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Aug 4 (Reuters) - The Waikato Chiefs powered to their first
ever Super Rugby title on Saturday with a sparkling 37-6 win
over the travel-weary Sharks in Hamilton.
The Chiefs lived up to their billing as the most
entertaining side in this season's championship and also
outshone the hardworking South African forwards to bury memories
of their final humiliation to the Bulls three years ago.
The Chiefs made light of difficult conditions at Waikato
Stadium and led through tries by Tim Nanai-Williams, Kane
Thompson and Lelia Masaga before Sonny Bill Williams marked his
farewell appearance with his side's fourth and final effort.
The Chiefs become the sixth winners in 17 seasons of Super
Rugby competition, while the Sharks simply looked drained by a
third straight playoff away from home and have now lost all four
of their final appearances.
The Sharks shocked the Queensland Reds in a playoff and
overcame the Stormers, who led the regular-season rankings, in
the semi-finals but managed only a pair of penalties on Saturday
from France fly-half Frederic Michalak.
"The boys were getting up in their faces," Chiefs captain
Craig Clarke said. “We've got a heap of pride in our defence. We
talked about not giving over and keeping them to no tries. “This
is awesome."
The South Africans trailed 13-3 at the interval and had been
the best second-half team in the competition going into the
final but unravelled as they chased the game as the Chiefs ran
the ball back and kicked intelligently.
"“The Chiefs were outstanding tonight," Sharks captain
Keegan Daniel said. "“They were outstanding all season."
After the ignominy of being on the wrong end of the most
one-side Super Rugby final when they lost 61-17 to the Bulls in
2009, the Chiefs can now brag of matching fellow New Zealand
franchises the Canterbury Crusaders and the Auckland Blues as
champions.
The Bulls, the ACT Brumbies and the Queensland Reds are the
other former winners.
The Chiefs made clear their intentions from the start,
spurning the chance to call the mark in the opening minute and
running the ball instead.
Although Michalak put the Sharks 3-0 ahead with a penalty
for offside after Ryan Kankowski stole a lineout, the home side
forced an attacking turnover by sheer weight of numbers.
That galvanised the Chiefs and Aaron Cruden set in motion
the move for the opening try with a chipped kick that Sharks
forward Pat Lambie spilled.
Referee Steve Walsh played advantage for the knock on and a
line break from Williams, in his last match before moving to
Japan, helped create an opening on the left for Nanai-Williams
to power through from a pass by Andrew Horrell.
Cruden, the leading scorer in this year's championship,
added the conversion and made it 10-3 from a penalty out wide as
the Sharks suddenly looked vulnerable.
Cruden kicked for 13-3 after Walsh reversed a penalty,
whistling Jannie du Plessis for a smack on Mahonri Schwalger
after initially calling the Chiefs hooker for a forearm
challenge.
There was no let up in the second half as Thompson picked up
and shunted through a gaping hole in the defence to touch down
next to the posts. Cruden converted for 20-3 and the Sharks were
staring at defeat.
Michalak kicked three points from a rare attacking penalty
but Williams stopped an attempted Sharks breakaway and
replacement back Masaga jinked one way and then the other to
beat two men and race in for another try.
Williams then sent the home fans into raptures, diving over
for a 76th-minute try and leaping chest first into the crowd to
celebrate.
Cruden's conversion took him to 17 points for the match and
251 for the season, second only to Morne Steyn's 2010 record of
263.
(Reporting by Stuart Condie; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)