Friday 24 April 2015 17:49, UK
Center Charlie Ngatai scored two first-half tries to lift the Chiefs to a 35-27 win over the Western Force and top of the Super Rugby table - albeit perhaps only temporarily.
A try from flanker Angus Cottrell had given the Force an early lead but it always looked like being a tough evening for the visitors after they lost scrumhalf Ian Prior to a red card for a tip tackle on Tim Nanai-Williams in the 29th minute.
Ngatai's double helped the Chiefs to a 23-8 half-time lead which they extended to 30-8 with a try from winger Nanai-Williams before the Force mounted a stirring comeback with three tries.
The Chiefs' fourth straight win, achieved with a bonus point from a contentious penalty try, helped them to the summit of the New Zealand conference and the overall table, four points ahead of the Wellington-based Hurricanes, who play the Queensland Reds on Sunday.
It was a ninth consecutive defeat for the Force and they remain rooted to the bottom of the standings.
The Brumbies have taken top spot in the Australian conference follownig an emphatic win over the Brumbies that included a hattrick of tries from David Pocock - all of which were scored on the back of a driving maul.
Henry Speight had opened the scoring for the home side with a breakaway try following a spill in midfield by Highlanders fly-half Lima Sopoaga, but thereafter it was the turn of the forwards, led by inspirational flanker Pocock, to take the game away from the visitors.
With the bonus point secured in the first half, the Brumbies started the second half 31-6 up, but it was the Highlanders who looked the better of the two in the initial stages of the second period as they clawed their way back to a 31-18 deficit thanks to tries from Shaun Treeby and Dan Pryor.
However there was to be no fairytale ending for the visiting team as Pryor's 58th minute effort was to be the final score of the game.
