-foot. Quick-thinking and smart passing sent Robbie Robinson clear to dive over. Cruden’s conversion made it 24-22 and the heartbreak was confirmed when the outhalf slotted over a late penalty.
It was left to Connacht-bound lock Craig Clarke and Messam to lift the Super Rugby trophy amid a cacophony of ringing, jubilant cow bells.
Clarke said, “It’s been an awesome couple of seasons and a few guys are moving on. To everyone involved and everyone leaving, it’s an awesome group to be involved in so thanks very much.”
