Chiefs 2018

[Bovidae]

@taniwharugby

I thought they would pick a specialist 7 and Mitch Jacobson would be the obvious choice.

Parete might be the player they start against the Stormers.

[taniwharugby]

@bovidae interesting comment there saying he had been training with the Chiefs too (and playing for Blues dev) but I know Dale MacLeod worked hard behind the scenes to get the Chiefs to have a look at him after another good M10 cup last year.

Yeah while he has the skillset to be a specialist 7, he isn't.

[Bovidae]

UPDATE: It's great to have Mitch Jacobson and Luteru Laulala join us this week in Durban - welcome guys! The touring team have farewelled Brodie, Anton, Damian and Nathan who have flown home to join the All Blacks camp this weekend.

So TTT is able to play this weekend.

[ARHS]

@bovidae

Good to see them both there. Who is the 11th replacement player in the 'Stuff article' though? Of initial 38, only 16 remain. 16 stayed home injured, 4 AB's returning, Aumua left at home as so many midfielders available. That leaves one...?

I was expecting a lock replacement perhaps - like Tucker. Or have the Blues come calling??

[Bovidae]

@arhs said in Chiefs 2018:

Who is the 11th replacement player in the 'Stuff article' though? Of initial 38, only 16 remain. 16 stayed home injured, 4 AB's returning, Aumua left at home as so many midfielders available. That leaves one...?

Of the 29 in the squad to SA these are replacement players:
Karl Tu’inukuafe
Sam Prattley
Angus Ta’avao-Matau
Jeffrey Thwaites
Pita Gus Sowakula
Jesse Parete
Matt Matich
Sean Wainui

Mitch Jacobson
Luteru Laulala

So you're right, that is only 10.

Luke Jacobson was used as a reserve lock in earlier games so he'll probably do the same vs the Sharks. Ardron back to lock. MMac at 1st 5 doesn't inspire confidence.

[Stargazer]

@bovidae Yeah, Tiaan Falcon posted this on instagram yesterday. Note the hash tag. Would have been great to have him there for the Sharks game.

Pretty shit being injured but there’s always a positive and that’s spending time with my family ☺️ #2WeeksToGo

[ARHS]

@stargazer

That is good news. Glad Laulala is there now though. Means Ngatai can play inside centre, and Laulala covers 15 and 10. Bit worried about the locking cover though.

[Crucial]

I'd rather see Ngatai at 10 than MMac.

[Crucial]

This is what I suspect we will see named (changes from last week.

Karl Tu’inukuafe
Nathan Harris Liam Polwart
Angus Ta’avao
Brodie Retallick Tyler Ardron
Michael Allardice
Luke Jacobson
Liam Messam
Tyler Ardron Pita Gus Sowakula
Brad Weber
Damian McKenzieMarty McKenzie
Solomon Alaimalo
Johnny Faauli
Anton Lienert-Brown Charlie Ngatai
Toni Pulu
Charlie Ngatai Shaun Stevenson

Liam Polwart Samisoni Taukei’aho
Sam Prattley
Jeff Thwaites
Jesse Parete
Pita Gus Sowakula Matt Matich
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi
Marty McKenzie Sean Wainui
Shaun Stevenson Luteru Laulala

[Bovidae]

@crucial

Kautai for Thwaites in the reserves.

Don't be surprised if it's Alaimalo at fullback and Stevenson on the wing, although the latter is definitely better at fullback and prefers to play there.

[Crucial]

Chiefs could probably do with dropping down the table to 6th and letting the Highlanders take 5th place otherwise they will get a quarter final against the Canes or Saders.

[Stargazer]

https://twitter.com/Goiley/status/999129272563331072

[Bovidae]

I hope Boshier is available again.

[Tim]

@bovidae We'll lend you Kiri Kiri.

[Bovidae]

@tim We've got Liam.

Karpik could be over his concussion too but neither are Cane.

Edit: Boshier is still not back training. Laulala won't be available until after the June series.

[Stargazer]

Chiefs coach Colin Cooper has labelled co-captain Sam Cane "unlikely" to return from injury in Saturday night's Super Rugby match against the Crusaders in Hamilton.

The All Blacks openside flanker is still struggling with an abdominal injury he picked up early in the month, and is now racing against the clock to be fit for the first test against France in Auckland next Saturday.

If the 26-year-old is indeed healed in time for that Eden Park fixture, and he doesn't take the park this weekend, he will go into that opening test with no game-time under his belt since the Chiefs' match against the Reds in Brisbane on April 21.

Cane suffered the injury in the leadup to his side's meeting with the Jaguares in Rotorua on May 4, noticing a slight twinge during a gym session, before feeling it pull during a team training.

He said it had been diagnosed as an unusual ailment - a strain more often related to a calf or hamstring - and that it didn't altogether cause him too much grief, but just enough to be keeping him out of action, with no timeframe put on a potential return.

Currently attending the three-day All Blacks camp in Christchurch, Cane got through some gym work on Monday, but Cooper said his side were preparing to be without him for another game.

"Unlikely" was his simple response when asked whether Cane would be ready to face the defending champions, in what is the last round before the international break.

It means Mitchell Karpik would be set for another run in the No 7 jersey, having returned from concussion and impressed in the 39-27 win over the Waratahs at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday, in what was just his second match of the season, and first start.

The Chiefs didn't pick up any injuries out of the weekend, but their other question mark is over lock/loose forward Tyler Ardron, who is still going through concussion protocols following his knock in Durban in the previous round, while prop Sefo Kautai still needs to get through some live scrummaging to be considered for his first action of the season, having picked up a back strain recently, following a foot injury.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/104260155/chiefs-cocaptain-sam-cane-considered-unlikely-for-clash-with-crusaders

[antipodean]

@stargazer Good. His sole focus should be France, not some beady eyed goat botherers.

[Milk]

The Chiefs scrum... are we seeing the birth of the next great scrum coach in Nick White?

I just don't understand the dominance we're seeing from our scrum with the cattle available.

[pakman]

@milk said in Chiefs 2018:

The Chiefs scrum... are we seeing the birth of the next great scrum coach in Nick White?

I just don't understand the dominance we're seeing from our scrum with the cattle available.

It is a surprise of sorts. That said, I think Harris is a good scrummager and Tu’inukuafe was also said to be when he joined. When Ta’avao joined Waratahs the press release said that he'd been recommended by Benn Robinson, the Wallaby LH. It may be his problems at the Blues were down to those around him. In that regard Patty T seems to be hopeless at channeling his undoubted power at scrum time. In contrast, teams with BBBR at 4 seldom take a backward step!

Read somewhere that Hames has been 'coaching, and he certainly knows one end of a scrum from the other.

Unless Nick White is the man!

[Milk]

@pakman said in Chiefs 2018:

Read somewhere that Hames has been 'coaching, and he certainly knows one end of a scrum from the other.

Interesting point. He comes across as a real student of the scrum. Good point about Ta’avao too, maybe he's got a bad rap.