Western Force star Richard Kahui's warning to Australian sides ahead of Chiefs reunion

Former All Black Richard Kahui predicts Australian teams will receive a shock when they come up against their New Zealand rivals in the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition.

Kahui, who now plays for the Western Force, will be in action on Saturday night when he lines up against his former side the Chiefs in Perth.

NZ’s Super sides are considered to be far superior to their Australian counterparts, and the Trans-Tasman competition will give both nations an idea of where the score sits.

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Kahui said the Australian teams would need to rapidly adapt to a different style of play to what was on show during Super Rugby AU, which was won by the Queensland Reds.

“The Kiwi teams like ball movement and possession,” Kahui said.

“That’s something that will be a bit of a shock for a few of the teams over here in Australia, who are more territory based.

“There will be a little bit of a change, and we’ll have to adapt. But at the same time it offers a lot of opportunities for us.

“If they want to move the ball around, it’s an opportunity for us to get up off the line, put them under pressure and force errors. It will be interesting to see how the contrasting styles go.”

Kahui said the kicking game would be particularly important, with Australian sides set to pay dearly if they boot the ball straight into their opponent’s laps.

The 35-year-old won the Super Rugby title with the Chiefs in 2012, and he’s looking forward to taking on his former side.

“The Chiefs are a huge part of who I am as a rugby player,” Kahui said.

“It will be mixed emotions, but I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’ll be catching up with them on Thursday night for a barbecue. If any of them turn up with food poisoning, you’ll know why.”

The Chiefs lost the final of Super Rugby Aotearoa 24-13 to the Crusaders, and will be aiming to make amends in the Trans-Tasman competition.

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