Chiefs

They kept the Chiefs tryless in a match which looked set to be decided by a kicking battle between Damian McKenzie for the Chiefs and the Blues' playmaker Otere Black.

But two well-taken tries proved pivotal, and the Blues eased to the top of the Super Rugby Aotearoa ladder with their first win over the Chiefs in Hamilton since 2011.

The Chiefs drew first blood with a McKenzie penalty after 12 minutes, only for the Blues to hit back two minutes later when No.8 Hoskins Sotutu powered over from close range after a solid Blues lineout.

Super Rugby Aotearoa is the first professional rugby competition in the world to have fans return en-masse in the Covid-19 era.

Bryn Gatland gave the home supporters plenty to cheer about with his match-winning last-minute drop kick. The Highlanders had led 22 to 16 at halftime but the Chiefs - coached by Gatland's father, Warren - fought back to take the lead 27-25 with just three minutes remaining.

However, Bryn Gatland snatched the win with a 40m drop goal and just 60 seconds left on the clock.

Jordie Barrett's 40 metre kick in the fourth minute of second-half injury time sealed a 27-24 win for the visitors on Friday night.

The result was a bounce-back for the Hurricanes after their upset loss at home against the Blues last weekend, while the Chiefs suffered their second consecutive defeat in Hamilton.

Discipline had been an issue for the Hurricanes against the Blues, and appeared it may be again as co-captain and halfback TJ Perenara was shown a yellow card for a high tackle in the 57th minute.

Coming into Saturday night's match, the Chiefs were unbeaten in the 2020 season, while the Brumbies were coming off a narrow 23-22 loss to the Highlanders at home the week before.

That last minute loss may have spurred the Brumbies on in Hamilton, as it was the visitors who came out firing from the first whistle.

Fullback Tom Banks was the first to score for the Brumbies off a set piece move inside the Chiefs 22.

Lingering knee and groin injuries for Crusaders first five-eighth Richie Mo'unga means coach Scott Robertson has rearranged his backline for the round two match.

Regular Crusaders fullback David Havili will start at first five-eighth for the first time at Super Rugby level to fill the gap left by Mo'unga who left the field during the Crusaders opening round win over the Waratahs.

Will Jordan moves to fullback and Sevu Reece lines up on the right wing.

Despite the loss of 17-game All Black Mo'unga, the Crusaders will not be short on experience.

Colin Cooper's side dug themselves out of a 0-4 hole at the start of the season and overcame the loss of key players to injury to book themselves a quarter-final against Argentina's Jaguares in Buenos Aires.

Cane said the New Zealanders had been written off at various stages during the season but managed to rally each time to stay in touch.

"There's been numerous times throughout the year when it was like 'the Chiefs are out of it', or 'they're pretty much done', or 'they're a slim mathematical hope'," he said.

Pita Sowakula, Atu Moli and Etene Nanai-Seturo scored first half tries for the Chiefs, who spent virtually all of the second spell defending as the Reds controlled the ball but were unable to breach the home side's impressive defensive line.

Taniela Tupou scored the only points of the second half with a try from a sustained buildup as the visitors hammered at the Chiefs' line.

The visitors forced the Chiefs to make 240 tackles in the game.

The Reds made less than 90.

Cane has been named in the reserves for the Chiefs super rugby match against the Blues in Auckland on Saturday night as both sides battle to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The 27-year-old Cane suffered a fracture in a vertebrae on the right side of the neck playing against the Springboks in Pretoria in October.

He wore a brace for three months after surgery and got the all clear to resume contact training early last month.

Emergency surgery found there was no nerve damage and a gradual rehabilitation culminated in a return to contact work last month.

Weber's second try came after a breath-taking buildup, with replacement back Alex Nankivell bursting out of defence and fullback Solomon Alaimalo punching a hole through midfield before giving off to the pint-sized number nine in the 70th minute.

The Chiefs, who also had tries from flanker Mitch Karpik and Anton Lienert-Brown, held on in a nail-biting finish to keep their slender finals hopes alive.

The Chiefs are in 11th place, three points outside the top eight playoff places.

The number out to report on the Chiefs' game against the Highlanders was higher than usual - this time last year there would have been about three of us.

But it's a World Cup year so that number tripled last night - and we got a decent idea of what this season will be like for the All Blacks who will go to the cup games, thanks to the man with the fastest mouth in rugby.