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Chiefs power past Reds to reach Super Rugby semi-finals / Photo: © AFP
Chiefs power past Reds to reach Super Rugby semi-finals
The Waikato Chiefs booked their place in the Super Rugby semi-finals as All Blacks hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho grabbed two tries in a 43-21 win over the Queensland Reds on Friday.
The Chiefs got off to a frenetic start, claiming four of their six tries during an electric opening 25 minutes of the quarter-final in Hamilton.
"We're really happy, it was down to the first half when we came out firing," Taukei'aho said.
"We have a few things to tidy up from the second half," he added, after the Reds claimed three tries after the break.
No Australian team has ever won a Super Rugby knock-out game in New Zealand and the Reds' defeat extended that miserable run.
"The Chiefs came out really strong and got away from us," said Reds co-captain Liam Wright. "We fought back well at the end, but it was too little, too late."
The Chiefs bossed the breakdowns, forcing the Reds into conceding 14 turnovers, nearly twice as many as the hosts.
The New Zealand team will discover their semi-final opponent after Saturday's remaining quarter-finals.
The Wellington Hurricanes host the Melbourne Rebels, Auckland Blues are home to the Fijian Drua and the ACT Brumbies play the Otago Highlanders in Canberra.
The Reds comfortably beat the Chiefs in Queensland in March, but the New Zealand team led from early on, building up a 31-0 half-time lead.
Taukei'aho showed his strength to fend off defenders and muscle his way over for the opening try after just six minutes.
Winger Emoni Narawa crossed in the corner, then set up Taukei'aho for his second try.
The pick of the Chiefs tries came when All Blacks playmaker Damian McKenzie chipped over the defence, and Shaun Stevenson gathered the ball and produced a pin-point accurate cross kick for Etene Nanai-Seturo to touch down.
McKenzie landed a penalty to cap a miserable opening 40 minutes for the visitors.
The Reds fought back after the break with scrum-half Tate McDermott darting over for two tries after sustained pressure, sandwiched between a Chiefs try by All Blacks centre Anton Lienert-Brown.
The visitors were reduced to 14 men when centre Hunter Paisami was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul just before replacement hooker Bradley Slater was driven over from a maul for another Chiefs try.
With Paisami back on the field, Reds replacement back Lawson Creighton crossed shortly before the final whistle for their third try.
Y.Harris--SFF
