Category: Rugby

World Rugby have announced that the Stade Delort in Marseille, France will be the venue for the Rugby World Cup 2019 repechage tournament.

Four teams will compete in the round-robin format event to be played across three match days on Sunday 11 November, Saturday 17 November and Friday 23 November, 2018.

The repechage tournament is a new concept for Rugby World Cup (RWC) qualification and represents the last opportunity for a team to qualify for Japan 2019 with four nations fighting it out to secure the 20th and final place at the Rugby World Cup.

Last weekend Hong Kong confirmed their place in the repechage with a convincing 77-3 aggregate victory over the Cook Islands. They join Canada, who were confirmed in the repechage in February following their defeat to Uruguay in the Americas 2 play-off over two legs.

The third team will be decided when Germany face Samoa in Heidelberg on Saturday. The winner will qualify automatically for RWC 2019 as the play-off winner while the loser will enter the repechage. Samoa head in to the game in a strong position for automatic qualification following their 66-15 victory in the first-leg of the play-off in Apia.

The line-up will be completed on 18 August when the Rugby Africa Gold Cup comes to a conclusion with the champions qualifying directly for Japan 2019, and the runners-up entering the repechage.

The winner of the repechage will slot into Pool B at RWC 2019 alongside defending champions New Zealand, South Africa, Italy and the Africa 1 qualifier.

The Stade Delort in Marseille is a 5,000 capacity venue which has previously hosted rugby and major sports events in France’s second largest city in the Provence region.

The announcement follows hot on the heels of the French Rugby Federation’s successful hosting of the record-breaking World Rugby U20 Championships across three venues in southern France last month and comes ahead of France’s hosting of Rugby World Cup 2023.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “The repechage tournament is going to be a very hotly-contested event with the ultimate prize of a place at the Rugby World Cup at stake.

“Marseille can look forward to three match days of thrilling rugby between nations from four different continents.

“Following the outstanding success of the recent World Rugby U20 Championship in southern France, we are delighted to partner with the French Rugby Federation again to deliver this important tournament as France continues to advance its preparations for hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2023.”

French Rugby Federation (FFR) President Bernard Laporte said: “I am delighted that France will be hosting the repechage tournament for Rugby World Cup 2019.

“It’s a very important event because four teams will compete in Marseille to get the last spot for the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

“By hosting this tournament, the FFR reinforces it’s commitment to help developing rugby worldwide. It’s also a pretty glimpse to the Rugby World Cup 2023. I wish to thank SMUC Rugby who partners with the FFR for the success of such an event.”

With thanks to World Rugby

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Springbok lock RG Snyman will lead the Bulls when they take on the Lions in their final Super Rugby clash of the season in Johannesburg.

Bulls boss John Mitchell has named Snyman as captain as a number of injuries hampered selection, ruling out regular captain Burger Odendaal and stand-in, Handre Pollard.

Winger Travis Ismaiel is fit again and return to the team though, with Divan Rossouw moving to the bench.

Mitchell has also tweaked the pack following their win over the Jaguares last weekend, with Jannes Kirsten moving to lock and Thembelani Bholi coming in at flank. Ruben van Heerden drops out of the matchday squad.

Meanwhile, Manie Libbok and Ivan van Zyl will form the halfback combination. Three youngsters are set to be blooded in the competition as Johan Grobbelaar (hooker), Ruan Nortje (lock) and Boeta Hamman (flyhalf) are all included on the bench and could make their tournament and Bulls debuts should they take to the field.

Finally, Mitchell challenged the squad to deliver one more performance to be proud of in this Jukskei derby.

“I asked the team for an extraordinary performance to close the season out. The other option is to just settle for an easy way to end the season, but that is not who we are as a team,” he said.

Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Johnny Kotze, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 RG Snyman (c), 4 Jannes Kirsten, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Matthys Basson, 18 Mornay Smit, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Nick de Jager, 21 5 Embrose Papier, 22 Boeta Hamman, 23 Divan Rossouw

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15:05 local (14:05 BST, 13:05 GMT)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Referees: AJ Jacobs, Stephan Geldenhuys
TMO: Christie du Preez

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With the regular Super Rugby season in its final round, we take a look at the best bets from three key games which take place on Saturday.

Highlanders v Rebels

Melbourne Rebels know they can wrap up their progression to the play-offs with victory over a much-changed Highlanders outfit this weekend. The Dunedin side have decided to rest the likes of Ben Smith, Aaron Smith, Luke Whitelock, Elliot Dixon, Ash Dixon and Rob Thompson, which will have given the Rebels extra belief they can deprive the Sharks and Brumbies of the final spot in the qualifiers. It could well happen.

The Rebels look the stronger side on paper and with so much more to play for the 74/17 odds with Sportpesa to win seems a decent bet while BetVictor has them at 8/1 to win this on the half-time/full-time. Alternatively the safety net of the 12 point handicap is superb at 10/11.

Waratahs v Brumbies

Over in Sydney a few hours after the above game the Waratahs and Brumbies face off in a derby that could see the former secure home comforts for a possible semi-final. Currently they are three points ahead of the chasing Lions, who play host to the Bulls in Johannesburg later on.

The ‘Tahs are heavy 9/20 favourites with Marathon Bet while the Brumbies, who have slim hopes of making the play-offs are 41/20 with UniBet. On the try market Taqele Naiyaravaro has been in great form and is 9/1 with Bet365 to cross first, as is Israel Folau. What also intrigues us is what happens if the Brumbies know their fate is sealed by the Rebels, which is why the ‘Tahs by 15 or more at 11/5 with Bet Stars is tempting.

Sharks v Jaguares

Last up on Saturday is the game in Durban where the Sharks will hope the Highlanders did them a favour earlier in the day to give them a chance of sneaking through. They are 1/2 with Betway to beat a much-changed Jaguares side, who are 5/2 with SpreadEx to claim the victory.

It’s hard to look past the Sharks here as the Jaguares have little to play for ahead of next week’s game so the half-time/full-time option at 15/13 with 10Bet is tempting. They won’t need to win by any kind of margin so the Sharks by 1-12 points at 2/1 with the likes of Coral and Ladbrokes looks a decent punt. However, should you fancy the Sharks to run away with things at Kings Park, 13 or more is 19/10 with Betway.

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World Rugby have named the match official appointments for this year’s Rugby Championship which starts at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on August 18.

Eighteen match officials and six TMOs from across seven unions will take charge of the twelve matches and Bledisloe Cup in the coming months.

The competition runs between August and October and kicks off with Jaco Peyper officiating the opening game when Australia host current title holders New Zealand in Sydney.

With just over one year to go until Rugby World Cup 2019, the Rugby Championship will play a fundamental role in continued development and assessment of elite match officials.

View the full match official appointment list here

World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee Chairman Anthony Buchanan said: “With the Rugby World Cup on the horizon, we are striving to ensure that, once again, we have a top-class group of experienced officials ready to perform at the highest level in Japan 2019.

“The Rugby Championship is an exciting tournament that brings with it a suitable environment for reviewing match official performances as they officiate high pressure and intense Test rugby matches.

“An experienced group of match officials and TMOs have been appointed for this year’s Championship with the focus on clear and consistent decision-making from officials as teams compete for the coveted Rugby Championship title.”

The match official appointment process identifies and rewards the top performing match officials. All match official performances are closely reviewed to ensure clear and consistent decision-making from match officials.

World Rugby also holds regular consultations with team coaches, with feedback taken into consideration as part of selection appointments.

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The Lions will be looking to secure a home play-off when they meet local rivals the Bulls in a Super Rugby derby at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Lions, who will be fresh coming off a bye week, have won the last three encounters between the sides. They must win or hope the Jaguares lose or draw at the Sharks, with the Argentine side three points behind the Lions and breathing down their neck.

In fact, the Lions have the Bulls to thank for beating the Jaguares last weekend and preventing them from rising to the summit of the South African Conference while the Lions were taking a break.

The Bulls have won 33 percent of games against all opposition in total this season but have fared much better against those in their conference, boasting a 75 percent win record against South African opposition and seem to rise to the occasion of a local derby with relish.

Handre Pollard will be a big miss, however, with a lot of responsibility placed on Manie Libbok’s shoulders but at least Travis Ismaiel has returned from injury to take up his position on the right wing.

Meanwhile, surprisingly Aphiwe Dyantyi has been dropped at the benefit of Courtnall Skosan for the Lions, while Nic Groom is preferred over Ross Cronje in the number nine jersey. Dyantyi is the man in possession of the Bok shirt once owned by Skosan so it is an intriguing tweak.

If the Bulls are to thwart the Lions, they will need to nullify their threat at the breakdown. The Lions have won 8.4 turnovers per game this season, more than any other team in the competition.

The Bulls have made the most kicks out of hand per game this season, while the Lions are on the opposite end of the scale. But the Bulls are unlikely to kick as much ball away as they will be wary of a dangerous Lions backline.

The last time the teams met: The Lions got on the scoresheet through tries from Ruan Dreyer, Jacques van Rooyen, Marvin Orie, Malcolm Marx, Sylvian Mahuza, Ross Cronje while Elton Jantjies kicked all six conversions with a flawless performance off the tee in a 49-35 win earlier this year. The Bulls scored through tries from Jonny Kotze, Handre Pollard, Lizo Gqoboka and Travis Ismaiel.

Players to watch:

For Lions: As mentioned above, the Lions are the best pilferers of ball in the competition, effecting 8.4 turnovers per game, the most of any team in the competition and Malcolm Marx has won the most turnovers of anyone in the Lions side. On top of that, he has scored seven tries while he boasts the highest line-out throwing percentage in the competition (89 percent).

For Bulls: In the absence of regular inside centre and captain Burger Odendaal, Jonny Kotze has come off the wing to do a wonderful job at 12 for the men from Pretoria. He has a low centre of gravity and hits the line hard, which makes him difficult to bring down. Kotze also has that ability to create space for his team-mates with a clever pass or offload.

Team news: The Lions have been boosted by the return from injury of wing Courtnall Skosan.

Skosan plays his first match this Super Rugby season and takes the place of Aphiwe Dyantyi, who this week moves to the replacements bench.

Head coach Swys de Bruin has also included Nic Groom at scrum-half while Jacques van Rooyen comes in at loosehead as the Lions look for a victory that would secure top spot in the South African Conference. They could however still finish top if the Jaguares lose at the Sharks.

Meanwhile, Springbok lock RG Snyman will lead the Bulls. Bulls boss John Mitchell has named Snyman as captain as a number of injuries hampered selection, ruling out regular captain Burger Odendaal and deputy Handre Pollard.

Winger Travis Ismaiel is fit again and return to the team though, with Divan Rossouw moving to the bench.

Mitchell has also tweaked the pack following their win over the Jaguares last weekend, with Jannes Kirsten moving to lock and Thembelani Bholi coming in at flank. Ruben van Heerden drops out of the matchday squad.

Meanwhile, Manie Libbok and Ivan van Zyl will form the half-back combination. Three youngsters are set to be blooded in the competition as Johan Grobbelaar (hooker), Ruan Nortje (lock) and Boeta Hamman (fly-half) are all included on the bench and could make their tournament and Bulls debuts should they take to the field.

Finally, Mitchell challenged the squad to deliver one more performance to be proud of in this Jukskei derby.

“I asked the team for an extraordinary performance to close the season out. The other option is to just settle for an easy way to end the season, but that is not who we are as a team.”

Form: The Lions are on their worst run of form since 2015, having lost four of their previous six, including a 31-24 defeat to the Sharks in their last fixture a fortnight ago.

Meanwhile, the Bulls had lost their last three against the Jaguares, Brumbies and Sunwolves before avenging that defeat to the Argentine side with a 43-34 victory last weekend in Pretoria.

Prediction: The hosts to send off their faithful on a positive note. Lions by 10.

Previous results:

2018: Lions won 49-35 in Pretoria
2017: Lions won 51-14 in Johannesburg
2016: Lions won 56-20 in Pretoria
2015: Bulls won 35-33 in Pretoria
2015: Lions won 22-18 in Johannesburg
2014: Lions won 32-21 in Johannesburg
2014: Bulls won 25-17 in Pretoria
2012: Bulls won 32-18 in Johannesburg

The teams:

Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Warren Whiteley (c), 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen
Replacements: 16 Corne Fourie, 17 Johannes Jonker, 18 Jacobie Adriaanse, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Marnus Schoeman/Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Ross Cronjé, 22 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 23 Howard Mnisi/Shaun Reynolds

Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Johnny Kotze, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 RG Snyman (c), 4 Jannes Kirsten, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Matthys Basson, 18 Mornay Smit, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Nick de Jager, 21 5 Embrose Papier, 22 Boeta Hamman, 23 Divan Rossouw

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15:05 local (14:05 BST, 13:05 GMT)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Referees: AJ Jacobs, Stephan Geldenhuys
TMO: Christie du Preez

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It’s must win for the Sharks when they host a much-changed Jaguares side in their Super Rugby fixture at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.

With just one spot available in the play-offs, the Sharks must beat the Argentines and hope the Rebels lose at the Highlanders. There is a scenario that the Sharks could still progress if the Rebels take one bonus-point from the game as they’d have a better points differential.

All the mathematical headaches, however, will not concern the Sharks as they know the job at hand, which they should be able to accomplish.

This is a Jaguares side clearly preparing for next weekend as they have already booked their place in the knockouts thanks to a superb run. Granted that came to an end last week in Pretoria but to make the play-offs is a remarkable achievement. Many an opposition will fear them.

What is also in the hosts’ favour is that each of the Sharks’ last seven matches has been won by the home team on the day, with the Durban side picking up four home wins in that time. Although they lost in Buenos Aires, expect them to prevail in Durban. But will it be in vain?

All eyes will be on Dunedin on Saturday morning South African time, with Robert du Preez’s men hoping a second-string Highlanders side can do them a favour before the action kicks off in Durban.

The last time the teams met: The Jaguares claimed their first ever win over the Sharks in May this year as they prevailed 29-13 in Buenos Aires. A hat-trick from Ramiro Moyano and one from Bautista Delguy helped the Argentines to a bonus-point win, with Ruan Botha replying for the Sharks.

Players to watch:

For Sharks: The Sharks will need to press themselves on their opponents up front where Tendai Mtawarira, Thomas du Toit and Akker van der Merwe need to show their class. However, it’s the game management that we feel the hosts must capitalise on especially against an inexperienced Jaguares fly-half. Robert du Preez is therefore charged with getting on top in the playmaking department which he will be confident of doing.

For Jaguares: Rare game time will be relished by several Jaguares players on Saturday, one of which is Julian Montoya. So often playing second fiddle to Agustin Creevy, Montoya will be eager to impress so expect a busy hour of work before Creevy appears. Elsewhere keep an eye on Ramiro Moyano, who proved a handful in the reverse fixture earlier this year.

Team news: Sharks head coach Robert du Preez has largely stuck with last week’s side in naming his team for Saturday.

That this is a must-win match, a knock-out or final if you will, cannot be more emphasised and the team know only too well the importance riding on the outcome of the match.

As expected, Beast Mtawarira returns in place of Juan Schoeman after having his workload reduced last week, while Kobus van Wyk replaces the injured Sbu Nkosi on the wing.

The good news is that Daniel du Preez has been cleared to play and takes his place at number eight.

Meanwhile, the Jaguares have made wholesale changes to their starting line-up for their final regular-season game of the campaign.

With a play-off spot already secured, head coach Mario Ledesma has rung the changes in order to rest his first-team ahead of next weekend.

Up front there is a new front-row as Javier Diaz, Santiago Medrano and Julian Montoya come in while second-row Tomas Lavanini, flank Marcos Kremer and number eight Juan Manuel Leguizamón are the other new faces in the pack.

The backline is also freshened up as Martin Landajo and Joaquín Díaz Bonilla are the half-backs, Bautista Ezcurra comes in at 12 while Sebastian Cancelliere is on the left wing, with Ramiro Moyano moving to full-back.

Form: The Sharks have been inconsistent throughout this season with their record of six wins, a draw and eight defeats meaning their hopes of knockout rugby come down to the final day. Of late they have won, lost, won, lost, won, lost and will hope that pattern continues on Saturday.

The Jaguares meanwhile had their seven-game winning streak ended last week at the hands of the Bulls at Loftus. That run of form however has secured them a play-off spot which is remarkable considering their early-season form.

Prediction: Against a much-changed Jaguares side it’s hard not to lean towards the hosts. Sharks by 15.

Previous results:

2018: Jaguares won 29-13 in Buenos Aires
2017: Sharks won 33-25 in Buenos Aires
2017: Sharks won 18-13 in Durban
2016: Sharks won 25-22 in Buenos Aires
2016: Sharks won 19-15 in Durban

The teams:

Sharks: 15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Philip van der Walt, 5 Ruan Botha (c), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Wian Vosloo, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Makazole Mapimpi

Jaguares: 15 Ramiro Moyano, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 11 Sebastian Cancelliere, 10 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 9 Martin Landajo, 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera (c), 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Matias Alemanno, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Javier Diaz
Replacements: 16 Agustin Creevy, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, 19 Guido Petti, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Gonzalo Bertranou, 22 Nicolas Sanchez, 23 Emiliano Boffelli

Date: Saturday, July 14
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17:15 local (16:15 BST, 15:15 GMT)
Referee: Rasta Rasivhenge
Assistant Referees: Egon Seconds, Archie Sehlako
TMO: Willie Vos

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Exeter Chiefs wing Alex Cuthbert has praised the club’s organisation after joining from Cardiff Blues and is looking to press for honours.

Cuthbert admits he cannot wait to pull on an Exeter jersey for the first time as the countdown to the 2018/19 Premiership season continues apace.

The Lions finisher arrived at Exeter a month earlier than planned due to an injury picked up on Blues duty and has been enjoying his time thus far.

“I came to Exeter pretty much straight after my injury because I knew that was my season over and I just wanted to get down here,” he told Exeter’s website. “I’ve been doing lots of work with the physios to make sure I’m 100 per cent ready for the start of the season.

“I’ve had a bit of a headstart but it doesn’t make things any easier. I know I’ve got a battle to win a place here with the quality of competition from guys like Jack Nowell, Olly Woodburn, James Short and Santiago Cordero.

“That’s exactly the sort of competition you want in a back three and it’s a long old season, so to have the depth and quality is great for the team. I’ll relish that battle and it’s always what brings out the best in me.”

On the prospect of playing in a new league, he added: “I’ve always wanted to play in the Premiership. It’s one of the best leagues going and to have the opportunity of joining one of the best teams in England and Europe now is something I wanted to grab with both hands.

“I’m only 28 and still have a lot to offer. I bring size and speed and I’ve got a lot of power. With the experience I’ve got of playing in a lot of big games, I’m looking to bring that out and win things at the Chiefs. Obviously they are coming right off another good season, they were unlucky not to win the title again last season, but already you can see everyone at the club is determined to get back on top again.”

Cuthbert also revealed that he had to weigh up waiting in Wales in the hope of reaching 50 international caps, but instead decided the time was right to move on, which he is pleased he did.

“Reaching 50 caps was obviously in the back of my mind, but I just needed a change and when the opportunity came up at Exeter it was perfect. They’d been tracking me for a quite a while and I first spoke to Rob Baxter and Ali Hepher a couple of years ago, so if a top club like this is looking at you and they feel you’ve got something to offer, it gives you a lot of confidence,” he continued.

“Tomas Francis is down here already and I’ve spoken to other guys like Damian Welch, Ceri Sweeney and Tom James, all of whom have been at Exeter in the past. They couldn’t speak highly enough of the places it’s ticked every box so far.

“It’s different to what I’ve been used to at Cardiff, it’s a far bigger organisation and the way they go about things is probably on another level, but I’ve settled in well and I know it’s a club that’s pushing for honours.”

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The Chiefs continued with their fine recent form despite a red card for Johnny Faauli, defeating the Hurricanes 28-24 in Hamilton on Friday.

Although both these sides were already assured of a place in the play-offs, the Chiefs needed to beat the Hurricanes by more than 22 points to move above the men from Wellington on the overall table and, in doing so, secure a home quarter-final.

The Chiefs made their intentions known from the outset and raced into a 21-0 at half-time lead thanks to tries from Brodie Retallick, Brad Weber and Solomon Alaimolo.

The Hurricanes fought back to narrow the gap to two points courtesy of tries from Wes Goosen, Blade Thomson and Ben May before Mitchell Karpik sealed the win for the hosts with a 73rd minute five-pointer, although Julian Savea scored a consolation try for the visitors in the game’s closing stages.

Retallick opened the Chiefs account when he barged over from close quarters in the seventh minute after Toni Pulu and Shaun Stevenson set him up with strong runs in the build-up.

Ten minutes later, a Hurricanes attack on the edge of the Chiefs’ 22 went awry when Weber intercepted an inside pass from Beauden Barrett before racing away to score his side’s second try.

Two minutes later, the Hurricanes suffered a further setback when their captain, Brad Shields, was forced off the field with an injury.

The visitors continued to struggle and just before the half-hour mark Anton Lienert-Brown launched an attack down the left-hand touchline before offloading to Stevenson, who threw an inside pass to Alaimolo and he did well to outpace the cover defence on his way over the whitewash.

Marty McKenzie converted all three tries which meant the Chiefs had their tails up as the teams changed sides at the interval.

The Hurricanes put that poor start behind them, however, and showed more urgency on attack in the second-half and were soon rewarded with two tries which meant they were trailing by seven points by the hour-mark.

First, Ben Lam set off on a mazy run from close to the halfway mark before passing to Goosen, who dotted down in the 50th minute. And in the 60th minute, Thomson powered his way over the try-line after the Hurricanes forwards took the ball through six phases in the build-up.

Shortly afterwards, the Chiefs were reduced to 14 men when Fa’auli was sent off for a shoulder charge to Goosen’s face.

The Hurricanes made their numerical advantage count when May went over the try-line from close quarters in the 67th minute although Jordie Barrett’s conversion attempt was off target which meant the Chiefs held a slender two-point lead.

Despite playing with 14 men, the Chiefs continued to attack and were rewarded when Karpik crossed for their fourth try after Weber set him up with a strong run before being stopped just short of the whitewash.

McKenzie added the extras which gave the hosts a nine-point buffer before Savea crossed for his try shortly before full-time.

The scorers:

For Chiefs:
Tries: Retallick, Weber, Alaimalo, Karpik
Cons: McKenzie 4
Red Card: Johnny Faauli

For Hurricanes:
Tries: Goosen, Thomson, May, Savea
Cons: J Barrett 2

Chiefs: 15 Solomon Alaimalo, 14 Toni Pulu, 13 Anton Lienert-Brown, 12 Johnny Faauli, 11 Shaun Stevenson, 10 Marty McKenzie, 9 Brad Weber, 8 Jesse Parete, 7 Mitchell Karpik, 6 Lachlan Boshier, 5 Michael Allardice, 4 Brodie Retallick (c), 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Liam Polwart, 1 Sam Prattley
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18 Jeff Thwaites, 19 Luke Jacobson, 20 Liam Messam, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Tiaan Falcon, 23 Alex Nankivell

Hurricanes: 15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Wes Goosen, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Blade Thomson, 7 Sam Henwood, 6 Brad Shields (c), 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Michael Fatialofa, 3 Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Toby Smith
Replacements: 16 James O’Reilly, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Ben May, 19 Gareth Evans, 20 Reed Prinsep, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Ihaia West, 23 Julian Savea

Referee: Mike Fraser
Assistant Referees: Richard Kelly, James Doleman
TMO: Ben Skeen

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Ulster have been linked with Brumbies wing Henry Speight, whom they are reportedly keen to lure to the province on a short-term deal until January.

Ulster did the same thing with Brumbies fly-half Christian Lealiifano last season, who departed in January after a six-month stint at the club. And now the Canberra outfit are reportedly considering allowing Speight to do the same, according to Australia’s Daily Telegraph.

The 30-year-old has recently fallen out of favour at international level, being overlooked for the recent June series against Ireland, with Dane Haylett-Petty and Marika Koroibete the preferred combination.

Ulster confirmed the acquisition of Irish-qualified fly-half Billy Burns earlier in the week as interim head coach Simon Easterby looks to strengthen the squad ahead of new head coach Dan McFarland’s arrival.

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Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd slammed Chiefs centre Johnny Faauli’s no-arms hit on Wes Goosen in their Super Rugby clash in Hamilton on Friday.

Boyd was fuming after the match, which the Chiefs won 28-24, as Faauli’s challenge to Goosen’s head could result in the Hurricanes utility back missing next weekend’s quarter-final between the teams in Wellington.

“He’s failed two HIAs so he’s probably somewhere less than 50-50 for next week, which is disappointing for him,” Boyd told Stuff.

“Probably don’t need to say more about that.”

But, when asked to elaborate, Boyd did not hold back and described the foul as “a deliberate act”.

“I mean, I don’t like to see a red card in any game, but red is red, and you don’t get a more obvious red card than that,” he added.

“That was shoulder, no arms, straight to the head, with force, with intent. There’s no butting out of any of that.

“So that was a deliberate act. The Chiefs will be disappointed with that action, I’m assuming the player will be disappointed with that action. And at the end of the day, he got, in the end, what was necessary.”

Chiefs boss Colin Cooper also expressed his disappointment with the incident.

“It’s disappointing,” he said.

“He’s (Fa’auli) better than that. He looks to stamp his mark defensively, but he’s got to do it within the rules, he just can’t drift up, particularly towards the head.”

Faauli has been punished in the past for some illegal hits but has worked on improving his tackle technique and Cooper feels the 22-year-old had improved on it it until his latest indiscretion.

“That’s the first one he let go (for some time),” added Cooper.

“If you go back to the Reds, he did that to their big power number eight. When he gets it right he can do some damage. And I thought he contained their 12 (Ngani Laumape), we moved him in to help defend that area, and I felt where they exposed the Blues they didn’t get through there. So he has to take a lot credit for that, and Anton (Lienert-Brown).”

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