Chiefs left kicking after Cheetahs tie
Source: Agencies |
April 24, 2010, Saturday
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THE Waikato Chiefs scored five tries but missed every kick at goal as they slumped to a 25-25 draw against the Cheetahs in a Super 14 match in Hamilton, New Zealand, yesterday.
The Chiefs, who had lost their last four home matches and needed a win to stay in semifinal contention, scored four first-half tries to the Cheetahs' one but took only a 20-10 lead at the break after flyhalf Stephen Donald missed all the conversions and two penalty kicks.
Inside center Callum Bruce took over kicking duties in the second half after Donald was dragged, but missed a penalty goal that would have wrested back the lead, then another conversion after a Liam Messam try that would have given his team a five-point buffer.
Cheetahs flyhalf Naas Olivier, who converted two out of his team's three tries, coolly slotted a penalty goal to level the scores with just over 10 minutes left.
It proved to be the last score of the match as the Cheetahs defended stoutly to continue the Chiefs' winless season at their home Waikato Stadium.
"In the second half we just had too many handling errors which kept the pressure off the Cheetahs," Chiefs skipper Messam said.
The Chiefs remain six points adrift of the top four with three matches to play. The Cheetahs, who have managed only two wins this season, are out of the playoff race.
In Brisbane, Australia, rugby league convert Will Chambers scored a second-half try as the Queensland Reds beat South Africa's Stormers 16-13.
After Quade Cooper gave the Reds the lead in the 43rd minute with a penalty goal, Chambers scored five minutes later and the resurgent Reds relied on tight defense to hold on to the lead and remain in a semifinal position among the top four.
The win broke the Reds' three-game losing streak at home against the Stormers and snapped a six-game losing streak overall against the Cape Town-based team.
More than 30,000 fans packed Suncorp Stadium yesterday for the match.
The Stormers play another semifinal contender, seven-time champions Canterbury from New Zealand, next Friday.
In Perth, Western Force of Australia) beat Canterbury Crusaders of New Zealand 24-16.
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