Waikato Chiefs Dominate Queensland Reds to Secure Semi-Final Berth

The Waikato Chiefs secured a spot in the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals with a dominant 43-21 win over the Queensland Reds. The Chiefs set the tone early, scoring 28 points within 24 minutes. Despite a fightback from the Reds, the Chiefs' power and precision ensured a comprehensive victory.

The Waikato Chiefs rode a hot start to a comprehensive 43-21 victory over the Queensland Reds in Hamilton on Friday to reach the semi-finals of Super Rugby Pacific for the third straight year and lay down a marker for their title rivals.

A close contest had been expected in a quarter-final between the fourth and fifth best teams in the regular season but the Chiefs made a mockery of those predictions, bullying the Reds at the breakdown and punishing them with backline width. Twice champions and runners-up last year, the Chiefs had the cowbells ringing early at Waikato Stadium as they tore into the visitors and went 28-0 up inside 24 minutes on the back of four converted tries.

Hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho crossed twice and wingers Emoni Narawa and Etene Nanai Seturo also grabbed tries as the shellshocked Reds struggled with the muscular home pack and the power of the backs. Flyhalf Damian McKenzie converted all four tries with unerring accuracy and added a penalty just before the break to send the Chiefs back to the dressing room with a 31-0 lead.

The Reds, who had arrived in Hamilton looking to become the first Australian side to win a playoff in New Zealand in 28 years of Super Rugby, finally got on the board when Tate McDermott went over in the corner in the 44th minute. The Wallabies halfback crossed again 10 minutes later but a subtle McKenzie pass had already put centre Anton Lienert-Brown in for a fifth Chiefs try and the deficit now stood at 38-14.

The task got tougher for the Reds when centre Hunter Paisami was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on in the 63rd minute and replacement Chiefs hooker Bradley Slater went over on the back of a rolling maul from the resulting penalty. Replacement flyhalf Lawson Creighton scored a third try for the Reds six minutes from time but it was little more than a consolation by that stage.

"I think we're priming at the right time, we're starting to peak," said Chiefs captain Luke Jacobson. "You don't need to do it during the season, it matters in the finals." Reds co-captain Liam Wright said the early try blitz had put the game beyond the visitors.

"The Chiefs came out at us really strong and got away from us a bit," he said. "We fought back at the end but too little, too late." The other three quarter-finals take place on Saturday with the Wellington Hurricanes hosting the Melbourne Rebels, the Auckland Blues welcoming Fijian Drua to Eden Park and the ACT Brumbies taking on the Otago Highlanders in Canberra.