Bring back Brodie? Chiefs show faith in squad At a glance
The Chiefs have resisted an SOS call to Brodie Retallick despite having another locking crisis on their hands for the final round of the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition.
Having started the competition a month ago with a scanty second row, the Chiefs’ stocks have been hit even harder ahead of the match against the Waratahs in Sydney tomorrow night, with both Josh Lord and Mitchell Brown ruled out after sustaining concussions in the win over the Rebels in the NSW capital last Sunday.
Naitoa Ah Kuoi hasn’t played since the Aotearoa final, nursing a neck injury, while the other contracted locking option, Laghlan McWhannell
(knee) has been sidelined for a third straight season, and even wider squad member Samipeni Finau hasn’t featured since injuring his shoulder against the Blues on May 1.
The upshot is, starting alongside 21-year-old All Black Tupou
Vaa’i at Lottoland will be Zane Kapeli – the Bay of Plenty and Tonga loose forward – with Counties Manukau loosie Viliami Taulani flown over to take a spot on the bench to similarly play out of position.
There was, of course, a certain 81-test All Black who could have solved all the locking dramas.
Having completed his two-week quarantine requirements on
Chiefs: Kaleb Trask, Shaun Stevenson, Alex Nankivell, Quinn Tupaea, Sean Wainui, Bryn Gatland, Brad Weber (c), Luke Jacobson, Lachlan Boshier, Pita Gus Sowakula, Tupou Vaa’i, Zane Kapeli, Angus Ta’avao, Bradley Slater, Aidan Ross. Reserves: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Ollie Norris, Reuben O’Neill, Viliami Taulani, Tom Florence, Xavier Roe, Anton Lienert-Brown, Chase Tiatia.
return from Japan, following the completion of his sabbatical with Kobe, Retallick could have made a quick dash across the ditch for a hitout ahead of the international season. However, in what is most likely set to be a dead rubber affair, Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan didn’t take the thought any further.
‘‘We would have loved Brodie to come over, but unfortunately he’s been in isolation for a couple of weeks, so, him being able to come out of that in reasonable nick probably wasn’t realistic,’’ he said.
‘‘We all know that he’s an outstanding rugby player, and if we chucked him out there he certainly wouldn’t look out of place, but I think it’d be a bloody tough ask to bring him out of the cold. And we want to show some faith in the