Chiefs player ratings: Wallace Sititi handles extra responsibility ‘excellently’ as Damian McKenzie stand-in ‘runs the show’ after Christchurch shocker

Following a stunning 59-34 victory over the Blues in the Super Rugby Pacific clash at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday, here are the player ratings for the Chiefs.

15 Liam Coombes-Fabling: Moved from the wing, full-back suited Coombes-Fabling’s all-round skills. He was solid under the high ball, which allowed them to set up attacks on transition, and then came to the fore after the break with a stunning individual try as the hosts dominated their North Island rivals. 8

14 Daniel Sinkinson: Given a rare opportunity, he was a huge threat. Might not have the sheer athleticism of some of the other Chiefs in the backline, but he is clearly a smart player and took the right opportunities to inject himself into the game. A super two-try display. 8

13 Daniel Rona: Was regularly used as a carrier in traffic and generally made it over the gain line. Wasn’t necessarily a standout but he did his job well enough. 6

12 Reon Paul: Another player whose game time has been limited this season, but he has impressed during his stints on the field and very much did the same here. The inside centre had a big game, setting up Taumoefolau’s try with a lovely break and pass in the first half, and he continued to make metres. Deservedly touched down in the second half. 8

11 Kyren Taumoefolau: Had an easy finish for his try but did not do too much outside of that. Unlike Sinkinson, who managed to get himself involved, Taumoefolau was relatively quiet until producing a piece of genius late on. 6

Impressive response

10 Josh Jacomb: After his shocking end to last weekend’s loss to the Crusaders, you feared it was going the same way when he missed a kick to touch from a penalty, but Jacomb recovered remarkably well. The fly-half’s passing was slick and he put his body on the line, including a magnificent tackle on AJ Lam to stop him scoring. Standing in for All Blacks star Damian McKenzie, who has generally been the preferred 10 this season, he ran the show in a stunning response to his Christchurch disaster. 9

9 Cortez Ratima: Has had a mediocre season and this performance did not change that, despite an improvement after the break. Ratima’s delivery is just not quick enough from the base at the moment and it’s easy to see why Xavier Roe has been the preferred option for the Chiefs. 6

8 Wallace Sititi (c): Perhaps not quite as irrepressible as recent weeks but there was still plenty of big moments from the All Blacks star, including the quick tap and try which opened a gap in the second period. Handled the captaincy excellently, too. 8

7 Jahrome Brown: Remarkable work ethic with high numbers in both tackles and carries, but he perhaps wasn’t quite as effective as the Blues loose trio earlier in the game. However, Brown certainly grew into the match and played a full role in their second half display. 7

6 Samipeni Finau: Good power in contact on both sides of the ball but he doesn’t feel like a Dave Rennie player. The new All Blacks head coach talks about repeat efforts and Finau is not necessarily doing enough of that in comparison to other options at his disposal, but his second half was impressive. 7

5 Josh Lord: Was prominent in the first half, causing real issues for the visitors’ lineout, but conceded a needless penalty which allowed the Blues to come back into the contest just before the break. Still ended with plenty of credit, though. 7

In the All Blacks conversation?

4 Naitoa Ah Kuoi: Superb once again. Part of a lineout defence that was exceptional in the opening period and was excellent in other areas. Also plenty of wonderfully deft touches in the loose and really has to be considered for All Blacks selection. 8

3 George Dyer: A big shift from the experienced tighthead. Dominated in the scrum and had some good moments in the loose as he showed his value to the Chiefs cause. 7

2 Tyrone Thompson: No Samisoni Taukei’aho on Saturday, with the All Blacks hooker rested, but Thompson stepped up nicely. The lineout went smoothly enough and he put himself about around the field. 6

1 Jared Proffit: Similar to Dyer, Proffit isn’t your typical modern day prop who has big moments in the loose, but he does his job incredibly well. Great scrummager and excellent work ethic, which gave his side a platform. 7

Replacements: They were already getting on top when the bench began to enter the fray but there was big impact from the likes of Fita Sa and Kaylum Boshier up front, while Lalakai Foketi gave them a bit more punch behind the scrum than Rona. 8

READ MORE: Chiefs v Blues: Result, match details, stats, line-ups