Chiefs assert total dominance to put rest of the competition on notice

Analysis: By smashing Moana Pasifika, the Chiefs took a big step towards qualifying as top seeds and owning the fear factor, writes Patrick McKendry.

There is no getting away from it. The Chiefs’ 85-7 demolition of Moana Pasifika last night not only made the playoffs picture a little clearer, but it also reinforced the impression that the likely top seeds are the most feared team in the competition.

They are only one competition point above the Crusaders on the Super Rugby Pacific table and have an identical 10-3 win-loss record as their southern rivals, but they are streets ahead in terms of form, depth and hunger.

Compare and contrast the Chiefs’ 13-try thrashing of Moana Pasifika in Hamilton with the Crusaders’ bumbling 15-12 victory over the Highlanders, the bottom-placed team who missed five shots at goal in Christchurch the night before.

The Highlanders deserved more from that match, as did their indefatigable skipper Timoci Tavatavanawai and impressive No.8 Sean Withy.

Now they must prepare for what is clearly the toughest opponent in Super Rugby, although they at least get to do so under the roof in Dunedin in what will be their final game of the season.

It is difficult to see any result other than a bonus point victory for the Chiefs, which will cement their place at the top of the table.

The Crusaders, meanwhile, have the far more difficult challenge of facing the third-placed Brumbies in Canberra, a match likely to decide the second and third seeds for the playoffs.

The fourth-placed Hurricanes, who will host a shell-shocked Moana, cannot finish any higher on the table, with the Reds likely to remain in fifth, and the Blues, should they beat the Waratahs at Eden Park, likely to qualify in the sixth and final playoff position.

There was a controlled anger last night about the Chiefs, rested from their bye the week before, which may have had its roots in their near second-half collapse against Moana Pasifika in Pukekohe in March.

On that occasion, the Chiefs ran out to a 43-7 halftime lead, only to concede 28 unanswered points as Moana Pasifika got to 43-35 before Samisoni Taukei’aho, who was at his bruising best in the first half last night, made it safe in the final minute with a converted try.

It was an extraordinary comeback from Moana, but Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan felt that his side had let themselves down, and it must have played a part in the build-up to last night’s response, which was far more in keeping with his team’s standards.

They have a pack as ruthless as any in the competition and in Damian McKenzie clearly the best No.10. The rest of their backline, including Quinn Tupaea, Daniel Rona, Leroy Carter and Shaun Stevenson are clearly in form and one of the most difficult tasks for McMillan over the next few weeks may come around the selection table.

As for Moana Pasifika, perhaps their emotional victory over the Blues at North Harbour Stadium the week before took its toll too.

One wonders whether the hype building around them and their inspirational skipper Ardie Savea, who was replaced early in the second half by coach Tana Umaga (a case, perhaps, of him protecting their greatest weapon in what was a lost cause), became a little too much last week.

They were dominated by the Chiefs physically and mentally, and across the park in every facet.

The match officials took a laissez-faire attitude to the Chiefs’ breakdown tactics, and even replacement prop Angus Ross appeared surprised to escape a penalty when charging into a ruck from the side and without staying on his feet late in the game - but when the pattern of one team’s dominance is set it can be hard for officials to spot the micro over the macro.

If anyone can inspire one last effort from Moana Pasifika, it is their skipper Savea, who, fittingly, scored the team’s only try last night via his physical strength and self-belief.

The team’s social media team posted a snippet of his post-match talk in the side’s huddle on the middle of the pitch.

“You can be up one time and get humbled real quick… our season is still alive,” he told his team.

“We have one more to get. It’s a tough pill to swallow. Take it. But we turn up on Monday and regroup. Keep believing - the answer is in here, don’t blame anyone else.”

One more to get, indeed.

Their prize, if they beat the Hurricanes in Wellington next Saturday, will likely be a sudden-death rematch against the Chiefs on the same Waikato Stadium pitch a week later.