Waikato Chiefs Scored First Win of Season

New Zealand's Waikato Chiefs chalked up their first win of the Super 14 season with a comfortable 34-7 victory over South Africa's Lions

The Chiefs overcame the loss of All Blacks lock Keith Robinson to a leg injury just before kick-off to post a convincing five-tries-to-one triumph.

Flyhalf Stephen Donald touched down twice as well as kicking two conversions and a penalty for a personal haul of 17 points while flanker Marty Holah, number eight Liam Messam and centre Tane Tu'ipulotu also crossed.

"It's great to get a win under our belts," Waikato captain Tom Willis said in a televised interview.

"I think we defended particularly well, hung in there and came away with a good win in the end."

Lions captain Andre Pretorius scored a consolation try for the visitors in the second half, which he also converted, as his team slumped to their second straight loss after winning the first two matches of their Australasian leg.

"We had two good wins first so there's still plenty of positives from this trip," Pretorius said.

"They (Waikato) came out fighting tonight. They've had a few narrow losses and were determined to prove a point."

The Chiefs seized control of the match after opening up a 13-0 lead by halftime with Donald and Holah both scoring then Donald crossed again shortly after the restart.

Pretorius opened his team's account seven minutes from time, but Messam and Tu'ipulotu both scored in the final few minutes to blow out the scoreline.

The Chiefs travel to Australia next weekend to play the bottom placed Queensland Reds while the Lions return to Johannesburg to host Otago.