Chiefs embrace opener
A baptism of fire, if there ever was one.
The defending champions, on their home turf. Assignments don’t come much trickier than that for anyone, let alone a largely newlook side.
But that’s the challenge the Chiefs are embracing, as they open their Super Rugby season against the Crusaders in Christchurch tonight.
Far from being daunted by the prospect of having new combinations crumble under the pressure of a consistently clinical Crusaders side, and the chance of an early psychological whack in the guts for a fresh-start franchise, the Chiefs are instead buoyed by what can come of the AMI Stadium summer showdown.
Co-captain Charlie Ngatai even went to the levels of describing it as ‘‘awesome’’ to get last season’s title-winners first-up.
‘‘It gives us a base where we sit after pre-season,’’ said the man who has been shifted from the midfield to take up a new role at fullback.
‘‘And obviously going to Christchurch, it’s a tough game down there against the Crusaders.
‘‘You always want to challenge yourself against the best.
‘‘So we’re really looking forward
to the challenge.’’
The two sides have built up a storied history, and it was the Crusaders who got the Chiefs on both meetings last year – 31-24 in Suva then 27-13 in the semifinal in Christchurch. But there is always the thought that getting a defending champion in round one can be favourable for the fact they may be able to be struck while still a bit cold.
The hosts are also without injured All Blacks Joe Moody, Owen Franks, Kieran Read and Israel Dagg. And they do not have a flash opening-round record.
The last four years the Crusaders have opened their campaigns in Christchurch, last season only managing to scrape past the Brumbies 17-13, after losing to the Chiefs 27-21 in 2016, the Rebels 20-10 in 2015, and the Chiefs, again, 18-10 in 2014. In 2013 they started with a bye then lost 34-15 to the Blues in Auckland.
New Chiefs coach Colin Cooper said some historical success in Christchurch would indeed create belief in the ranks for his troops.
‘‘It’s that confidence that it’s been done before, we’ll certainly carry that,’’ he said.
For Cooper, it’s a return to a competition he was last involved in in 2010, in an eight-season stint with the Hurricanes. A lot has changed since then, but some things in rugby never do – like that the grunt has to be done up front to let the backs do their thing.
The Chiefs have their fascinating new No 9-10 combination of Brad Weber and Damian McKenzie to unleash, and it could be a sublime show if it runs to script, but Cooper has a fair idea of what to expect from his opposite Scott Robertson, after his time coaching against him at NPC level.
‘‘I know they’re going to be very very good up front,’’ he said. ‘‘And it’s good to go down there with a group that can compete with them up front.’’
Any pack with Brodie Retallick and Cane will be hugely competitive, and while fellow All Black Kane Hames misses this one through illness there is still reasonable experience and a touch of flair to challenge the might of the Crusaders’ big men.
‘‘So I’m excited and looking forward to that scrum and lineout battle,’’ Cooper said. ‘‘And if we can get go-forward ball we’ve got some young exciting backs that could put their hand up.’’
Ngatai’s return to his yesteryear spot at No 15 makes for even more new combinations in the backline though, and he noted things can’t be expected to be perfect this early, so they have to make the most of what they can.
‘‘There’s going to be a few dropped balls, the game could get messy at times, that’s what happens in rugby at those first stages. So I guess the team that makes the least errors wins the game.’’