Chiefs cruise to 36-15 Super Rugby win over Melbourne Rebels
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 21/05/16 11:49am
The Chiefs cruised to a 36-15 win over Melbourne Rebels with a devastating first-half display in Hamilton that puts them top of Super Rugby's Australasian group.
The Chiefs have simply overwhelmed sides with their power and pace in the first six matches of the season when they set the standard in Super Rugby and four tries in the first half an hour looked like a reprise of that form.
Coming off a bye after defeat to the Highlanders in their last outing, the Chiefs had the cowbells clanging at Waikato Stadium from the fourth minute when centre Seta Tamanivalu cut inside two defenders to score their opening try.
The twice champions also had scores from returning two-cap All Blacks hooker Nathan Harris, fly-half Aaron Cruden and winger Toni Pulu in the first half, while Andrew Horrell crossed for their sole effort after the break.
Ten minutes after Tamanivalu had opened the scoring, Harris got on the end of a Cruden chip to touch down in the corner and, after Pulu had crossed, the fly-half got a try of his own from close range in the 30th minute following a sweeping counter-attack.
Full-back Mike Harris scored ten of the Rebels' points with a converted second-half try and a penalty but the Rebels got no reward for their considerable effort and slipped further back in the race to top the Australian conference.
Leading 26-3 at half-time, the Chiefs would have expected to kick on but the obdurate Rebels stalled their progress through Harris's 45th-minute try and a series of turnovers.
It was not until the 71st minute that replacement back Horrell snared the Chiefs' fifth try and even then, Rebels centre Reece Hodge scored a second consolation on the counter-attack three minutes later.
