Chiefs: It's not who you know but what you do
Chiefs: It's not who you know but what you do
By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - RugbyHeaven | Friday, 02 May 2008
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CRUNCH TIME: Big Chiefs loosie Sione Lauaki has made a habit of troubling the Western Force and expect no different when he runs out for his 50th appearance for the Chiefs in Perth on Saturday night.
The Chiefs aren't falling into the trap of trying to second-guess a bizarre-looking Western Force team with coach Ian Foster emphasising that the Perth franchise clearly rise to the challenge of trying to tip over Kiwi opposition.
While Foster has had the luxury of injecting even more zest into his potent side with the return of prop Simms Davison and midfield back Callum Bruce, Force coach John Mitchell has decided it's time for major changes to his team for Saturday night's clash at Subiaco Oval (9.40pm kick-off NZ time).
The Chiefs are right in the playoffs mix but the Force have fallen off the pace and a mixture of injuries and their situation has seen Mitchell cast an eye ahead by introducing a stack of young talent into his team headed by 17-year-old second five-eighths James O'Connor.
There's also rookie 20-year-old wing Nick Cummins and inexperienced halfback James Stannard in the starting side while West Australian products Kieran Longbottom and 18-year-old Dane Haytlett-Petty are in line to make their Super 14 debuts off the bench.
That would normally leave an opposition coach scratching his head. But not Foster.
"We don't know a lot about him (O'Connor) and quite frankly it doesn't change a lot from our perspective," Foster told RugbyHeaven from Perth.
"We'll find out what happens on the park. They still have their key troops - they have got Matt Giteau there, they have Ryan Cross playing well and Cameron Shepherd at the back.
"So their threats are pretty obvious. And as far as O'Connor is concerned, it's not a bad pair to play in between for your first game - Giteau and Cross."
It's the general threat of the Force rather than any individuals that has Foster more concerned.
Mitchell, the former Waikato, Chiefs and All Blacks coach and an old Mooloo team-mate of Foster, has made a habit of upsetting New Zealand sides with his west Australians.
"I'm expecting a huge degree of enthusiasm from the Force. After their loss and a bye they will be very keen to get back on the park and fix things up," said Foster.
"They have beaten the Highlanders, beaten the Blues and just lost to the Crusaders so I think there is a very clear message that they rise to the New Zealand teams and I expect no different.
"They have their own style and it's one that has been really effective for them, especially at the start of this campaign."
But, in Foster's mind, this week is clearly all about the Chiefs. They have won a record five consecutive matches to climb into the top four and they finally have their destiny in their own hands.
Victory against the Force is essential and they will quietly fancy their chances against Mitchell's new-look outfit.
The challenge for them is to transform their superb home form on to the road. Foster doesn't see that as an issue and points to the ground-breaking win over the Brumbies in early April as proof that his side can be good travellers.
"It's business as normal," he stressed. "We had a rather interesting excursion to Canberra a few weeks ago that was one of the worst trips I've ever had (with delays).
"We've been looking forward to this trip. It's good to be spending time together on the road and it's a different sort of challenge. But ultimately once the whistle goes it's just a game of football and that's the way we have face to it."
While last week's win over the Reds was sloppy compared to the clinical display against the Crusaders a week earlier, a crucial bonus point was collected and Foster was happy that his side recovered from their third-quarter wobbles to regain control of the match.
He believed that would be a real positive for this Perth clash.
"At this stage of things it was probably good to get a wakeup call against the Reds. I think we have learnt some lessons there," he said.
Look for Sione Lauaki to continue his building form as he registers his 50th game for the Chiefs.
He has been part of an increasingly effective back row where swift openside Tanerau Latimer has stepped up alongside the physical presence of Lauaki and Liam Messam.
The Chiefs' backs, enjoying the quality ball form their solid all-round pack, have been running rampant.
At a time when bonus points are going to be crucial over the final three weeks of round-robin, the Chiefs are sure to try to produce more of the razzle-dazzle that has made them the hottest side in the champion ship over the past month and a half.
The Chiefs are adamant they won't be going into their shells as the pressure mounts in this playoffs race. They want to stamp their own authority on this game and that's something that even Mitchell acknowledges.
He said the Chiefs had timed their run to the semifinals "to perfection", claiming some big scalps along the way.
"They are the only team to beat the Crusaders and did so by matching their physicality and building and sustaining pressure on them for the full 80 minutes," said Mitchell.
"Their scrum has been outstanding and their forward play, particularly around their loose forward trio has paved the way for a lot of their wins."
The Chiefs have an unbeaten record against the Western Force, triumphing 26-9 in Perth in 2006 and waltzing away 64-36 in Hamilton last year.
Chiefs halfback Brendon Leonard scored a remarkable hat-trick as a replacement that day in a display that started his march to the All Blacks.
He is missing from this weekend's lineup with a knee problem but that shouldn't stop the Chiefs who are on a march of their own this year.
WESTERN FORCE: 15 Cameron Shepherd, 14 Nick Cummins, 13 Ryan Cross, 12 James O'Connor, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 James Stannard, 8 Matthew Hodgson, 7 David Pocock, 6 Scott Fava, 5 Nathan Sharpe (c), 4 David Pusey, 3 Troy Takiari, 2 Tai Mcisaac, 1 Pekahou Cowan. Reserves: 16 Luke Holmes, 17 Kieran Longbottom, 18 Sitaleki Timani, 19 Richard Brown, 20 Chris O'Young, 21 Scott Daruda, 22 Dane Haylett-Petty.
CHIEFS: 15 Mils Muliaina (c), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Callum Bruce, 11 Sitivini Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Jamie Nutbrown, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Kevin O'Neill, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Ben May, 2 Tom Willis, 1 Simms Davison. Reserves: 16 Aled De Malmanche, 17 Ben Castle, 18 Jay Williams, 19 Faifili Levave, 20 David Bason, 21 Dwayne Sweeney, 22 Sosene Anesi.
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