Chiefs set to rest ABs trio
The Chiefs are set to resume their Super Rugby campaign without three key All Blacks, with Brodie Retallick, Sam Cane and Anton Lienert-Brown likely to be rested from this weekend’s final-round regular season match.
Fellow All Blacks squad members Nathan Harris, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Aaron Cruden and Damian McKenzie will all likely suit up to face the Brumbies in Hamilton on Saturday evening, but coach Dave Rennie is keen on easing the other trio back in, after their big involvement in the drawn series against the British and Irish Lions.
Retallick played all 240 minutes of the three tests, and along with Cane - who started each match - was involved in a truck-load of heavy physical collisions, while Lienert-Brown had a perhaps bigger than anticipated role, coming on in the first half of the first test, then going the full 80 in the last two.
The Chiefs are assured of an away quarterfinal next weekend, and while they are playing for the better of two evils in regards road trips, Rennie believes it will be in his side’s best interests to give the trio an extra week to freshen, even though he knows they’ll be keen to front for their franchise.
‘‘Sometimes you’ve got to ignore that and do what’s best for them, and best for the team,’’ he said. ‘‘And we just want them fizzing come playoff time.
‘‘Not all of them will play this week, we’ll see how Sam and Anton and Brodie shape up, but we could potentially leave them out of the mix and give them a chance to get their bodies right for the playoffs.
‘‘So if that’s the decision we make that’s what it’ll be based on.’’
The All Blacks only disassembled on Sunday afternoon, and none were required to be present at Chiefs training yesterday - though Harris did pop along to keep tabs on the lineout, where a few tweaks have been made.
‘‘We told them all to stay away, they’ve had a pretty intense three weeks,’’ Rennie said. ‘‘We want them to clear their heads a little bit.’’
Since their loss to the Lions on June 20, the Chiefs players got 10 days off and undertook individual training programmes before link- ing up last week for what Rennie described as an ‘‘excellent’’ training week, which also included community and cultural activities.
‘‘We got a lot of hard work done, but [were] just making sure the group’s really tight heading into the business end of the year,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s where we want to be - in contention to launch - so we’ve achieved that.’’
There haven’t been any new injuries crop up in the time off, but Rennie confirmed Taleni Seu, Sam McNicol and Toni Pulu would all miss the rest of the season. Lock/ loose forward Seu fractured his forearm last month, utility back McNicol is still feeling some effects of the concussion suffered on May 19 against the Crusaders, and winger Pulu injured his knee against the Lions.
This final round presents an interesting scenario for the fact that the Brumbies are already assured a home quarterfinal in Canberra next weekend - against either the Chiefs or Hurricanes - and it’s been flagged they could potentially send a weakened team in order to rest players ahead of the sudden-death stage.
‘‘I think those reports came from Chris Boyd, so not sure how factual they are,’’ Rennie quipped of the Hurricanes coach’s remark in the immediate aftermath of his side’s loss to the Chiefs on June 9.
‘‘But I know they got a few dings in the weekend [in the 16-15 loss to the Reds in Brisbane]. They had a week off [following the Wallabies’ three tests] and the chance to manage their Australian players back in already, and I’d say they’d want momentum going into the playoffs. So I’m not sure what team they’ll bring, but whoever it is they’ll have a good side. They’re the best Aussie side.’’