Five Chiefs dangermen Fleck’s team have to keep a close eye on

– Page 27 – Page 26 THE Stormers face their first big test of the season against the Chiefs today. The guys from Waikato are always a dangerous bunch, but here are five men the Stormers need to keep close tabs on at Newlands.

At only 1.75 metre and 81 kilograms, McKenzie is a deceptive little threat who is just as potent on attack as he is on defence. Robbie Fleck’s men will have to watch the Smiling Assassin’s every move from the very start, and not wait until he lines up next to the tee or until they taste one of his fearless, cut-you-in-half tackles to do so. The playmaking fullback is as good with his tactical kicking as he is with his kick to posts, and he is a lethal strike force with amazing stepping ability that is equally effective and pleasing to watch.

The left winger’s skillset surely makes him a standout, while he’s also the owner of a superb attacking brain and a powerful left boot. His quick-thinking, evasive play has allowed him to snipe through seemingly impenetrable defences and his ability to spot gaps makes him even more of a threat. And don’t forget about his insane offloads, he’s produced some crazy ones so far. He can organise defensive lines like nobody’s business, and he’s also tops at securing possession after kicks from the opposition half (again, Stormers, watch that).

Pure class. That’s one of the better ways to describe this pivot. He has a first-class ability to build pressure, and if anyone is keen to attack the line, it’s him.

His footwork and his offloading game have come in very handy in this regard, as he continuously tries to fight his team’s way to the try line, while his quick distribution aids the Chiefs’ free- flowing game very, very much. He also has no trouble finding gaps, and his skip passes have managed to sneak into defensive gaps many times. It’s kind of hard to fault this No 10’s game, I mean, his defence is decent and so is his goal-kicking (well, it’s certainly better than Beauden Barrett’s).

I don’t think much explanation is needed here. This man is huge, not only in terms of his (obvious) physical frame, but also in terms of his on-field grind.

This giant of a man is a bit too exciting given his playing position… yeah, he’s a real attacking option with those strong runs and classy offloads. He just epitomises the New Zealanders’ handling prowess. And then, of course, he’s also obviously a lineout master. At 2.04 metre and 120 kilograms, Retallick is, needless to say, quite a physical presence, and did I mention that he’s also an imposing force in the lineout? One thing’s for sure, the Stormers’ Brodie Retallick in Eben Etzebeth (as Dave Rennie put it) certainly has his work cut out for him.

There’s no substitute for pure pace, just ask guys who have had the pleasure of trying to defend against this man. He’s the fastest man in a potent Chiefs backline, and anyone who’s seen the composition of that Kiwi team would know there’s no shortage of speed there, so that says enough. There’s no doubt that the Stormers also have a fine backline, but they don’t have this kind of pace (recover quickly, Seabelo Senatla). So watch him.