Aaron Cruden kicked 14 points as the Chiefs moved top
Bundee Aki takes the plaudits after his first half try
The Chiefs moved to the top of the Super Rugby table with a bonus-point victory over fellow New Zealanders the Hurricanes on Friday.
Leading the New Zealand conference by 10 points heading into the ‘Canes clash, the Chiefs touched down four times to record a 34-22 win, their sixth triumph in a row, and overtake the Brumbies at the top of the overall standings.
A close first half saw the Hurricanes’ TJ Perenara score the game’s first try to give his side a 7-3 lead less than 15 minutes in. Dave Rennie’s side soon struck back, however, and tries from Matt Leven and centre Bundee Aki put them 17-7 in front.
Fly-half Beauden Barrett added a penalty for the Wellington outfit and also went over to reduce the Chiefs’ advantage to just two points at half-time.
The contest between Barrett and his opposite number Aaron Cruden was one of the highlights of the match with strong running, intelligent passing and effective tackling impressing alongside their goal kicking.
However, it was All-Black Cruden who came out on top as the Hurricanes struggled to contain the Hamilton-based side in the second half and were made to pay for some slack defending.
First, scrum-half Richard Kerr-Barlow dived over before replacement prop Ben Tameifuna scored with five minutes remaining to seal the win and earn his side a bonus point.
Alapati Leiua hit back for the ‘Canes almost immediately, touching down under the posts, to make the final score 34-22 at the Waikato Stadium.
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Article source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/wales-rugby-star-craig-mitchell-4726750
Super Rugby: Chiefs go top with bonus-point victory over Hurricanes
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