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Chiefs spring surprise ahead of Highlanders clash

Chiefs Head Coach Colin Cooper. (Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images)

The Chiefs have been named ahead of their Super Rugby derby opener against the Highlanders at FMG Stadium Waikato on Friday.

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Four promising youngsters will make their Chiefs debuts, with the biggest surprise coming at first-five-eighth.

21-year-old Orbyn Leger has been named in the number 10 jersey, as All Blacks pivot Damian McKenzie is rested by head coach Colin Cooper due to an ankle complaint.

Leger, who made seven appearances for the Blues as an injury cover replacement last season, was left out of the Chiefs’ initial squad when it was announced at the end of last year.

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However, the former New Zealand under-20 midfielder has been training with the Hamilton-based franchise throughout pre-season, and has done enough to earn a starting spot in the unfamiliar position of first-five following injuries to Tiaan Falcon, Jack Debreczeni and McKenzie.

There are three other debutants throughout the side, with former schoolboy prodigy Etene Nanai-Seturo named on the left wing.

He’s joined by former Blues midfielder Tumua Manu, who starts at centre, and Tongan-born Japan international winger Ataata Moeakiola, who will make his first outing in Chiefs colours from off the bench.

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“It will be a proud moment for our debutants when they run out with the team on Friday,” coach Cooper said.

“It is a privilege to wear the Gallagher Chiefs jersey and as a team we want to demonstrate to our whanau and supporters how proud we are to represent our region and club.”

Despite this influx of fresh talent, Cooper has also named a raft of familiar faces, with All Blacks Nathan Harris, Anton Leinert-Brown, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Angus Ta’avao and new co-captain Brodie Retallick all returning to the side after sitting out the team’s pre-season fixtures.

Club legend Stephen Donald also completes his comeback to the side as an injury replacement to help aide their first-five injury woes, being named on the bench to begin his third stint with the franchise.

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Chiefs team to play the Highlanders in Hamilton on Friday:

1. Atu Moli
2. Nathan Harris
3. Angus Ta’avao
4. Brodie Retallick (c)
5. Michael Allardice
6. Mitchell Brown
7. Lachlan Boshier
8. Tyler Ardron
9. Brad Weber
10. Orbyn Leger
11. Etene Nanai-Seturo
12. Anton Lienert-Brown
13. Tumua Manu
14. Bailyn Sullivan
15. Shaun Stevenson

Reserves:

16. Samisoni Taukei’aho
17. Aidan Ross
18. Nepo Laulala
19. Taleni Seu
20. Jesse Parete
21. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi
22. Stephen Donald
23. Ataata Moeakiola

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Flankly 2 minutes ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

4 Go to comments
N
Nickers 11 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Very poor understanding of what's going on and 0 ability to read. When I say playing behind the gain line you take this to mean all off-loads and site times we are playing in front of the gain line???


Every time we play a lot of rugby behind the gain line (for clarity, meaning trying to build an attack and use width without front foot ball 5m+ behind the most recent breakdown) we go backwards and turn the ball over in some way. Every time a player is tackled behind the most recent breakdown you need more and more people to clear out because your forwards have to go back around the corner, whereas opposition players can keep moving forward. Eventually you run out of either players to clear out or players to pass to and the result in a big net loss of territory and often a turnover. You may have witnessed that 20+ times in the game against England. This is a particularly dumb idea inside your own 40m which is where, for some reason, we are most likely to employ it.


The very best ABs teams never built an identity around attacking from poor positions. The DC era team was known for being the team that kicked the most. To engineer field position and apply pressure, and create broken play to counter attack. This current team is not differentiating between when a defence has lost it's structure and there are opportunities, and when they are completely set and there is nothing on. The reason they are going for 30 minute + periods in every game without scoring a single point, even against Japan and a poor Australian team, is because they are playing most of their rugby on the back foot in the wrong half.

43 Go to comments
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Nickers 40 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

43 Go to comments
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