Super Rugby Aotearoa: Chiefs player ratings vs Blues

The final instalment of round seven Super Rugby Aotearoa saw the Blues host the Chiefs at Eden Park this afternoon.

With the Chiefs' title aspirations over, the men from the Waikato were playing for respect which can be a dangerous motivator, and defeating any side from Auckland would certainly deliver that.

Warren Gatland’s winless side have had their moments this season and had done just about everything to defeat the Highlanders last weekend, but were thwarted after the 80-minute mark by the relentless Highlanders.

The sting of such a loss no doubt would have been a factor in the Chiefs preparation for this encounter.

In the forwards, Aidan Ross was unavailable due to a calf strain, which allowed Reuben O’Neill to start at loosehead. That allowed 20-year-old Ollie Norris to come onto the bench, with Aucklander Lisita Milo-Harris shadowing Brad Webber.

Finally, Adam Thomson - at 38-year-old - was also named on the bench with 100 Super Rugby caps within his grasp.

The Chiefs threw the ‘Kitchen Sink’ at the hosts but were denied 21-17 in yet another thriller. Here's how they rated:

15. Damian McKenzie - 7.5/10

Arguably his best performance in Super Rugby Aotearoa. Despite being guilty of running too laterally early on, D-Mac’s class in both attack and defence were on display. Made several try saving tackles and was a handful in possession but also worked hard off the ball to draw defenders onto him. Quality shift.

14. Sean Wainui - 7/10

Wasn’t given much space to work with in attack which is a shame considering his class. Was solid in defence.

13. Anton Lienert-Brown – 8/10

Superb performance by the All Black centre. Made plenty of tough metres and was a fourth flanker in defence, securing multiple turnovers and cleaning out at the breakdown. Good luck removing him from that All Blacks centre position with form like this.

12. Alex Nankivell - 7/10

Solid day out. Was hard in defence and like Lienert-Brown worked hard for yards in the middle of the park. If he can stay fit, he appears to have a big future with the Chiefs.

11. Solomon Alaimalo - 7/10

Was replaced after being injured scoring a good old-fashioned winger try holding his width and depth on the short side to capitalise on a turnover counter attack. Was a solid performer prior to that and nearly stole another earlier in the match by simply chasing a kick and staying in the contest.

10. Kaleb Trask – 6.5/10

Made some errors by not finding touch when required but showed he is a player of the future. Tended to take the lesser option in attack that stifled momentum. Would like to see him take the ball to the line and play flatter as opposed to block plays.