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

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • 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
  • Politics
  • 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
    • Herald NOW
    • 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
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • 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

Rugby: Clarke's courage leads way for Chiefs

Patrick McKendry
By Patrick McKendry
Reporter·APNZ·
5 Aug, 2012 04:23 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

Chiefs co-captain Craig Clarke holds the Super Rugby Cup after the Chiefs defeated the Sharks during the Super Rugby Final. Photo / Getty Images.

Chiefs co-captain Craig Clarke holds the Super Rugby Cup after the Chiefs defeated the Sharks during the Super Rugby Final. Photo / Getty Images.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The records will show that Craig Clarke played 80 minutes for the Chiefs as they claimed their first Super Rugby title with a 37-6 win over the Sharks at Waikato Stadium, but not what his influence meant or the fact he shouldn't have been playing at all.

Clarke's grade two medial ligament knee strain, which he suffered in the semifinal victory over the Crusaders a week earlier, usually has a recovery time of six to eight weeks. As coach Dave Rennie said afterwards, the hard-working and humble lock shouldn't even have stripped to play yet there he was leading from the front as usual.

His inspirational performance was a testament to the spirit within the squad and the character that he possesses. A few weeks earlier Clarke's absence due to illness was a big factor in the round-robin defeat to the Crusaders, one of only four losses for the Chiefs this season.

There was no way he was letting that happen again.

"You want players who can play with small hurts and get through games and Craig showed that today really ... He shouldn't have even stripped. We got 80 minutes out of him and that's the sort of player that I want on the track," Rennie said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"To strap it up, get him out there ... he had to grin and bear it a bit and tough it out. To get 80 minutes out of him tonight speaks volumes for the character of the man."

The man himself, who answers to "Weka", said simply: "It's amazing what a bit of adrenaline does, eh."

Clarke said the knee stiffened in the final 10 minutes but other than that it wasn't a concern.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The victory, coming as it did against a Sharks team weary from criss-crossing the Indian Ocean in contesting playoff matches against the Reds in Brisbane and Stormers in Cape Town, was no real surprise, which says a lot about how far the Chiefs have come this season.

They lost their opening game to the Highlanders in Hamilton and lost four players to long-term injuries. It was a bleak start but, building on belief instilled by Rennie, in his debut season, and fellow coaches Wayne Smith and Tom Coventry, the Chiefs moulded themselves into a consistently excellent team and one that was very hard to beat.

The Sharks, known for their attacking flair, and possessing Springboks throughout such as JP Pietersen, Pat Lambie, Ryan Kankowski, Keegan Daniel and the front-row Du Plessis brothers, failed to cross the Chiefs' line. They began well in the drizzle and it took the Chiefs 20 minutes to reach their rhythm, but once Tim Nanai-Williams scored halfway through the first half, the Sharks were effectively sunk.

"It's hugely satisfying," said Rennie. "I'm just really rapt for the boys, they've worked really hard and certainly earned the respect of not only the coaching group but also this community. I suppose from a selection point of view I think we got it right. We targeted a lot of hard-working, honest buggers who would put it out on the park for us week after week.

Discover more

Rugby

Rugby: Practice imperfect for Oz

04 Aug 05:30 PM
Super Rugby

Rugby: Carlos shown the door

04 Aug 05:30 PM
Super Rugby

Rugby: Chiefs start the party

04 Aug 05:30 PM
Super Rugby

Rugby: Chiefs open a new era

04 Aug 05:30 PM

"We knew that they would front," he said of the Sharks. "It was a bit of an arm wrestle early on. We threw a couple of loose passes which if they had landed in their hands might have put us under a bit of pressure. They were forced to make a lot of tackles in the first half and that took its toll in the second half."

No8 Kane Thompson ploughed over from a 5m scrum, replacement wing Lelia Masaga stepped his way over and Sonny Bill Williams delivered in timely fashion, as is his wont, when scoring with three minutes remaining and continuing his run straight into the arms of several spectators.

The only off note was the lack of media access to the Chiefs after the match. Any hopes the assembled reporters had of interviewing Brodie Retallick or Aaron Cruden or Tawera Kerr-Barlow - to name but a few - on their thoughts on the final, or Williams about his last hurrah for the side, were quickly dashed when only hooker Mahonri Schwalger and prop Ben Tameifuna were made available.

Chiefs 37 (Tim Nanai-Williams, Kane Thompson, Lelia Masaga, Sonny Bill Williams tries; Aaron Cruden 4 cons, 3 pens). Sharks 6 (Freddie Michalak 2 pens).

HT: 13-3

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Super Rugby

Premium
Business|companies

Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned

03 Jul 05:00 PM
Super Rugby

Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe

28 Jun 04:55 AM
Super Rugby

'So much life in me': Hurricanes player's partner has 'rare and aggressive' cancer

27 Jun 12:25 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Super Rugby

Premium
Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned

Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned

03 Jul 05:00 PM

Pasifika Futures hired Ah Mau Sports, owned by the CEO's daughter and son-in-law.

Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe

Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe

28 Jun 04:55 AM
'So much life in me': Hurricanes player's partner has 'rare and aggressive' cancer

'So much life in me': Hurricanes player's partner has 'rare and aggressive' cancer

27 Jun 12:25 AM
Super Rugby Pacific sees viewership increase

Super Rugby Pacific sees viewership increase

25 Jun 08:25 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

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
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • 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