The Chiefs battered the NSW Waratahs 7-40 in a historic Super Rugby Trans-Tasman affair at Brookvale Oval, Sydney.
It was the Sean Wainui show, he scored five tries as the Chiefs ended their season on a high with a deserved victory in Australia.
Wainui joined Sitiveni Sivivatu to became the only second Chiefs‘ player to score four tries in a Super Rugby match.
However, when the flyer scored in the 80th-minute, he became the first player in Super Rugby history to dot down five times in a game.
Wainui grabbed a first-half brace and a second-half hat-trick, which is nuts.
Tom Florence also got in on the act for the visitors, while the hosts could only score once through Mark Nawaqanitawase.
Another heavy defeat caps New South Wales’ annus horribilis as the Chiefs served up another forty-burger.
The Waratahs finish the season winless in both Super Rugby AU and Super Rugby Trans-Tasman tournaments after a dreadful 2021.
Wainui’s first two tries put the Chiefs ahead. But Nawaqanitawase’s score put the Tahs on the scoreboard before the interval.
Wainui went over twice inside 10 second-half minutes soon after the break as the Kiwis took the game away from the Aussies.
Tupou Vaa’i received a farcical yellow-carded, but the Tahs could make their extra man count.
Despite playing with 14 men, the Chiefs managed to twist the knife when Florence scored.
There was still time for Lachlan Swinton to be sent off for dangerous and foul play.
With time running out, Wainui finished where he began.
He scored his fifth try before the final hooter to put the Waratahs out of their misery.
The Chiefs take an early two-score lead, but gritty Waratahs fight back and make it a seven-point game at the break
Clayton McMillan’s men raced into a 14-0 lead after two converted Wainui tries in the first quarter.
Bryn Gatland had a hand in both tries as the flyhalf sent the winger away for an early brace. Gatland converted both times.
The ball went to the backs, who used decoy runners from depth before Gatland sent the winger away in the corner for the opening try.
The second came after Wainui collected Gatland’s bounce-pass, and waltzed over untouched.
The Tahs somehow managed to stay in the contest despite their set-piece breaking down.
They lost three lineouts, and their scrum was taking strain.
It was only until late in the half when Lachlan Boshier was yellow-carded for a Chiefs’ toting-up offence that the Tahs found some momentum.
The Sydney side made hard work of their numerical advantage but did finally find a way over the whitewash, six minutes before halftime.
The try came from a superb crossfield kick by Harrison, who found Nawaqanitawase.
Nawaqanitawase beat Kaleb Trask to the ball to dot down.
Harrison converted to halve the deficit as the teams went into the shed.
The Chiefs increase the tempo and put the Tahs to the sword in the second stanza
Six minutes into the second half, Wainui claimed his treble.
He side-stepped Nawaqanitawase before bursting through to score.
Four minutes later, the 25-year-old had his fourth after a slick attack between backs and forwards.
Gatland converted both tries to make it 7-28.
The last quarter was messy, both sides making handling errors inside the red zone or taking the wrong options, which killed attacks.
The game turned into farce when Vaa’i got sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Harrison.
The TMO and referee must have been watching a different game because it might be the worst call of the year.
James Ramm went close. However, his foot was on the line, under pressure by Chase Tiatia, who tackled the winger into touch.
Instead, it was the visitors who struck when Florence finished in the corner with nine minutes to play.
Kaleb Trask took over kicking duties and slotted the touchline kick.
Swinton got a red card at the death.
Wainui made history to finish off a dreadful campaign for NSW.
Final Score: NSW Waratahs 7 (7) Chiefs 40 (14)
Scorers
Waratahs
Tries – Nawaqanitawase
Pen –
Con – Harrison
Drop –
Cards – Swinton (Red, 76′)
Chiefs
Tries – Wainui (5), Florence
Pen –
Con – Gatland (4), Trask
Drop –
Cards – Boshier (Yellow, 28′), Tupou Vaa’i (Yellow, 64′)
Match Officials
Referee: Jordan way
Assistant Ref 1: Damon Murphy
Assistant Ref 2: Reuben Keane
TMO: Brett Cronan
Teams
Waratahs
15 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 14 Alex Newsome (captain), 13 Izaia Perese, 12 Lalakai Foketi, 11 James Ramm, 10 Will Harrison, 9 Jack Grant, 8 Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco, 7 Jack Dempsey, 6 Lachlan Swinton 5 Jack Whetton, 4 Hugh Sinclair, 3 Chris Talakai, 2 Tom Horton, 1 Andrew Tuala
Replacements: 16 Robbie Abel, 17 Pek Cowan, 18 , 19 Sam Caird, 20 Jeremy Williams, 21 Will Harris, 22 Henry Robertson, 23 Tane Edmed
Chiefs
15 Kaleb Trask, 14 Shaun Stevenson, 13 Alex Nankivell, 12 Quinn Tupaea, 11 Sean Wainui, 10 Bryn Gatland, 9 Brad Weber (captain), 8 Luke Jacobson, 7 Lachlan Boshier, 6 Pita Gus Sowakula, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Zane Kapeli, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 2 Bradley Slater, 1 Aidan Ross
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Ollie Norris, 18 Reuben O’Neill, 19 Viliami Taulani, 20 Tom Florence, 21 Xavier Roe, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Chase Tiatia
