Shannon Frizell is heading home. The Highlanders confirmed on Tuesday that the 33-Test All Black will return to Dunedin for the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season, ending a successful stint in Japan as he targets a place in New Zealand’s squad for the Rugby World Cup in Australia.

Key facts:

• Frizell, 32, has signed with New Zealand Rugby and will rejoin the Highlanders for the 2027 Super Rugby Pacific season
• The blindside flanker will be available for Tasman in the 2026 NPC from mid-year
• He has won back-to-back Japan Rugby League One titles with Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo in 2024 and 2025
• Frizell’s last All Blacks appearance was in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final defeat to South Africa
• He has 68 Highlanders caps and 33 Test caps for New Zealand

The Tongan-born loose forward’s contract with New Zealand Rugby will see him arrive back in the country in mid-2026, making him available to represent Tasman in the NPC before linking up with the Highlanders the following year. The timing is significant: it should see Frizell become eligible for All Blacks selection for the November internationals, giving him roughly twelve months to press his case with new head coach Dave Rennie ahead of the World Cup.

Frizell departs Japan as a two-time champion. Since joining Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo after the 2023 World Cup, the powerful blindside flanker has been instrumental in the club’s dominance, helping secure back-to-back Japan Rugby League One titles in 2024 and 2025. He made an immediate impact in his first season, scoring five tries in his opening three matches including a remarkable four-try haul against Kobelco Kobe Steelers. His form earned him selection for the ANZAC XV that faced the touring British & Irish Lions in Australia last year.

It is a homecoming laden with both sentiment and ambition. Frizell made his Highlanders debut in 2018 as an impact substitute against the Stormers and went on to earn All Blacks selection later that same year. He amassed 68 appearances in the blue, gold and maroon before heading overseas, and his return will add significant firepower to Jamie Joseph’s forward pack.

The Highlanders head coach welcomed the announcement with enthusiasm. “Shannon returning to the Highlanders is a real bonus for the club, and it’s great to see a seasoned international player prepared to return to Super Rugby to have a crack at making the All Blacks,” Joseph said. “He knows our culture well, he’s a hard-working player, and he’ll fit seamlessly into our team.”

Frizell’s Test pedigree is beyond question. He started five matches at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, including an 80-minute, two-try performance in the semi-final victory over Argentina. He also started the final against South Africa, though that match ended in heartbreak with a narrow 12–11 defeat in Paris — Frizell was yellow-carded in just the second minute of that encounter.

His return adds an intriguing dimension to the competition for New Zealand’s number six jersey. No player has locked down the starting blindside role since Frizell’s departure, with Wallace Sititi, Samipeni Finau, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson and Simon Parker all given opportunities with varying degrees of success. While Sititi was named World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2024 after impressive performances from blindside, he spent much of 2025 at number eight following Ardie Savea’s shift to openside.

Rennie, who previously coached in Japan with the Kobe Steelers, will have been monitoring Frizell’s form closely. The loose forward has missed much of the current Japanese season with a broken hand but is expected to return for the League One playoffs, where Toshiba will be chasing a third consecutive title under coach Todd Blackadder.

Highlanders CEO Roger Clark emphasised the importance of the signing to the club’s long-term project. “Over the last few seasons the club has worked hard at rebuilding and growing the talent pool we believe we need to be competitive in one of the toughest professional leagues in the world,” Clark said. “The arrival of Shannon will give further impetus to that, and it’s exciting news for our fans to welcome back a player of his calibre.”

NZR Interim Chief Executive Steve Lancaster echoed the sentiment, highlighting the broader significance of experienced players returning to domestic rugby. “We’re really pleased to have Shannon returning to New Zealand and look forward to seeing him back in action in the NPC later this year,” Lancaster said. “Any time a player with international experience comes home is a boost to the game here and it’s great to see Shannon’s desire to represent his provincial union, Super Rugby club and country remains as strong as ever.”

Frizell follows a path already trodden by his Toshiba teammate Richie Mo’unga, who signed an 18-month contract with NZR last year and remains committed to playing at the 2027 World Cup despite Scott Robertson’s departure as All Blacks coach in January. The pair’s returns underscore the magnetic pull of a home World Cup for New Zealand’s overseas contingent.

At 32, Frizell is entering the final chapter of his international career. But with his physicality as a ball-carrier, his lineout presence, and his big-match experience, he arrives back in Super Rugby with plenty still to offer — and a World Cup mission to accomplish.

Franco Molina produced a stunning hat-trick as the Western Force pulled off a 42–19 bonus-point upset over the Queensland Reds at Suncorp Stadium — their first bonus-point win over the Reds since 2012.

The result keeps the Force’s finals hopes alive as they improved to 2–5, while the Reds slipped to 4–3 and dropped to sixth on the ladder — a defeat that could have shot them into third place with a win.

Key moments

12 mins – TRY FORCE: The Force build through phases before Franco Molina snipes around the ruck to dot down beside the posts. Ben Donaldson converts. (Force 7–0)

17 mins – TRY REDS: A slick set-piece move from the lineout sees Hunter Paisami pop a lovely ball out the back, sending Tim Ryan through a massive gap to score under the sticks. Jock Campbell converts. (Force 7–7)

24 mins – TRY REDS: The Force collapse at scrum time and Kalani Thomas taps quickly, stepping past two defenders before firing to Joe Brial, who barges over. Campbell hits the post. (Reds 12–7)

32 mins – TRY FORCE: Molina burrows low through multiple pick-and-goes before muscling his way over for his second. Donaldson converts. (Force 14–12)

40 mins – TRY FORCE: A brilliant counter sparked by Dylan Pietsch opens space down the left. Nick Champion de Crespigny strides away and draws the fullback before linking with Mac Grealy on the inside to score. Donaldson converts. (Force 21–12)

Half-time: Force 21–12. The Force head into the sheds with a nine-point lead after a lively first half. Molina has been immense, while the Reds have looked dangerous but let themselves down with errors at key moments.

50 mins – TRY FORCE: Donaldson stabs a perfectly weighted cross-kick to the right wing and Darby Lancaster flies high above Campbell to take a clean catch and score in the corner. Lancaster limps off with an ankle injury. Donaldson converts. (Force 28–12)

54 mins – YELLOW CARD REDS: Harry Wilson is sent to the bin for head-on-head contact with Molina. The Force immediately attack with a man advantage.

59 mins – TRY FORCE: The Force win the lineout and charge around the corner. Brandon Paenga-Amosa shrugs off a defender and dots down beside the posts. Donaldson converts. (Force 35–12)

76 mins – TRY REDS: Josh Flook gets a brilliant short ball from Wilson on the right wing and breaks clean through from 70 metres out. He draws the fullback and fires to Filipo Daugunu, who streaks away to score in the corner. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips converts. (Force 35–19)

80+1 mins – TRY FORCE: Molina gets it one-off the ruck, bumping off defenders and carrying two players over the line with him to complete a stunning hat-trick and seal the bonus point. Donaldson converts. (Force 42–19)

Full-time: Western Force 42–19 Queensland Reds

Match report

NRL convert Zac Lomax was expected to make his rugby union debut off the bench, but the former St George Illawarra and Parramatta star was ruled out less than an hour before kick-off due to hamstring tightness.

“Zac trained fully on Thursday but only got up to 80 per cent speed,” Force head coach Simon Cron explained. “He was just a bit tight in his hamstring. Maybe got a very minor strain in there. Because he’s a power athlete who, if we put him away down the edge, he’s going to sprint, it’s just too high a risk for him and for us.”

Lomax, who signed a two-year deal with Rugby Australia with the 2027 home World Cup the obvious carrot, will now target his debut against the Fijian Drua in Lautoka next weekend.

In the absence of injured captain Jeremy Williams, Argentina international Molina stepped up with a performance that drew gasps from commentators. “What have we just witnessed from the second rower?” Tim Horan said on Stan Sport after Molina completed his hat-trick.

The Pumas lock opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a smart snipe around the ruck. Brandon Paenga-Amosa wound up close to the line, with Jack Daly hammering away just short before Molina caught the defence napping, dotting down beside the posts for a converted try.

His second came just past the half-hour mark after a 50-22 kick put the Force in prime position. Molina burrowed low through multiple pick-and-goes, with Daly having another dig before Molina muscled his way over with help from his fellow forwards.

His third was the most emphatic. With the clock red and a bonus point at stake, Molina got it one-off the ruck, bumping off defenders and carrying two players over the line with him to complete a stellar performance. Beyond his tries, Molina was influential in several clutch lineout plays, including a crucial steal inside his own 22 when the Reds were threatening in the second half.

The Force had started brightly, with Darby Lancaster making a brilliant catch from Henry Robertson’s box kick before breaking the line. Fraser McReight’s work at the breakdown won a penalty to relieve pressure, but the visitors maintained their stranglehold on territory.

The Reds responded well to Molina’s opener through a beautifully worked set-piece move. Joe Brial secured the lineout cleanly and Seru Uru shifted the ball right, finding Hunter Paisami to dig into the defensive line. Paisami then popped a lovely ball out the back after sucking in defenders, sending replacement Tim Ryan through a massive gap to score under the sticks.

When the Force collapsed at scrum time, halfback Kalani Thomas showed quick thinking by tapping immediately. He stepped past two defenders before firing a great ball to Brial, who barged over to give Queensland a 12–7 lead after 24 minutes.

But the Force regained control through Molina’s second try and then struck a hammer blow right on half-time. A brilliant counter sparked by Dylan Pietsch saw him make a damaging run beyond halfway. The ball went left as Mac Grealy spotted space, firing it to stand-in captain Nick Champion de Crespigny on the wing. Champion de Crespigny strode away with no one around him, drew the fullback, and linked with Grealy on the inside, who strolled in to score down the left flank.

The Force headed into the sheds with a 21–12 lead — and crucially, they had finally converted a halftime advantage into victory after four losses this season despite leading at the break.

The Reds came out firing after the interval, with Paisami making an early break following Harry Wilson’s decoy line. But the Force’s scramble defence held firm, and they soon took complete control.

Ben Donaldson produced a moment of magic to extend the lead. With advantage being played, he stabbed a perfectly weighted cross-kick to the right wing. Lancaster flew high above Jock Campbell in the contest, taking a clean catch to score in the corner. The winger landed awkwardly, rolling his ankle badly, and limped off to be replaced by Kurtley Beale — one of several casualties on a brutal night.

When Reds captain Wilson was sent to the sin bin for head-on-head contact with Molina, the Force capitalised immediately. They won the lineout and charged around the corner, with Harry Johnson-Holmes getting close before Paenga-Amosa went at pace, shrugged off a defender, and dotted down beside the posts to extend the lead to 35–12.

“We spoke about it all week, sticking to our process,” Champion de Crespigny said afterwards. “We’ve been in a lot of games and haven’t been able to seal it out. Key moments letting them back in. We wanted today to have the complete performance.”

Josh Flook sparked an 80-metre counter-attack in the 76th minute, receiving a brilliant short ball from Wilson on the right wing and breaking clean through. Flook drew the fullback and fired to Filipo Daugunu, who had the gas to streak away and score in the corner. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips converted from the sideline, and the try threatened to deny the Force their bonus point.

But Molina had the final say. The Force won a scrum in the Reds 22 and attacked with intent as the siren sounded. Nic Dolly and Beale had cracks before Molina got it one-off the ruck and powered his way over for his hat-trick.

“It keeps our fire going inside of us,” Champion de Crespigny said of the result. “We’ve got that belief of where we want to go. We want to be the first team from the Force to be in the finals. That’s our objective.”

While Molina grabbed the headlines, flyhalf Donaldson was outstanding in his battle against Wallabies rival Carter Gordon. He finished with a perfect six-from-six off the tee, ran incisive lines, and kicked potently both in-play and at goal.

“Thursday I thought was his best training of the year,” Cron said of Donaldson. “Vocal. Flattening up. Taking on the line. He did that tonight again which was awesome for the team.”

The Force’s stats told the story: 42 defenders beaten to Queensland’s 17, 514 metres gained, and 180 carries compared to the Reds’ 94.

Both sides suffered casualties. Teenage Reds winger Treyvon Pritchard, earning his first start on his 19th birthday, lasted less than 10 minutes after failing his Head Injury Assessment following a cover tackle that helped stall a Force attack. Force prop Tom Robertson followed soon after when he was caught out of position tackling Tim Ryan, appearing to be knocked out after collecting Ryan’s elbow to the head.

For the Force, both starting wingers failed to finish — Pietsch limped off with a foot injury at half-time (described as precautionary), while Lancaster’s ankle injury from his spectacular try finish left him on crutches at full-time.

“It’s tough. I’m feeling flat. We were off tonight,” Reds captain Fraser McReight said. “At times, we were not clinical or accurate enough. Our discipline let us down and, at times, we were not up to scratch with our physicality. We’ll come back in at the start of next week, we’ll figure out what went wrong and get back into it.”

Reds coach Les Kiss — the Wallabies boss-in-waiting — acknowledged the challenge ahead. “Credit to the Force. They held the ball well and they punished our error rate. We’ll assess that game as hard as we always do. It’s not a throwaway line… we find out about ourselves in moments like this and we will go hard at our next challenge against the Crusaders.”

Cron praised Champion de Crespigny’s leadership: “We lost two Wallabies before this game in Carlo (Tizzano) and Jeremy who couldn’t play. Tom Robertson goes down 13 minutes into it, then Pietschy goes off, Darby goes off. Crep just led them all the way without any fault.”

He was also glowing about former Reds fullback Grealy’s display against his old side: “He played brilliantly tonight. He’s one of the players in our group who’s a bit of a lifeblood. He’s a funny man, or thinks he is. As you saw tonight, he’s talented.”

What’s next

The Reds host the Crusaders at Suncorp Stadium next Saturday in one of the biggest games of the season. The Force will remain in Brisbane before flying to Fiji to face the Drua in Lautoka.

Teams

Reds: 15 Jock Campbell, 14 Filipo Daugunu, 13 Josh Flook, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Treyvon Pritchard, 10 Carter Gordon, 9 Kalani Thomas, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Fraser McReight (c), 6 Joe Brial, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Seru Uru, 3 Nick Bloomfield, 2 Josh Nasser, 1 Aidan Ross.
Replacements: 16 Matt Faessler, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Hamish Muller, 20 Vaiuta Latu, 21 Louis Werchon, 22 Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, 23 Tim Ryan.

Force: 15 Mac Grealy, 14 Dylan Pietsch, 13 George Bridge, 12 Bayley Kuenzle, 11 Darby Lancaster, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Henry Robertson, 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi, 7 Jack Daly, 6 Nick Champion de Crespigny (c), 5 Darcy Swain, 4 Franco Molina, 3 Misinale Epenisa, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Tom Robertson.
Replacements: 16 Nic Dolly, 17 Sef Fa’agase, 18 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 19 Lopeti Faifua, 20 Will Harris, 21 Agustin Moyano, 22 Kurtley Beale, 23 Hamish Stewart.

Match details

Western Force 42 (Tries: Molina 3, Grealy, Lancaster, Paenga-Amosa; Conversions: Donaldson 6/6)
Queensland Reds 19 (Tries: Ryan, Brial, Daugunu; Conversions: Campbell 1/2, McLaughlin-Phillips 1/1)
Half-time: 21–12
Yellow card: Harry Wilson (Reds, 54′)

Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
Assistant referees: Todd Petrie, Warwick Lahmert
TMO: Richard Kelly

Teams

Reds: 15 Jock Campbell, 14 Filipo Daugunu, 13 Josh Flook, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Treyvon Pritchard, 10 Carter Gordon, 9 Kalani Thomas, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Fraser McReight (c), 6 Joe Brial, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Seru Uru, 3 Nick Bloomfield, 2 Josh Nasser, 1 Aidan Ross.
Replacements: 16 Matt Faessler, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Hamish Muller, 20 Vaiuta Latu, 21 Louis Werchon, 22 Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, 23 Tim Ryan.

Force: 15 Mac Grealy, 14 Dylan Pietsch, 13 George Bridge, 12 Bayley Kuenzle, 11 Darby Lancaster, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Henry Robertson, 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi, 7 Jack Daly, 6 Nick Champion de Crespigny (c), 5 Darcy Swain, 4 Franco Molina, 3 Misinale Epenisa, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Tom Robertson.
Replacements: 16 Nic Dolly, 17 Sef Fa’agase, 18 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 19 Lopeti Faifua, 20 Will Harris, 21 Agustin Moyano, 22 Kurtley Beale, 23 Hamish Stewart.

Match details

Western Force 42 (Tries: Molina 3, Grealy, Lancaster, Paenga-Amosa; Conversions: Donaldson 6/6)
Queensland Reds 19 (Tries: Ryan, Brial, Daugunu; Conversions: Campbell 1/2, McLaughlin-Phillips 1/1)
Half-time: 21–12
Yellow card: Harry Wilson (Reds, 54′)

Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)

Quinn Tupaea and Kyren Taumoefolau each scored twice as the Chiefs cruised to a 42–14 bonus-point victory over the NSW Waratahs in Hamilton, leaping into third place on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder.

The result extends the Waratahs’ dismal record across the Tasman — they have now lost 11 consecutive matches in New Zealand and haven’t won in Hamilton since 2014, the year they claimed their only title.

Key moments

8 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Xavier Roe stabs a kick in behind after a dominant scrum and Sid Harvey fails to scoop it up, allowing Kyren Taumoefolau to pounce on the loose ball. Josh Jacomb misses the conversion. (Chiefs 5–0)

15 mins – PENALTY CHIEFS: Jacomb slots a penalty from in front after Charlie Gamble is pinged at the breakdown. (Chiefs 8–0)

27 mins – TRY CHIEFS: The Chiefs hammer away from close range, rolling through multiple phases before Samisoni Taukei’aho burrows over from a Roe pop pass. Jacomb misses the conversion. (Chiefs 13–0)

31 mins – TRY WARATAHS: The Waratahs stay patient on the right before swinging it through the hands. Max Jorgensen fires a pass wide to find Sid Harvey unmarked on the left wing. Harvey converts his own try. (Chiefs 13–7)

37 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Quinn Tupaea creates the opportunity with a classy break before finding the space close to the line several phases later. He dives over to the right of the posts. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 20–7)

40 mins – PENALTY CHIEFS: Jacomb caps off a dominant first half with another three-pointer after Harvey is isolated at ruck-time. (Chiefs 23–7)

Half-time: Chiefs 23–7. A comfortable lead at the break for the Chiefs, who have dominated territory and possession. Their scrum has proved a key weapon, while Kaylum Boshier, Quinn Tupaea and Kyren Taumoefolau have all looked dangerous with ball in hand.

46 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Roe makes the initial break before spellbinding play from Jacomb sets up Tupaea for his second. The centre shows great strength to shed defenders and crash over. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 30–7)

59 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Tupou Vaa’i holds up a pass to send Ollie Norris charging through a hole, and the loosehead bursts into the 22. He pops it off the deck to Samipeni Finau, who crashes over. Jacomb converts. (Chiefs 37–7)

69 mins – TRY WARATAHS: Strong carries from Folau Fainga’a set the platform before Jake Gordon finds Pete Samu, who strolls over from close range. Harvey converts. (Chiefs 37–14)

76 mins – TRY CHIEFS: Taumoefolau flies out of the line and crunches Triston Reilly, forcing the turnover. He gathers the loose ball and races 60 metres untouched to seal the bonus point. Jacomb misses. (Chiefs 42–14)

Full-time: Chiefs 42–14

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After snapping an eight-match losing streak against the ACT Brumbies in Canberra last week, the Waratahs travelled to Waikato chasing another hoodoo-busting win to regain a place in the competition’s top six. Instead, Dan McKellar’s men were never truly in the contest after heading to the sheds trailing 23–7 at the break.

“The first half there’s a lot of times where we gave ourselves opportunities, and just a few dropped balls, a bit of skill execution, when we need to finish off against the Chiefs,” said rueful skipper Matt Philip. “They don’t give you that many opportunities and we played a lot of rugby in our end and we couldn’t win that physical battle.”

Hamilton presents one of the toughest challenges in Super Rugby for visiting teams. The Waratahs are greeted by an ultra-physical pack and incessant cow bells from the crowd — and it relentlessly shines a spotlight on errors.

In his first start since round two, Taumoefolau reminded everyone of his star power from his time with Moana Pasifika last year. Injuries to Damian McKenzie (concussion) and Etene Nanai-Seturo (foot) gave the 22-year-old the opportunity to start on the left wing, and he made the most of it.

His first try came in the eighth minute when Waratahs fullback Sid Harvey — a goalkicking hero in last week’s 30–28 win over the Brumbies — was unable to clean up a probing Xavier Roe grubber kick. Taumoefolau was quickest to react, pouncing on the loose ball to open the scoring.

His second was even more emphatic. In the 76th minute, Taumoefolau flew out of the defensive line and crunched centre Triston Reilly, forcing the turnover. He gathered the loose ball and raced 60 metres untouched to put the icing on the cake.

It was a scrappy start from both sides, with errors creeping into the early exchanges. But a simple knock-on from Waratahs playmaker Jack Debreczeni opened the door for the first try. From the ensuing scrum, Kaylum Boshier broke through and sent Roe into space, with Roe kicking ahead for Taumoefolau to score.

A Jacomb penalty extended the lead to 8–0, and the Chiefs continued to apply pressure. The Waratahs’ defence held firm initially — Max Jorgensen produced a brilliant trysaver on Emoni Narawa, sprinting from the midfield to tackle the winger, while Roe was held up over the line after a sustained attacking spell.

But the dam eventually broke. After a 13-phase build-up, bulldozing hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho crashed over from close range. The Chiefs’ patience in building phases — rather than flinging the ball wide — was paying dividends.

After being starved of possession, the Waratahs finally worked their way into Chiefs territory for the first time since the opening exchanges. Two infringements by the hosts allowed a rare foray into the danger zone, and winger Jorgensen flung a massive 20-metre pass to his left flank where fullback Harvey was in a heap of space to slide over for his first career try. Harvey followed it with a tricky conversion from the left sideline.

But just as the Waratahs looked to be building momentum heading into the break, the Chiefs struck again. Leroy Carter gave a deft pass for Tupaea to go clean through, and the power-packed centre smashed Harvey to pieces before burrowing over a few rucks later to put the lead back in double digits.

Then right on the stroke of halftime, a dropped high ball from Harvey allowed Josh Lord to show off his kicking skills. Tupou Vaa’i got over the top to win a penalty in front of the sticks, sending the Chiefs to the sheds up 23–7.

The Chiefs endured an untidy start to the second half and had Narawa leave the action with a leg injury — which gave former Hurricane Daniel Sinkinson his Chiefs debut off the bench. But it was another scrum penalty which quickly turned the tide.

Another patient build-up ensued and off a nice ball from Jacomb, Tupaea cut back on the inside to brush away Andrew Kellaway and then carry centre Reilly over the line for his double in the 46th minute.

Then came the moment of the match. Finau produced a crunching hit on Waratahs prop Siosifa Amone — reminiscent of the monster tackles he had made a habit of putting on Aussie flyhalves in recent years — which led to a turnover. The bruising blindside was later rewarded when Vaa’i held up a nice pass for Ollie Norris to make a good burst and offload for Finau to charge 10 metres and over the chalk.

Pete Samu hit back for the Waratahs after a charging run from replacement tighthead Amone, but by then the result was beyond doubt.

While Taumoefolau grabbed the headlines with his brace, the Chiefs’ All Blacks contingent laid the platform. Tupaea was influential throughout, demonstrating why he is leading the votes for Super Rugby player of the year. Fellow national rep Carter made a fine fist of centre in just his second run there, with all his pace proving particularly pivotal on defence.

Finau was outstanding on both sides of the ball, while flyhalf Jacomb steered the side more than ably in McKenzie’s absence — even if he had an off night with the boot, missing three conversions.

The Chiefs’ scrum dominance told the story. They blew away the Waratahs at set-piece time, which laid the platform in a big way. The stats backed it up: 358 post-contact metres to 215, and 135 ball carries to 86.

“We can’t have the Chiefs, who are such a good attacking side, living in our 22. We’re going to let up points eventually,” Philip said.

“Look, when we play our game and execute our roles, we do some good things. We saw that last week in Canberra. But unfortunately we couldn’t take the momentum and we dropped off a bit tonight and weren’t good enough, so we’ll be reviewing that hard into the bye this week.

“We’re going to still look at those 80-minute performances, the last passes, and a little bit about discipline as well.”

The Chiefs are back in action next Saturday when they face Moana Pasifika in Rotorua, while the Waratahs have the bye before returning with a home game against Moana Pasifika.

Teams

Chiefs: 15 Liam Coombes-Fabling, 14 Emoni Narawa, 13 Leroy Carter, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Kyren Taumoefolau, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Xavier Roe, 8 Kaylum Boshier, 7 Luke Jacobson (c), 6 Samipeni Finau, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Josh Lord, 3 Reuben O’Neill, 2 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1 Ollie Norris.
Replacements: 16 Brodie McAlister, 17 Jared Proffit, 18 George Dyer, 19 Seuseu Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20 Simon Parker, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Kyle Brown, 23 Daniel Sinkinson.

Waratahs: 15 Sid Harvey, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Triston Reilly, 12 Joey Walton, 11 Max Jorgensen, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Teddy Wilson, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Charlie Gamble, 6 Clem Halaholo, 5 Miles Amatosero, 4 Matt Philip (c), 3 Dan Botha, 2 Ethan Dobbins, 1 Tom Lambert.
Replacements: 16 Folau Fainga’a, 17 Jack Barrett, 18 Siosifa Amone, 19 Angus Blyth, 20 Jamie Adamson, 21 Jake Gordon, 22 Jack Bowen, 23 George Poolman.

Match details

Chiefs 42 (Tries: Tupaea 2, Taumoefolau 2, Taukei’aho, Finau; Conversions: Jacomb 3/6; Penalties: Jacomb 2/2)
Waratahs 14 (Tries: Harvey, Samu; Conversions: Harvey 2/2)
Half-time: 23–7

Venue: FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Attendance: 11,475
Referee: James Doleman (NZ)
Assistant referees: Marcus Playle, Fraser Hannon
TMO: Glenn Newman