Chiefs vs. Sharks!

[Larksea]

Big game, will the chiefs signal their status as a contender or will the sharks continue their feeding frenzy?

Chiefs welcome Back Richard Kahui, so one sep closer to the "all allblack" backline I've been looking forward to for some time and if it wasn't for Mil's injury this would have been the game... Chiefs injury list is starting to look ugly. only other change of note is Elliot starting ahead of Mega.

The team:


Tim Nanai-Williams, Lelia Masaga, Richard Kahui, Tana Umaga, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Stephen Donald, Brendon Leonard, Liam Messam (captain), Tanerau Latimer, Scott Waldrom, Isaac Ross, Craig Clarke, Nathan White, Hika Elliot, Ben May.
Res: Aled de Malmanche, Sona Taumalolo, Romana Graham, Fritz Lee, Taniela Moa, Mike Delany, Dwayne Sweeney.

Out with injury: Mils Muliaina, Ben Afeaki, Hayden Triggs, Colin Bourke and Toby Smith.

 

[Shaggy]

Looking forward to seeing how Kahui goes after being out injured for so long ... he's got a lot of ground to make up on the other All Black contenders

 

[northharbour]

That is a good looking line-up. I hope the Chiefs get back to their winning ways and start to show actually how good they are.

Donald needs a good game, when he plays well, the Chiefs play well.

Sharks will need to watch the back 3 as-well. Sivivatu - Masaga - Nanai-Williams combo is devastating when given half a gap.

COME ON THE CHIEFS

 

[donmcdazzle]

The Sharks should take this one you would have to think. Their pack should monster the Chiefs and nullify the backline. Good to see Kahui back. Sweeney has been terrible, I'm not sure he even knows how to pass given the way he tucks and goes every time.

 

[Seaton]

Should be our toughest game so far

A little dissapointed that Muliana isn't starting, as imo he hasn't had the greatest of starts to the season, and I think Williams is a more dangerous runner than him
And given how it was runners that spoilt our defence in the Rebels game, well you get the picture

The Sharks line-up is the same from last week, except for a positional and XV/bench swap, in the form of Smit going to loosehad, and Jannie du Plessis coming in for Beast
Hoprfully the long haul to London won't be on the players minds

'Mon the Sharks

 

[Amobokoboko]

Hard test for the chiefs, but I really hope they can make it.

 

[nickdnz]

I think it'll al depend on how the Chiefs running game goes. The Sharks won't be able to compete if the game opens up, but they have plenty of sand bags to throw on the granades, so I'd probably pick the Sharks to win, but close game. Richard Kahui's return will be interesting. In my opinion he has all the class you could ever want in the midfield, it's only injury which has stopped him being an automatic selection. With that in mind, he had a rubbish Super 14 last season, so I guess it depends on which Kahui turns up.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

If both teams pitch up to play with intensity I can't see the Sharks lose this one. Chiefs have the better players from 13 out but I'd say the Sharks have the rest covered, especially in the forwards.

I can only see this game swing towards the Chiefs only if they can either manage a lot of turn-over ball or if the Sharks are inaccurate in the execution of their gameplan and lack their usual intensity IE don't pitch up focused.

The Chiefs were dangerous in 2009 when teams kicked a lot of ball and their outbacks had a lot of ball with a lot of space down the middle but times have changed with most teams prefering to keep hold of the ball and the Chiefs just lack the forward grunt to contend for posession IMO. And their defense isn't the best in the game to compensate.

 

[JJR]

I think it will be a tough one, but without Mils and Bourke and don't know if Chiefs have enough. I think it will be won in the Tight 5 battle, still hard to really know what will happen in this game, Chiefs play some of their best rugby against The Sharks. I think Sharks by 8 though. If it rains, then the game becomes a 50/50 call.
I expect Alberts also to be key to the outcome.

 

[nickdnz]

I'd hardly say that not having Bourke and Mils is a real disadvantage. Colin Bourke plays far too loose to be a threat, I'd easily have Messam at 8 and Waldrom at 6 over Bourke, and Fritz Lee is better than him anyway. Tim Nanai-Williams is also more dangerous than Mils. Mils has been a ball hog for the last 18 months, and has had an average start, where as Nanai-Williams has been arguably the most dangerous back so far in the competition. I'd easily take the Chiefs backline from 11-15 over the Sharks. I do think the Sharks will have the edge up front, but Scott Waldrom has been a beast lately, so I think it's mainly the tight 5 in which the Sharks will have the biggest advantage.

 

[Sam Owen]

Yey Kahuis back and thats a very good backline. Ummmm???...Im gonna go for the Shawks.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

John Smit is moving to tight-head to give Mtawarira some time to rest. Jannie back at loosehead and the rest of the squad is the same.

I think John Smit should retire... Just let him play against the Cheetahs and Lions...

 

[Seaton]

John Smit is moving to tight-head to give Mtawarira some time to rest. Jannie back at loosehead and the rest of the squad is the same.

I think John Smit should retire... Just let him play against the Cheetahs and Lions...

You're still getting your tightheads/looseheads mixed up

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Sowwy

 

[Dizzy]

The King shall lay down the law this game and win the game for the Chiefs with a record 5 tries in a match... lol

Chiefs to win by 10..

 

[Larksea]

yeah the big concern for the chiefs is the tight 5.

With two props out injured Nathan White has had a big workload over the first games of the season. And with Triggs out injured and Ross not really delivering on expectations the Locking department isn't hot either. Though it hasn't all been bad, Clarke has been good and the scrum has been mostly good and Aled has been a freak as usual (everywhere but lineout throwing).

The game plan has to be to move the ball, move the sharks forwards around. Imoportant for Donald & Leonard to have good games but Kahui will be critical. Sweany is a good runner but he's been very poor at setting up his outside man which is surely the reason they have decided to put kahui straight into the starting lineup because so far this season the chiefs backline has operated well until the ball has got to sweany then he's neglected to pass almost every time.

Shame not to see Barlow on the bench, he was a bit eratic in the early games. Brilliant at times but also wasted quite a lot of good ball. If towards the end the chiefs need something extra Barlow could have been a usefull weapon to have on the bench.

I think big games like this against top Republic teams is where the chiefs will really miss mills.

 

[dan the man]

The King shall lay down the law this game and win the game for the Chiefs with a record 5 tries in a match... lol

Chiefs to win by 10..

Haha! That would be a dream come true! With all this talk about the crusaders centers, now the chiefs have an awesome centre pairing!!!

Tana for world cup selection!!!

 

[Darwin]

yeah the big concern for the chiefs is the tight 5.

With two props out injured Nathan White has had a big workload over the first games of the season. And with Triggs out injured and Ross not really delivering on expectations the Locking department isn't hot either. Though it hasn't all been bad, Clarke has been good and the scrum has been mostly good and Aled has been a freak as usual (everywhere but lineout throwing).

The game plan has to be to move the ball, move the sharks forwards around. Imoportant for Donald & Leonard to have good games but Kahui will be critical. Sweany is a good runner but he's been very poor at setting up his outside man which is surely the reason they have decided to put kahui straight into the starting lineup because so far this season the chiefs backline has operated well until the ball has got to sweany then he's neglected to pass almost every time.

Shame not to see Barlow on the bench, he was a bit eratic in the early games. Brilliant at times but also wasted quite a lot of good ball. If towards the end the chiefs need something extra Barlow could have been a usefull weapon to have on the bench.

I think big games like this against top Republic teams is where the chiefs will really miss mills.

I agree almost entirely with all of this. I was going to post about the Sharks advantage up front, and how great it is that Sweeney is finally gone (at least until Kahui gets injured) but you beat me to it! Only thing I would disagree with is your assertion that Ross has not really delivered on expectations, as personally I think he has played the same way he always has.

I'm happy to see Hika Elliot back starting again, and I agree that Kerr-Barlow should be back on the bench (if not starting..). It will be interesting to see how Umuga backs up for his third week in a row.

Overall I'm picking the Chiefs to win by 5-10, largely due to their home ground advantage.

 

[Amobokoboko]

I hope we can count on a solid defense.

 

[Larksea]

I think defence will be fine tana and Donald look to be a good combination on defence and kahui will be an improvement, I read he had to make 20 tackles in his last devalopment game. plus the chiefs loosies are all good defenders.

I think the two main issues for the chiefs are 1, making sure their own ball is secure and not cenceding turnovers. 2, Reducing handelling errors and being a bit more patient.

I've never been very critical of Foster's coaching but it seems many individuels in the chiefs are playing well it's just the team work and gameplan which has failed a bit at times. With the players and form they have I think they should be doing better which does make me wonder how well the coaching is going.