Super Rugby Pacific — Monday 27 April 2026

The Chiefs ran out 42-22 victors against the Fijian Drua at Te Kaha, seizing top spot on the ladder in a match defined by relentless, high-octane scoring. Despite starting rattled after Mesake Doge scored early for the Drua, the Chiefs established full dominance, most notably through their rolling maul and penal conversions. The scoreboard kept ticking after the break with a stunning array of tries: Damian McKenzie scored a crucial conversion from a blindside switch, setting up Dan Sinkinson. The advantage was sealed by repeated breakthroughs—Jarred Proffit found himself scoring on a loose ball after a Drua fullback grubber in his own ingoal, and Kavaia Tagivetaua added another blow by busting the line to score 30 meters out.

Tupaea Cook Savage registered the final try, closing out the emphatic win after the Chiefs repeatedly stretched the gap through efficient backline moves, including a sequence involving Quinn Tupaea. While the match saw both sides playing enterprising rugby, the sheer depth of scoring talent demonstrated by the Chiefs ensured they were the undisputed masters of the day. The earlier exchanges, where Chiefs dominated at scrum time and converted penalties, laid the necessary groundwork for the spectacular late-game run.