“I’ll Own That”: Captain Accepts Responsibility as Reds Fall from First Place

The Chiefs have reclaimed their position at the top of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder after a hard-fought victory against the Reds in a challenging encounter held on a rain-drenched Friday night in Hamilton.

Despite the match lacking in finesse, Clayton McMillan’s team commenced and concluded the game with strength to secure a 27-15 win. The result was less assured than the scoreline suggests, with both teams scoring three tries each, yet the Chiefs managed to clinch four important competition points following their first bye, while also honouring Shaun Stevenson’s milestone 100th match for the franchise in admirable style.

In a match where rain poured incessantly, the 9,882 fans at FMG Stadium Waikato were on edge until the final moments, especially considering the Chiefs had dropped three of their last four regular-season encounters against the Reds, although they had triumphed in both recent quarter-final battles. Once again, the Chiefs’ substitutes rose to the occasion, playing a pivotal role in securing the win.

With All Blacks forwards Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tupou Vaa’i, Samipeni Finau, and the agile halfback Xavier Roe brought on in the 48th minute, they proved crucial. Taukei’aho and Roe both crossed the line for tries in the closing ten minutes, while Damian McKenzie displayed his exceptional kicking skills, helping to keep the Queensland side scoreless in the second half until a consolation try was registered after the final whistle.

The Reds opted to forgo a penalty opportunity while prop Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen was serving time in the sin bin.

“I believe if we’d had all 15 players on the field, we would have taken the penalty,” Reds captain Tate McDermott reflected. “As captain, I’ll take responsibility for that decision. We discussed it on the field, and we backed our boys, which we’ve done throughout the season.”

Reflecting on the challenges they faced, McDermott added, “It clearly didn’t go as planned. We will analyse what went wrong, but as captain, that’s something I’ll own.”

The Reds, fresh off a six-day turnaround and recent travel, had played in wet conditions in Brisbane the previous weekend. Meanwhile, the Chiefs were well-acquainted with the slippery conditions, having experienced two prior matches in the rain, including a victory at Eden Park and a defeat in Fiji.

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It wasn’t easy for the Chiefs, especially given that the Reds pressured their lineouts significantly in the first half while also enjoying 58% of possession, highlighting why Les Kiss’ team entered the match with a strong 5-1 record.

The score was tied at 10-10 after a fraught and messy first half, with a McKenzie penalty being the sole score in the third quarter, although the action was far from lacking.

The Reds found themselves down to 14 players less than two minutes into the second half due to Jeff Toomaga-Allen’s sin-bin for head contact on Jacobson during a ruck. They appeared to have taken the lead for the first time through a brilliant run from Harry McLaughlin-Phillips. However, a heart-stopping moment arose when the ball slipped from his grip just as he was about to score. TMO Brett Cronan ultimately overturned Nic Berry’s on-field decision, much to the delight of the drenched home crowd.

The drama continued as the Reds secured a penalty at the subsequent scrum, only for the Chiefs to win possession back by successfully overturning their maul.

Powered by their formidable bench, which also featured a first-touch 50-22 kick from Josh Jacomb, they began to dominate as the game unfolded.

A pivotal moment came in the 70th minute when Quinn Tupaea won a ruck penalty. With the score precariously poised at 13-10, the Chiefs made a strategic decision to kick to the line rather than attempt a penalty, a choice that proved brilliant from captain Luke Jacobson, as their maul drove forward allowing Taukei’aho to score. Subsequently, when Reds fullback Heremaia Murray fumbled a high kick, the Chiefs capitalised, with a strong run from Gideon Wrampling leading to Roe’s try.

Earlier in the match, the Chiefs had set the tone ominously, scoring within the first three minutes. They converted the first penalty of the game into a lineout and after a series of patient carries, Jacobson charged over for a try just under the posts.

Jacobson also played a critical role in the only other points of the half, with a vital turnover near his own try line leading to Stevenson’s kick downfield, followed soon after by McKenzie winning a ruck penalty and converting three points after the Reds were caught offside.

The Reds struggled to mount attacks due to some costly dropped balls, although they managed to equalise in the 19th minute, thanks to a try from Matt Faessler off a lineout drive.

To culminate a tumultuous first half, they scored again just before the break. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto executed a crucial lineout steal, leading to Filipo Daugunu’s high kick. McKenzie failed to gather, with the ball eluding Emoni Narawa as flanker Joe Brial raced in, toeing the ball ahead and sprinting 40 metres to score. The crowd expressed their frustration upon review, but the officials correctly awarded the try after confirming his torso had grounded it.

“They controlled field position well,” said Reds coach Les Kiss. “There were moments we will regret, like not scoring when Harry McLaughlin-Phillips made the break and reached the line, only for the ball to slip away. We had a few instances like that where we weren’t clean enough, but I was very pleased with our effort, intensity, and defence at times.”