Chiefs player ratings: Samisoni Taukei’aho inflicts ‘irreparable’ damage as Damian McKenzie pulls the strings in thrashing of the Reds

Dylan Coetzee
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Samisoni Taukei'aho on the charge for the Chiefs.

Following the Chiefs’ 43-21 destruction of the Reds in the first Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final, here are our player ratings for the Waikato men.

Brilliant backs

15 Shaun Stevenson: The full-back was outstanding in the first half and was a threat whenever he had the ball in hand, which culminated in a ridiculous try assist that he had no right to do. He could have gone on to cause more chaos but was replaced at the break with the Chiefs putting him in cotton wool for the rest of the play-offs. 6

14 Emoni Narawa: Just red-hot at the moment; the wing was lethal on attack, whether attacking the line himself or ripping an outrageous try assist out the back. Narawa is a real joy to watch and his attacking awareness is right up there with the best in the competition. 8

13 Anton Lienert-Brown: A Rolls-Royce of a centre. The All Black deserved the try he scored in what was a neat performance for the entirety he was on the pitch. Lienert-Brown is a coach’s dream through his consistency on both sides of the ball. 7

12 Rameka Poihipi: Maybe not as flashy as the other backline stars in this one but didn’t put a foot wrong as he carried well and made an impressive 14 tackles without missing any. 7

11 Etene Nanai-Seturo: The winger has always been dangerous with his electric running game and attacking awareness that resulted in a try thanks to Stevenson’s vision. However, he offered so much more with his educated left boot that handed his side a try off a 50:22 once he seamlessly slotted in at 15 for the second period. 8

10 Damian McKenzie: The All Black’s ability to read the defensive line and pick mismatches is one thing, then his near-flawless execution to exploit them is another. ‘DMac‘ is on another level right now and the way he controlled the game was truly sensational. He absolutely is the lifeblood of this Chiefs side. Just brilliant. 9 

9 Cortez Ratima: While much of his praise this season has been for try-scoring, the scrum-half showed off his kicking and game management tonight as his partnership with ‘DMac’ continues to blossom. Never really put a foot wrong all game. 7

10 - Career defining tournament 9 - Outright blockbuster campaign 8 - Significantly influenced their team's campaign 7 - Committed and effective throughout 6 - Flash of brilliance outside of executing fundamentals 5 - Fulfilling the role required by positional (Base Level) 4 - Poor execution of fundamentals 3 - Costly errors and/or discipline that proved costly 2 - Poor performances that directly impacted the result of key games 1 - Grossly ineffective throughout 0 - Should have carried water instead

Powerhouse pack

8 Wallace Sititi: The breakout season gets even better as the number eight underlined his growing Test credentials with a whopping 18 carries, one of which resulted in a try for Narawa after he played a lovely pass inside. His power game on both sides of the ball was one of the key elements to that blistering first half and surely he is making a case to be in the All Blacks conversation. 9

7 Luke Jacobson: 23 tackles! That alone speaks volumes about the skipper who led by example by getting his hands dirty to provide McKenzie and the likes a platform to shine. The veteran deserves massive praise for this shift. 8

6 Samipeni Finau: The hitman was on call today and ended up with 16 tackles and two turnovers. It was a very neat effort from the All Black who went above and beyond to keep the Reds at bay in the second period. 8

5 Tupou Vaa’i: One of the players of the game. The lock carried the ball so well but he earned his money on defence and at the breakdown where he made 16 tackles and won three turnovers. Vaa’i’s efforts disrupted the Reds at the ruck for most of the game and this shift will go a long way in his quest to cementing a starting spot for the All Blacks. 9

4 Jimmy Tupou: The second-row was not required to play the whole game but was very accomplished in his 55-odd minutes, reaching double digits in the tackle count. He offers a good lineout option as well and has done enough to keep his spot next week. 6

3 George Dyer: It is always impressive to see a prop notching up high tackle counts and 11 in just 48 minutes is some effort from the tighthead. He also scrummed really well and will be very pleased. 7

2 Samisoni Taukei’aho: A key element to the Chiefs’ dominance up front. Not only did the hooker score two tries while beating five defenders, he also made 16 tackles in a shift that was just 53 minutes long. By the time he departed the field the All Black’s damage on the game was irreparable for the Reds and it certainly would have impressed New Zealand boss Scott Robertson who was in attendance. 9

1 Aidan Ross: Not quite as busy as his front-row partners but not far behind at all with his nine tackles and neat scrummaging in the 48 minutes he was on the pitch. The job was done by the time he was replaced. 6

Replacements: It is always difficult to keep such a high level of intensity throughout the game and the reality is the bench did not manage to do so. However, it was still a very accomplished collective performance from the substitutions. 6

READ MORE: Damian McKenzie masterclass sees Chiefs book semi-final spot with one-sided win over Reds

Chiefs Damian McKenzie Samisoni Taukei'aho

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