Chiefs 2025
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Has anyone else felt like Tupaea has made some changes to his carrying style? In the past I often felt like he was too much focused on winning ‘the hit’ in contact, where he just accelerated into the defender as much as he could, without using much footwork or deception.
These past few weeks it looked to me like he was less focused on accelerating into contact than on staying on his feet post-contact, standing in the tackle and trying to use his hip- and upper body-strength to break loose. It looks quite similar to how someone like Mark Tele’a carries close to the ruck, where the emphasis lies more on shifting the carrier's weight into contact rather than making a dominant impact.
I couldn’t really find a great example but this sort of captures what I mean. Typically I’d expect Tupaea to go for the crash-ball in these situations, where here he uses footwork first to wrong-foot the defender while also not accelerating too much in order to stay on his feet and try to step through the tackle.
This might just be me imagining things but it did look somewhat different to me. With Tele’a's success in beating defenders, it wouldn’t surprise me if other players are taking some notes.
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@Mauss the extra power vertically to throw the tackler off balance is very noticeable in that clip.
@Bones said in Chiefs 2025:
the extra power vertically to throw the tackler off balance is very noticeable in that clip.
I did feel his carrying had become a bit predictable in the 2024 SR season so, if it is indeed a conscious choice to add different elements to it, I think it's a smart choice. He's too skilled as a player to play in a one-dimensional manner.
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@Bovidae Wow thats massive. i wonder if any (or how many) sabbatical years negotiated into this one
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Will he become Super Rugby's highest points scorer? If you take his average and apply it to the next 4 years the numbers say yes, and that's including this season that's only halfway finished and 2019 where he got injured and played half the comp.
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A curtain raiser match up between The University of Waikato Chiefs Taua and the Hurricanes Hunters will be kicking off at 4.05 pm.
GALLAGHER CHIEFS’ INJURY UPDATE AHEAD OF ROUND 8
Anton Lienert-Brown, leg, short term
Josh Lord, knee, mid-term
Rameka Poihipi, knee, season
Kaleb Trask, hamstring, mid-term
Etene Nanai-Seturo, hamstring, long-term
Liam Coombes-Fabling, knee, mid-term
Wallace Sititi, knee, long-term -
@Duluth said in Chiefs 2025:
As assistant Gibbes has a Top 14 & Pro12 to his name and a Champions Cup, he should be automatic pick. Cheika's Leinster were really average until he joined as forwards coach, was also assistant to O'Gara when La Rochelle were dominating in 22/23.
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@Bovidae said in Chiefs 2025:
TTT is back.
I like the look of the substitutes for the front row. Kolose and Martin have huge potentials IMO.
@cgrant said in Chiefs 2025:
I like the look of the substitutes for the front row. Kolose and Martin have huge potentials IMO.
Depending on the situation of Kauvaka Kaivelata (in Japan) and Mason Tupaea (with the Blues), I think that Will Martin is a very good chance to be Aidan Ross's replacement.
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The Chiefs Taua beat the Hurricanes Hunters 36-14 (HT: 22-7). The Chiefs pack dominated in the 1st half especially, as they had the better scrum and won the collisions. A try in each half from lineout drives.
Tries to Slater (2), Koller, Popoalii (I think), Martin and Radcliffe for the Chiefs, Rova and Gavigan for the Hurricanes.
For the Chiefs, Slater, Ahio and Lewai only played 40 mins. The rest of the subs came on at 53 mins. Higgins played the whole game for the Hurricanes but was quiet.
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The Chiefs Taua beat the Hurricanes Hunters 36-14 (HT: 22-7). The Chiefs pack dominated in the 1st half especially, as they had the better scrum and won the collisions. A try in each half from lineout drives.
Tries to Slater (2), Koller, Popoalii (I think), Martin and Radcliffe for the Chiefs, Rova and Gavigan for the Hurricanes.
For the Chiefs, Slater, Ahio and Lewai only played 40 mins. The rest of the subs came on at 53 mins. Higgins played the whole game for the Hurricanes but was quiet.
@Bovidae said in Chiefs 2025:
The Chiefs Taua beat the Hurricanes Hunters 36-14 (HT: 22-7). The Chiefs pack dominated in the 1st half especially, as they had the better scrum and won the collisions. A try in each half from lineout drives.
Tries to Slater (2), Koller, Popoalii (I think), Martin and Radcliffe for the Chiefs, Rova and Gavigan for the Hurricanes.
For the Chiefs, Slater, Ahio and Lewai only played 40 mins. The rest of the subs came on at 53 mins. Higgins played the whole game for the Hurricanes but was quiet.
From the pictures, it looked like a game clearly suited to the forwards so I'm not surprised after looking at both packs. Good for Higgins to at least go through a match unscathed.
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