Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

All Blacks props return to action as Chiefs eye up former bogey-team Reds

Angus Ta'avao. (Photo by Andrew Cornaga/Photosport)

The Chiefs are finally starting to get back some of their forward artillery as they enter the final month of their 2021 campaign.

ADVERTISEMENT

The team has been besotted with injuries this season with the likes of experienced operators Sam Cane, Atu Moli, Angus Ta’avao, Reuben O’Neill, Mitch Brown, Quinn Tupaea and Naitoa Ah Kuoi all spending countless games on the sidelines.

Even the youngsters haven’t been immune to the usual injury curse, with Kaylum Boshier, Laghlan McWhannell and Simon Parker having their seasons permanently cut short.

Video Spacer

A RugbyPass original series, ‘Reforging the Steelers’ – an exclusive behind the scenes documentary following one of New Zealand’s most renowned provincial sides, Counties Manukau.

Video Spacer

A RugbyPass original series, ‘Reforging the Steelers’ – an exclusive behind the scenes documentary following one of New Zealand’s most renowned provincial sides, Counties Manukau.

With just three regular-season rounds left in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, coach Clayton McMillan must be confident that he has the cattle at his disposal to make the most of the final, especially with a few of the above players returning in recent weeks.

The trio of Ta’avao, Brown, Tupaea and O’Neill are all set to return to action against the Reds this weekend, with the former two named to start in Saturday’s match.

Ta’avao will take over from Sione Mafileo at tighthead prop while Brown will slot into the second row ahead of rookie Josh Lord.

There are two other changes to the forwards with Bradley Slater handed the No 2 jersey for just the second time this season and Pita Gus Sowakula swapping back into the starting side for 182-cap Chiefs legend Liam Messam.

ADVERTISEMENT

In the backs, Damian McKenzie will once again line up at first five-eighth but it’s 22-year-old Kaleb Trask who will play at fullback, with Chase Tiatia shifting to the left wing for Jonah Lowe, who is sidelined with a hamstring strain.

2018 All Blacks tourist O’Neill, who has been sidelined due to concussion, joins the bench at the expense of youngster Ollie Norris.

All Blacks prop Atu Moli made a successful return to Super Rugby last week but illness kept him off the training field this week and has prevented him from notching up a second straight match. Instead, he’ll play club rugby back in New Zealand.

The other significant return on the bench is midfielder Tupaea who was expected to be absent for the rest of the season after suffering an MCL injury earlier in the year.

ADVERTISEMENT

While the Chiefs have won their last five encounters with the Reds, there was a period during the early 2010s where the Queenslanders won four matches on the trot. Having been put to the sword by the Crusaders in Brisbane last weekend, the Super Rugby AU champions will be full of motivation for this Saturday’s match.

The game kicks off at 7:45pm AEST from Townsville.

Chiefs: Kaleb Trask, Bailyn Sullivan, Anton Lienert-Brown, Alex Nankivell, Chase Tiatia, Damian McKenzie, Brad Weber, Luke Jacobson, Lachlan Boshier, Pita Gus Sowakula, Tupou Vaa’i, Mitchell Brown, Angus Ta’avao, Bradley Slater, Aidan Ross. Reserves: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Reuben O’Neill, Sione Mafileo, Zane Kapeli, Liam Messam, Xavier Roe, Quinn Tupaea, Shaun Stevenson.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

R
RedWarrior 1 hour ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

1 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Everyone is saying the same thing after agonising England loss Everyone is saying the same thing after agonising England loss
Search