The target for a Super 14 rugby semifinal berth for the Sharks was clear — a bonus-point victory initially or a win by 18 points or more — as they took to the field against the Chiefs of New Zealand at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Saturday night. In the end, it was a convincing triumph as the necessary tries were secured and surpassed.
The Waikato Chiefs ran in nine tries to beat the Western Force 64-36 in a highly entertaining Super 14 match in Hamilton, New Zealand on Saturday. Winger Roy Kinikinilau and replacement scrumhalf Brendon Leonard claimed hat tricks to help keep the Chiefs’ semifinal hopes alive and hit the Perth-based team’s chances of reaching the playoffs.