The Chiefs will need to beat an under pressure Bulls side if they want to keep up at the pointy end of Super Rugby’s New Zealand conference.
After three straight weeks of battling New Zealand conference rivals; the Chiefs appeared to switch off in what was an ugly 27-14 win against the Rebels. Sure the Chiefs were tired and hungry for the bye week, but the New Zealand conference in Super Rugby is a tight affair.
Dropping games that you shouldn’t against lesser oppositions can have terrible consequences come finals time. The Rebels weren’t too far away from throwing that spanner into the works for the Chiefs, and head coach Dave Rennie knows it.
“It was frustrating but I guess we managed to get the bonus point”, Rennie said to curious media in Hamilton.
With the bye week, Rennie and his men got some crucial time for reflection. All three of the kiwi-derbies the Chiefs played were tight and physical affairs. While draining from those aspects, the Chiefs were under pressure to get bonus points each week to stay at the top of the New Zealand conference.
“It’s not easy fronting up each week and it’s so draining when you have to play three kiwi sides to begin with”, Rennie said.
Bulls Arrive in Hamilton
Up next is the Bulls in Hamilton this weekend, fresh off a loss to the Blues. Currently, the Bulls sit third in the Africa 2 conference with just one win under their belt so far in 2017. Like any South African side, the Bulls are big up front and can power through even the best forward packs in Super Rugby.
“Traditionally they are pretty poor in the first game off the plane. We expect them to be better this week, and if we are not disciplined they will kick for the corner and look to maul”, Rennie said.
The club from Pretoria won Super Rugby in 2007, 2009, and 2010. This makes them one of the most successful teams in the history of the greatest rugby competition in World Rugby.
Interesting Prospects Come into Chiefs Selection Picture
Players that were previously out of contention are now getting close to being selection possibilities.
Sam McNicol has missed out so far due to injury but continues to make steady progress. The return of the 21-year old will throw in further difficulty in selection processes on the wing, with options including Shaun Stevenson and James Lowe just to name a couple.
Toni Pulu suffered a minor injury against the Rebels in Melbourne and will miss this weeks clash against the Bulls, plus potentially the two-game trip to South Africa. Kane Hames is also injured but will return to full training on Thursday after receiving an injection in his knee.
The Chiefs play the Bulls at FMG Stadium, Waikato this Saturday night.
“Main photo credit”
