Super Rugby Pacific: Chiefs coach laments frustrating performance in Hurricanes win

Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan admitted his side's win over the Hurricanes was a frustrating watch. Photo / Photosport

Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan has been left frustrated by his side’s decision-making, despite a 23-12 win over the Hurricanes in Hamilton on Saturday night.

Having lost their first match of the Super Rugby Pacific season the week prior but welcoming back several players for the Hurricanes clash, there were moments to savour for the hosts.

But it was a frustrating watch for McMillan as there were plenty of forgettable moments as well. Among them, a moment of indecision from Damian McKenzie which saw the Hurricanes capitalise for their second try of the game, while Anton Lienert-Brown had a baffling moment where he kicked the ball out to take the game to halftime before the hooter had sounded.

“The good stuff was really good, and the not-so-good stuff was right at the other end of the spectrum,” McMillan said in his summation of his side’s 11th win of the season.

“We’re striving really hard to improve our game, but there were elements that were really good and then there were times where our decision-making and execution were just way off the mark and just put us under pressure. In big games that will hurt you; in a couple of weeks we can’t afford to make the same mistakes.”

In miserable conditions, both sides struggled with ball handling, each conceding 21 turnovers. The Chiefs did well to control the majority of the game as they had more time with ball in hand at the right end of the park.

However, the Hurricanes defended well and turned the Chiefs away several times. That was of particular frustration for McMillan, who believed his side could have put the game away much earlier.

“I thought we controlled large portions of the game, but I’ll be lying if I didn’t sit here and say that there was a fair amount of frustration at our decision-making at times and our inability to put the foot on the throat when we had opportunities to do so.”

It will be an area to work on in their final two matches of the regular season, with a fortnight on the road to meet the ACT Brumbies and the Western Force.

The Chiefs hold an eight-point lead on the second-placed Crusaders heading into the final two weeks of the season, and it would take a meltdown for them not to finish at the top of the table heading into the playoffs, after the Force tipped up the Brumbies on Sunday morning.

They will spend the next two weeks in Australia rather than returning home between the two fixtures, which McMillan believed would provide the team with the perfect opportunity to launch into the playoffs.

“The trip overseas is coming at a good time for us. It’s an opportunity for us to get away, we’re sort of in each other’s pockets and can have a lot of those conversations, meetings, opportunities to go out for dinner - stuff that you don’t often get to do when you’re at home in the grind.

“We’re really looking forward to those couple of weeks away and it should set us up nicely for when we come back.”