Chiefs are settled but need a lift

The Chiefs need a lift and more Covid-19 disruption does not help.

Chiefs coach Clayton Mcmillan said they have to improve as the playoffs approach, or forget about any dreams of winning the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific.

The struggling Western Force are in Hamilton tomorrow – a fixture the Chiefs are expected to win comfortably – but as last Sunday’s rather fortunate victory over the Melbourne Rebels showed, Mcmillan’s team has been not convincing in their recent push to secure a home quarterfinal.

Additional Covid-19 cases this week have torpedoed careful selection plans for the final rounds of the regular season, but the Chiefs have nonetheless named a lineup which is recognisable for this weekend’s penultimate round.

Mcmillan didn’t say which of his players had tested positive but confirmed there were no new injury concerns after pipping the Rebels 33-30 in Melbourne.

All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick, who suffered a broken thumb in March, is still absent but is expected to return soon, while Josh Ioane, Etene NanaiSeturo, Ollie Norris and Atu Moli have been listed as unavailable for the Force after they were named for the Rebels last week.

Outside backs Jonah Lowe and Gideon Wrampling are among the others unavailable.

The performance against the Rebels left the coaches ‘‘far from happy’’, Mcmillan said, and a similar challenge against the Force should indicate if the Chiefs have improved or not.

They start the round in fourth – the top-four host quarterfinals in June – and are three points clear of the Hurricanes and Waratahs in fifth and sixth.

Mcmillan said his side is not playing at the level it’s capable of but expects a lift ahead of the playoffs in a fortnight.

‘‘That should happen organically. We can sense those finals are around the corner,’’ Mcmillan said. ‘‘We are the first to admit we aren’t playing great rugby.

‘‘We know if we continue in that trend, we won’t go far in the competition. There’s a real drive to lift our performance this week.

‘‘I want to see that translate to something we can be proud of.’’

In two of the five changes to the starting side, Bryn Gatland replaces Ioane at first-five and inform centre Alex Nankivell returns after being rested.

Bradley Slater comes into the 23 and starts, replacing All Blacks hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, and All Blacks lock Tupou Vaa’i returns to the second row. Pita Gus Sowakula jumps from the bench to blindside flanker for his 50th Chiefs appearance.

Bay of Plenty prop Josh Bartlett is poised for his Super Rugby debut off the bench.

The Force are 10th on 14 points and have an outside chance of sneaking into the playoffs, but their record against Kiwi teams is terrible.

The Perth-based team has lost 24 matches on the trot against New Zealand opposition and their last win, incidentally, was against the Chiefs in Western Australia in 2014.

Like the Rebels, the Chiefs face them after a heavy defeat (61-10 to the Highlanders in Dunedin last Friday).

‘‘We’re not being done any favours by those teams facing us after a good pelting. It sharpens their focus,’’ Mcmillan said.

‘‘They’re highly under-rated. They haven’t got a lot of stars but know what their strengths are.’’

The Force also have to back up three days later for another rearranged fixture against Moana Pasifika in Auckland on Tuesday night.

One familiar face in the Force will be former Chiefs outside back and All Black Richard Kahui, who has been named on the bench after his red card last week was dismissed.

‘‘We are the first to admit we aren’t playing great rugby. We know if we continue in that trend, we won’t go far in the competition.’’

Clayton Mcmillan Chiefs coach