Team culture credited for Chiefs’ turnaround
It’s been a turnaround of epic proportions, and Chiefs captain Brad Weber says his coach has to take huge credit for the culture which has inspired it.
Walking into a maiden Super Rugby gig on somewhat of a hiding to nothing in a one-year interim role following Warren Gatland’s winless 2020 Aotearoa campaign, Clayton McMillan could have been forgiven for wondering what he had signed up for, what after presiding over 16 and 22-point defeats which made it a record-equalling 11-game losing streak, then with his side down by 19 at halftime against the Hurricanes.
But, on the back of that stunning comeback win in Wellington, the Chiefs have gone on to record three just-as-thrilling victories, which now has them in second spot on the ladder and in this all-Kiwi comp right up to their eyeballs, no little thanks to a strong backbone and belief which had been drilled in early-doors.
‘‘We could always see the character, we always knew it was there, and it was all about trusting the process and not listening to the outside noise, because, geez, there was plenty of it,’’ Weber said following the team’s latest triumph – their 26-25 win over the Crusaders in Hamilton on Saturday night.
‘‘You can’t have a successful team without a good culture. Clayton’s had a real focus on that ever since he’s come in.
‘‘Not to say it wasn’t a focus before, because it always has been, he’s just had his own spin on it. I think him being Ma¯ori helps, in a Ma¯ori area like the Waikato. We play on an old pa¯ site, the Whatanoa out there, and it’s pretty easy to draw on some inspiration in that regard.’’
McMillan, who came into the job after six seasons building Bay of Plenty into a force to be reckoned with in the NPC, and who also led the Ma¯ ori All Blacks the past four years, feels his journey has led him to know just how vital off-field cohesion is, with the ability to get teams to ‘‘overachieve’’ if they understand they are ‘‘playing for something bigger than yourself’’.
‘‘I’ve always been involved with teams that don’t have a lot, but I’d like to think have a really good culture, care for one another, and have a real fighting spirit,’’ he said.
‘‘And when you get those things right, when you need to look your mate in the eye and ask for a little bit more, he’s more likely to give it if you’ve created the right stuff off the field.
‘‘If you don’t put the time and effort into trying to get that, then you run the risk of not being able
to jump out of the trenches together when the big moments come.
‘‘And I think this team is doing that really well. Right from day one we’ve done that.
‘‘Internally, we are a really tight group.
‘‘Even when people weren’t backing us, and they were consumed with losing records, we weren’t. And we’re not consumed with winning ones either. We’ll just keep doing our job, and we’ll get what we earn.’’
What the Chiefs have already earned for themselves is their destiny being in their own hands.
They now host the Hurricanes, before facing the Blues in the final round in Auckland, with two wins ensuring their place in the decider against the Crusaders, while even just one is likely to be enough.
There is still even the chance of being able to host the final, should the Crusaders lose to the Blues in Christchurch on Sunday.
McMillan said Saturday’s healthy crowd of 18,500 ‘‘were worth points to us’’ and was hoping his side could attract even more this Friday night for ‘‘the critical one’’.
‘‘I think whether you do or you don’t get people to come along and support you is probably a reflection of the way that you’re playing and the engagement that you’re having with the community,’’ he said.
‘‘So I’d like to think that the crowd that turned up, and the crowd that will turn up next week, is a reflection of them seeing us spill our guts and play hard for the jersey, for all the people that the jersey represents. And we’ll keep going for as long as we can, and get better.’’