Chiefs player ratings: Damian McKenzie loses playmaker battle as All Black’s ill-discipline proves incredibly costly
Chiefs playmaker Damian McKenzie and an inset of Samipeni Finau.
Following the Chiefs’ 19-20 defeat to the Blues in the Super Rugby Pacific Qualifying Final, here’s how we rated Clayton McMillan’s charges.
Chiefs player ratings v Blues
15 Shaun Stevenson: Flashes of brilliance, which included a lovely cross-field kick in the first half. He was cool and calm at the back too in what was a strong performance. 7
14 Emoni Narawa: While it wasn’t a match for wonderful attacking play from the wingers, Narawa still managed to shine in a performance that will surely catch the attention of the All Blacks coaching staff. He kicked superbly out of hand, came up with a stunning breakdown turnover to kill off a threatening Blues attack. 7
13 Daniel Rona: Brilliantly took his try as he continues to shine in the absence of Anton Lienert-Brown. He gained over 50 metres in attack and shut down multiple Blues attacks with some sharp defensive reads. A clutch shift but ultimately not enough for the Chiefs. 8
12 Gideon Wrampling: A tidy performance from the midfielder who regularly got over the gain-line for the hosts and didn’t give AJ Lam much to work with. Moved into the pack in the latter stages. 7
11 Leroy Carter: Saw precious little ball during his hour on the pitch. He was good defensively in what was a solid outing. 6
10 Damian McKenzie: Slotted his shots at goal well, but won’t be pleased with his late miss, and threw a wonderful flat pass to Rona for the centre’s crucial try. Held his own in an entertaining playmaking battle with Beauden Barrett. It was Barrett who ultimately won the head-to-head duel but McKenzie was not poor by any means. 7
9 Cortez Ratima: Criminally failed to score in the first half with the try line begging. He was unable to really threaten the Blues around the fringes. 6
The pack
8 Simon Parker: A surprise selection at number eight over Wallace Sititi but he did rise to the occasion with an effective performance at the back of the scrum. He made some telling tackles and was excellent in the carries before he was forced off with an injury. 7
7 Kaylum Boshier: Brought into the starting XV following the late withdrawal of Luke Jacobson and produced a solid performance before making way for Sititi. 6
6 Samipeni Finau: A mixed bag from the flanker who landed some excellent hits on defence and made several strong carries, but also conceded a silly penalty in the Blues’ 22 and made it worse with a scuffle that pushed the Blues further up the field. A stunning cover tackle which denied Caleb Clarke a try, delaying the Blues’ score. He conceded multiple silly penalties in the latter stages of the game which gave the Aucklanders a route back into the game and they took it with both hands. His ill-discipline was costly. 4
5 Tupou Vaa’i: Took on the captaincy responsibility and shone throughout the match. There wasn’t a facet of the game where Vaa’i didn’t impress as he steered the Chiefs into the semi-finals. An outstanding knock from the ever-improving All Blacks lock. 8
4 Naitoa Ah Kuoi: A busy shift on both sides of the ball from the second-rower who was really aggressive in contact. Managed to stay on the right side of Angus Gardner’s whistle too. 7
3 George Dyer: Struggled for parity at scrum time and did what was required of him around the park. 5
2 Samisoni Taukei’aho: The lineout issues cannot be pinned solely on the hooker but he still won’t be pleased by how things unfolded in the set-pieces. He spoiled a threatening attack with a lazy pass from the base of a ruck in the first half. Brutally effective in the carries but not his finest game of the season. 5
1 Aidan Ross: Part of a starting front-row that struggled at scrum time. He was solid defensively, though and made good inroads with his carries. 6
Replacements: The Chiefs’ bench has been a real feature of their game this season and while the likes of Sititi and Brodie McAlister had strong cameos, Clayton McMillan didn’t get the desired impact he needed from his replacements. Ollie Norris’ no-arms tackle was a notable blunder which gave the Blues momentum. 4
