Chiefs thump Moana Pasifika

10/05/2024 12:08

FRIDAY WRAP: All Black centre Anton Lienert-Brown grabbed a second-half try as the Chiefs thumped Moana Pasifika 43-7 in a bonus-point win Friday to go third on the Super Rugby table.

The Chiefs dominated by scoring seven tries to one at Auckland's Mount Smart Stadium against a makeshift Moana Pasifika side forced by injuries into making late changes.

An emphatic second-half display sealed their win, which lifted the Chiefs above the Brumbies into third place behind leaders the Hurricanes and the Blues, who meet at Eden Park on Saturday in a top-of-the-table clash.

Centre Quinn Tupaea found his way through some dogged defending early on to claim the Chiefs' opening try midway through the first half.

Moana were briefly down to 13 men soon when forward Irie Papuni and then scrumhalf Aisea Halo were sent to the sinbin in quick succession for foul play.

Chiefs flyhalf Josh Jacomb touched down in their absence and converted his first Super Rugby try on his fourth appearance, making it 12-0 at half-time.

The Chiefs turned the screw after the break with five more tries, starting when back Etene Nanai-Seturo chipped over the defence for a quick try.

Lienert-Brown brushed off would-be tacklers to crash over under the posts before flank Simon Parker took a short pass to power over, both tries coming inside six minutes.

The hosts briefly broke the Chiefs' momentum when wing Anzelo Tuitavuki showed the defence a clean pair of heels out wide to claim Moana's consolation try with 10 minutes left.

However, the Chiefs bagged two late tries to complete the rout.

Captain Luke Jacobson was rewarded for an industrious performance when the flank was driven over as the Moana defence was breached again.

The visitors then moved the ball quickly across the backs from a scrum to send wing Liam Coombes-Fabling over in the corner just before the whistle.

The defeat leaves Moana Pasifika ninth on the table, three points outside the play-off berths for the top eight teams.

The scorers:

For Moana Pasifika:
Try: Tuitavuki
Con: Leuila

For Chiefs:
Tries: Tupaea, Jacomb, Nanai-Seturo, Lienert-Brown, Parker, Jacobson, Coombes-Fabling
Cons: Jacomb 4

Yellow cards: Irie Papuni (Moana Pasifika, foul play); Aisea Halo (Moana Pasifika, foul play)

Teams:

Moana Pasifika: 15 Danny Toala, 14 Nigel Ah Wong, 13 Pepesana Patafilo, 12 Lalomilo Lalomilo, 11 Nerai Fomai, 10 D'Angelo Leuila, 9 Aisea Halo, 8 Lotu Inisi, 7 Alamanda Motuga, 6 Miracle Fai'ilagi, 5 Allan Craig, 4 Tom Savage, 3 Suetena Asomua, 2 Sama Malolo (captain), 1 Sateki Latu.
Replacements: 16 Tomasi Maka, 17 Abraham Pole, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Semisi Paea, 20 Irie Papuni, 21 Siaoisi Nginingini, 22 Otumaka Mausia, 23 Kyren Taumoefolau.

Chiefs: 15 Etene Nanai Seturo, 14 Liam Coombes-Fabling, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Daniel Rona, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Xavier Roe, 8 Wallace Sititi, 7 Luke Jacobson (captain), 6 Simon Parker, 5 Tupou Vaa'i, 4 Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 3 Reuben O'Neill, 2 Samisoni Taukei'aho, 1 Ollie Norris.
Replacements: Tyrone Thompson, Jared Proffit, Sione Ahio, Hamilton Burr, Tom Florence, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Rameka Pohipi, Gideon Wrampling

Referee: Damon Murphy
Assistant referees: Nic Berry, George Myers
TMO: Brett Cronan