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'He's the Mr Fix It Man for us': Clayton McMillan's rave review of Chiefs youngster
By Alex McLeod
Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan has reserved high praise for one of his youngest squad members in the wake of his side’s 30-29 Super Rugby Pacific win over the Hurricanes on Sunday.
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The Chiefs bounced back from their loss to the Crusaders the week beforehand to keep their spot in sixth place on the competition table, just four points astray from the top four.
Victory didn’t come easily for the visitors, though, as they had to come from behind at half-time to take the lead during the second half before being forced to withstand a late flurry of tries from the hosts at Sky Stadium in Wellington.
However, the Chiefs showed their depth of quality and class to walk away as winners, and they can thank two of their loose forwards for playing a large part in their success.
Speaking to media after the match, McMillan pinpointed the efforts of 22-year-old flanker Kalyum Boshier, as well as No 8 Pita Gus Sowakula, as being key to the Chiefs’ win.
Boshier, playing at blindside flanker, scored a try and was a constant presence in all facets of the game, whether that be with ball in hand or on defence, leading McMillan to label him as the “Mr Fix It Man” of the Chiefs.
Sowakula, meanwhile, carried the devastating form that he has found himself in this season – which has thrust him at the centre of All Blacks selection discussions – into the match against the Hurricanes.
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“Pita Gus, we sort of missed him last week [against the Crusaders] because he’s been one of our go-to men, his sort of ability to carry,” McMillan said post-match.
“Kaylum Boshier, he’s the Mr Fix It Man for us. He can play anywhere in the back row, started well, played blindside today and had some really good moments, particularly out on the edge where he got to stretch his legs.
“He’s a really accurate player, so I thought he had a good day at the office.”
Both players contributed to a strong second half performance that McMillan was pleased with, particularly in the opening stages where the Chiefs scored 17 points through tries to Boshier and Chase Tiatia, as well as the boots of Josh Ioane and Bryn Gatland.
McMillan was also proud of the defensive fortitude his team showed late in the match when the Hurricanes scored two tries and threatened to score a decisive third, but were denied the chance to do so by a determined and clinical Chiefs outfit.
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In saying that, McMillan also outlined that his side need to ensure they don’t drop off late in matches, as they did in the lead-up to Ardie Savea’s try when he scored by catching out numerous tired Chiefs defenders with a quick penalty tap from close range.
“Certainly in the last couple of minutes when the game was right in the balance, I thought we defended really well, really disciplined and we just managed to make really good decisions in and around the breakdown,” McMillan said.
“If you’re judging it on the last few minutes, I’d say it had a big impact. Over the course of the game, we were pretty good, but we had moments where we just clocked off. Against a good Hurricanes team, you can’t do that.”
The Chiefs will now prepare to face the Blues in Hamilton on Saturday, a blockbuster fixture that pits arguably the two biggest title challengers – aside from the Crusaders – against one another at FMG Stadium Waikato.
With such an important fixture coming up, McMillan said he was pleased to have banked his side’s fourth win of the year as the season nears the second half of its campaign.
“Happy to get the win. The Hurricanes are a quality side and they never throw the towel in, which says a lot about their character, and Wellington is always traditionally just a really hard place to come, so enjoyed it,” he said.
“It was great to see a bumper crowd out there, they were vocal and their team gave them plenty to get excited about, particularly at the backend of the game, so it was a good rugby spectacle. Rugby was the winner, but happy to go away with the win.”
