Northern Edition

Select Edition

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

'Discipline' and 'dusty lineouts' the Chiefs' focus for Battle of the Bombays

Luke Jacobson of the Chiefs. Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images

Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan is gearing his side up for a playoffs warm-up clash in the final game of the Super Rugby Pacific regular season against the Blues, and insists there’s plenty of motivation despite being locked in as the fourth seed.

ADVERTISEMENT

For the Aucklanders, their top spot on the table is on the line as they share 51 competition points with the Hurricanes heading into the final round.

The Battle of the Bombays will send one of the two heavyweights into the playoffs with their confidence validated, and the other with their confidence dented. Both clubs come into the contest having lost derbies in round 14.

Video Spacer

Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula on being overlooked by NZ U20’s

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      Video Spacer

      Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula on being overlooked by NZ U20’s

      Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula chats to Finn Morton about how he was overlooked but then had a blast with Fiji U20s in South Africa.

      McMillan professed his excitement for the game: “We love playing the Blues. It doesn’t matter whether we play there or at home.

      “It’s a game we always look forward to…We had a few dusty lineouts (on Friday), but the scrum was good, so there are some things that we can build off that will set us up well for what’s coming in the future.”

      With Friday’s loss to the Hurricanes coming in the Hamilton club’s last home game of the regular season, the Chiefs are eager to give their fans something to cheer about this weekend, even from afar.

      “It’s a big part of the reason why we go out there, and we didn’t quite get it done,” he said.

      Discipline will be a big focus ahead of the playoffs after struggling in that respect against the Hurricanes. McMillan’s men also struggled to win the collision area.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      “That made us become ill-disciplined and gave them too much easy access into the game.

      “It was nice to get a try early in the second half, boost the confidence. The margin became a lot smaller, and it stayed that way for the rest of the game.

      “The reality was that we gave away too many penalties.

      “Every time it looked like we were about to poke our head through the clouds and start getting that momentum ourselves, we’d do something a little silly and release that pressure valve.”

      Related

      Captain Luke Jacobson echoed his coach’s sentiment.

      ADVERTISEMENT

      “We got the brunt of the penalties which is not what we want,” the All Black said.

      While for the Hurricanes, receiving a red card provided an edge and saw them lift their game, the Chiefs were unable to lift when flanker Kaylum Boshier was handed a yellow.

      “We would have liked to have capitalised on that a lot more, but when you’ve got attacking footy like they did, they had a lot of the ball then, and on the back of ill-discipline from us, it makes it hard for us to play.

      “They were able to hold onto the ball and play some good footy.”

      Fixture
      Super Rugby Pacific
      Blues
      31 - 17
      Full-time
      Chiefs
      All Stats and Data

      Ultimately, McMillan gave credit to the Wellington outfit for a hard-earned win.

      “They’re a quality rugby team, and the second try they scored was good heads-up play around us being a man down and targeting a transition zone where we were a little bit thin. So you’ve got to give them credit for seeing those opportunities.

      “Otherwise, the game was pretty tight and was swinging both ways at times. But, on the balance of things, we just didn’t have enough momentum.”

      ADVERTISEMENT

      South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

      Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

      Saitama Wildknights vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

      The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

      The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

      Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

      Perry Baker in the house | HSBC Life on Tour | Los Angeles

      Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

      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

      S
      Solenn Bonnet 5 days ago
      Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

      My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

      CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

      EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

      WhatsApp.. +15617263697

      website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

      Telegram.. +15617263697

      0 Go to comments
      LONG READ
      LONG READ How long can South Africa hedge their bets in both hemispheres? How long can South Africa hedge their bets in both hemispheres?
      Search