Chiefs 11 Reds 19
Hopefully, before the Chiefs get lost in Mad Monday tomorrow, someone remembers to lay on a top notch morning tea for all those players leaving.
They need something more fitting as a farewell than last night's performance.
The stage was set for the dramatic
- a typically late and defiant Chiefs victory to leave everyone cursing and admiring their ability to charge late.
Undoubtedly there would have been heightened emotion on account of the coach and six senior players all making their last appearances.
Much of the poor skill execution could be blamed on the occasion. That would fly better if it weren't for the fact that the Chiefs just haven't fired all season.
There have been bursts and threats but nothing sustained and last night typified their season.
Nothing quite worked for them and they couldn't conjure enough magic to trouble a staunchly committed Reds defence. Basic errors blighted their work. Precision hasn't been a word even loosely linked to the Chiefs this year.
The one beacon of hope was Fritz Lee. The Counties No 8 capped an impressive rookie season with the kind of performance the Chiefs always craved from Sione Lauaki but only rarely got.
The 21-year-old made three telling breaks where his pace and acceleration left the Reds grasping at nothing. His power also enabled him to smash into the contact and he barged his way over for the Chiefs' only try late in the game.
If they had scored earlier in the half, they could and should have won. They dominated possession and territory for much of the last half hour and hammered away in the right area of the field.
The points didn't come, though, and with Quade Cooper kicking brilliantly to ensure the Reds came away from opposition territory with points, the Chiefs were squeezed out of the contest.
Most of the damage had been caused in the first half when a feisty start by the Reds saw them ring up 10 early points with Chiefs lock Romana Graham also picking up a yellow card.
The clock ticked down and the scoreboard stayed rigid - stranding the Chiefs with too much to do and not enough time.
A somewhat lame defeat in front of a mostly empty stadium to finish a forgettable campaign - hardly the way Mils Muliana wanted to end his time with the Chiefs. He of all people deserved something more but when players come to the Chiefs, they kind of know what they are in for.
The legacy of success isn't there and the fun and challenge has always been trying to create it rather than sustain it.
At least he walked off, however, a simple pleasure denied Sitiveni Sivivatu who damaged his shoulder midway through the first half. He tried to make a tackle after the original collision. His commitment to the cause was admirable but the All Black coaches won't thank him for it.
The casualty ward is already full and Sivivatu was slowly playing his way back into form.
"A few of the guys were struggling," said Muliaina. "It was pretty emotional. A few words were said before the game and that caught some of us off guard."
Chiefs 11 (F. Lee try; S. Donald 2 pens), Reds 19 (L. Gill tries; Q. Cooper 4 pens, con). Halftime: 6-10.
