NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / Super Rugby

Explained: The Chiefs scrum controversy

NZ Herald
28 Apr, 2016 01:34 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

New footage from last weekend's controversial Chiefs-Hurricanes Super Rugby match has emerged and is set to fuel claims Dave Rennie's team manipulated the game's rules to ensure depowered scrums at a critical point of the game.

The match, won 28-27 by the Chiefs, ended with "Golden Oldies" scrums, negating the Hurricanes' clear advantage in that area.

The New Zealand Herald has obtained new footage of the moments which led to referee Craig Joubert enforcing de-powered scrums for the final five minutes of the match and the Chiefs playing out the game with 14 men.

The footage is from a camera angle not shown during Sky's live broadcast.

The incident created immediate debate and today former All Black prop Craig Dowd wrote an ESPN column headlined "Scrum gamesmanship not a great look for rugby".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Like several observers, Dowd questioned the Chiefs' tactics.

Listen: Kent Johns interviews Craig Dowd:

"To pull off your front-rowers and play to the letter of the law; you would have to say that the Chiefs management had control of the outcome of the game," he wrote. "It opens up the debate about how far coaches can go and how much involvement they can have.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Will those injured props be out training this week and available for next weekend? I could almost guarantee they will be.

"It is a bit of a grey area and leaves itself open to underhanded tactics."

The footage obtained by the Herald begins with a lineout won by the Hurricanes who then power towards the Chiefs' 22 metre line with the game in the balance.

The match is stopped due to Chiefs pivot Aaron Cruden receiving a head wound. Three Chiefs on-field personnel came onto the ground and one goes straight to replacement prop Siate Tokolahi who then sits down.

Discover more

New Zealand

Unseen footage fuels rugby controversy

28 Apr 12:00 AM
New Zealand

NZH Focus: Police hunt for teen serial sex attacker

28 Apr 04:00 AM

After several minutes, Tokolahi is eventually replaced, limping off with his arm around a trainer.

That forced Joubert to issue instructions that scrums would be depowered for the rest of the match, taking away a key advantage the powerful Hurricanes pack had established at scrum-time.

At the time of the incident, Hurricanes and All Blacks hooker Dane Coles complained to Joubert about the "amazing coincidence" of Tokolahi's injury after "the way we dominated their scrum".

Prior to the trainer talking to Tokolahi, the prop had not signalled that he needed any assistance and appeared to be waiting for the game to start again after Cruden was attended to. He had jogged from the lineout to the breakdown.But after being approached by the trainer, he went down on his haunches. The trainer then went to assist Cruden. Tokolahi stood up but a trainer again approached him and he went down again.

There is no audio available which reveals the conversation between the prop and the trainers.

While that unfolded, the Chiefs team manager on the sidelines engaged with the sideline match manager and Joubert came to the sideline.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Following a discussion with the match manager, Joubert, consistent with international rules, enforced depowered scrums.

The Chiefs, as is their right under scrum safety rules, declared that Siegfried Fisiihoi - who came on to the field apparently ready to play - was not proficient enough as a tighthead prop to play at Super Rugby level. That meant he had to leave the field, reducing the Chiefs to 14 men but negating the Hurricanes' clear advantage at scrum time.

The Chiefs starting tighthead prop Atunaisa Moli had left the field late in the first half with an injury and was replaced by Tokolahi.

The new footage will fuel critics' claims that the Chiefs manipulated the rules to their advantage. Fisiihoi, a converted No. 8, has played as a tighthead for Bay of Plenty in NPC rugby.

But Rennie suggested to Radio Sport earlier this week that Fisiihoi was not up to the jump in standard, saying he had been "hammered" when trying out as a tighthead scrummager at Chiefs trainings.

Asked about Tokolahi's injury, Rennie described it as "a little bit of a twinge in his back".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Super Rugby

Super Rugby

Hurricanes rocked by Covid-19 outbreak

12 May 06:05 AM
Premium
Opinion

Phil Gifford: The Super Rugby Pacific final to put your money on

11 May 06:00 PM
Super Rugby

Brumbies star cleared of serious injury after being stretchered off

11 May 06:00 AM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Super Rugby

Hurricanes rocked by Covid-19 outbreak

Hurricanes rocked by Covid-19 outbreak

12 May 06:05 AM

The Hurricanes had a disrupted bye week with players stuck at home with Covid-19.

Premium
Phil Gifford: The Super Rugby Pacific final to put your money on

Phil Gifford: The Super Rugby Pacific final to put your money on

11 May 06:00 PM
Brumbies star cleared of serious injury after being stretchered off

Brumbies star cleared of serious injury after being stretchered off

11 May 06:00 AM
Crusaders face nervous wait on Will Jordan's knee injury

Crusaders face nervous wait on Will Jordan's knee injury

11 May 04:00 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP