(Photo by Sandra Mu/Getty Images)
In a test match style arm wrestle, the Chiefs, fresh back from an arduous South African tour, defeated the top of the table Hurricanes 16-8.
It was billed as the match of the season. With 15 All Blacks on display in the respective starting fifteens, it was the first- and second-ranked sides of the 2009 season at a sold out Waikato Stadium.
For the winner, a guaranteed top four berth, and a likely home semi final.
With the two most prominent attacking arsenals of the competition on show, many expected a high scoring freewheeling affair.
After all, you had the All Black first choice full back, wing, second five eighth (inside centre), fly half and both front line test outside centres on the park.
But amidst a test match like atmosphere of over 25,000 people, it wasn’t the predicted open affair. In hindsight, it was never going to be.
Both sides knew what was on stakes, not only in the Super 14, but with the holy trinity of All Black coaches sitting in the stands; there were test spots at stake.
Often when you see such key clashes, it is the defence and the fear of not losing that dictates the match; more than the desire to throw the ball around. For the Chiefs in particular, their defence has been highlighted as a potential weakness.
Tonight, that defence was of title winning class.
The Hurricanes had the better first half, dominating the tackle in the first quarter and showing why they have the best ruck retention of the competition.
Despite the slippery conditions, the Hurricanes runners, led by their All Black midfield of Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu, did make early inroads into the Chiefs defence.
But they could not convert. While winger David Smith did cross in the corner, the Chiefs defence was a notch up on what it had been seen so far this season.
The second half saw a different Chiefs team come out.
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