Super Rugby Round 4’s standout player is revealed by Chiefs vs. Fijian Drua drone footage.
In reference to the match day sponsor Hobbiton Movie Set, 200 drones were lighted up and formed Middle-Earth and Chiefs-inspired images, creating what is said to be New Zealand’s first large-scale drone light show.
The drones showed images of Gandalf blowing a billowing smoke ring, Sauron’s eye staring down at the crowd, and Gollum grabbing for the ring. After eight minutes, the drone show ended and the sky turned dark. The Fijian Drua had a great start to the DHL Super Rugby Pacific match, but eventually trailed the clinical home squad.
Haereiti Hetet, a former Waikato player and the son of former Chiefs prop Joeli Veitayaki, began at loosehead for the visitors as they attempted to upset Hamilton, with Selestino Ravutaumada, a former Hamilton Old Boys outside back, on the wing.
After six minutes, Drua centre Iosefo Masi scored a goal with his quickness after winning a box kick from his halfback and Chiefs first five-eighth Damian McKenzie’s inability to hold onto the ball. However, Chiefs blindside wing Daniel Rona entered the line four minutes later, creating a gap and space that allowed supporting flanker Kaylum Boshier to score for the home team.
Moments later, they responded with a goal from second five-eighth Rameka Poihipi, who created space and passed inside to halfback Cortez Ratima.
A Drua forward surge early in the second quarter gave Masi another opportunity, and he scored his second goal by going under the bar. Lock Manaaki Selby-Rickit set up a tap penalty that made the Chiefs run blind, and Rona crossed in the corner after a long feed from McKenzie.
After a break by center Anton Lienert-Brown, the team used deft passing to score early in the second half. Wing Etene Nanai-Seturo scored from a wide ball, and Boshier scored after Quinn Tupaea, the substitute five-eighth, passed to him.
When Lienert-Brown needed assistance leaving the field during the last quarter, the Chiefs were dealt a setback. As a substitute, Te Ahiwaru Cirikidaveta of the Drua demonstrated their brand of deft goal-line passing to score.
The home team’s scoring was completed by Shaun Stevenson’s chip and chase kick, and Kemu Valetini’s tap penalty try gave the Drua the victory.