Strong man returns in timely boost for Chiefs
Phil Vickery with some advice to the local council after plans for a stadium for Cornwall were rejected.
HAVING Ben Afeaki back for the Chiefs is like bringing in a new signing for the business end of the season.
The big and powerful tighthead prop broke his arm in the first game of the season, against the Highlanders. He made his return on Friday night in the 28-22 win over the Bulls in Hamilton, getting through the whole 80 minutes and having an immense impact.
‘‘It’s a relief to get through 80 minutes, my arm held up well and I didn’t really think about it at all,’’ Afeaki told Sunday News.
‘‘I’m really happy; I was keen to get the basics right. The whole week we talked about how the Bulls are going to be a big physical pack, so our preparation was around contact, just trying to bully the bullies and I’m happy with how I got through the game.’’
Breaking his arm in the season opener was a crushing blow for Afeaki, but he used his time on the sidelines well, losing five kilograms of weight and improving his fitness.
‘‘I was gutted to break my arm. After going through pre-season and then that happening seven minutes into the game meant that I had a couple more months of pre-season,’’ he said.
‘‘But I’m down to 125kg. It has been a huge benefit.
‘‘I’ve been real
professional around my training and recovery. I’ve worked hard on my nutrition and fitness and that helped me get through today.’’
Afeaki was in the All Blacks training squad before last year’s World Cup and may well have made it into Steve Hansen’s new wider training group had he not broken his arm.
He is a tall and physically imposing tighthead, similar to Carl Hayman, but like the former Highlander, he can play only on one side of the scrum.
That does disadvantage Afeaki because the All Blacks selectors want two of their four props in the squad capable of playing both tighthead and loosehead.
But he hopes his case will be helped when new IRB rule changes come in to accommodate two props on an eight-man reserve bench.
‘‘I’m pretty much trying to specialise on the tighthead side,’’ he said.
‘‘They’re looking for a person who can play both, but maybe with the new rules it might benefit me, because they’ll be able to take another specialised prop on the bench.
‘‘I’ve always believed that it’s best to focus on tighthead. I want to be the best and if I am the best hopefully I’ll earn the jersey too.
‘‘You need a good tighthead to hold down the scrum, I’m happy but I know I’ve still got a lot to work on at tighthead. From here on I’ll work on my engage and knees to the ground.’’
The win over the Bulls keeps the Chiefs at the top of the points table and wing Lelia Masaga said they were gunning to finish the season as the top seeds.
‘‘We realised from the day we lost to the Reds that the next two games were going to be difficult for us,’’ he said.
‘‘Training was all about clarity and small details, being able to get everything right from the Reds game that we didn’t do well at.
‘‘We wanted to make sure we won this weekend and then look forward towards the game against the Blues.
‘‘They are a strong team and we’ve got to make sure we come out right for training on Monday.’’