Week 14 Preview: Chiefs v Brumbies
Sportal.co.nz - (14/05/2009)
What a way to open the final round of the Rebel Sport Super 14 competition – with a match between second and fifth on the ladder and both sides in the remarkable position where a win almost guarantees a playoff spot (it does for the Chiefs) and a loss could well be the end of the season.
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HEAD TO HEAD: Played 15 – Chiefs 4, Brumbies 9, drawn 1.
LAST TIME: April 4, 2008 (Canberra) – Brumbies 28-42 Chiefs.
WALKING WOUNDED: The Chiefs are now back at full strength as Brendon Leonard returns from a sternum injury. Richard Kahui, who was doubtful during the week, has been named to start. Gene Fairbanks has a torn hamstring and his replacement, Clyde Rathbone, slots in on the right wing while Stirling Mortlock goes to centre. There are two changes to the starting forward pack, with Stephen Moore in a bracket with Huia Edmonds and Julian Salvi definitely in for an injured Mitchell Chapman.
FORM: The Chiefs took a good win against the Hurricanes last week, eschewing the fancy and concentrating on the basics. This they did very well, disrupting the Hurricanes in many areas and taking the chances that fell their way. Although the score was not high, the win was comprehensive. The Brumbies also took a comprehensive win, but with a high score as the Blues defence finally collapsed. While it took a while for the Canberra lads to get cracking they were far superior once they had established control and the win was both easy and deserved.
WHO'S HOT: Four players stood out for the Chief last week – two unsung forwards in Craig Clarke and Kevin O'Neill and two high-profile backs in Mils Muliaina and Stephen Donald. Clarke and O'Neill were excellent in their set-piece roles and made some telling contributions around the field, while Muliaina has not played a better game this year. He read every situation faultlessly and his ball-running was outstanding, as a long list of beaten tacklers would testify. Donald, who scored all 16 points, controlled play with aplomb. The big news for the Brumbies was that Mortlock passed Andrew Mehrtens as the all-time Super rugby scoring leader and goes into this week with 994 to his credit. He's been a trooper for many years and the record has been earned the hard way. The Brumbies took it to the Blues up front and mashed the scrum a few times while several big forwards carried the ball strongly. Peter Kimlin has had a strong season in the engine room and George Smith, while not always visible, is never far from the action.
WE THINK: There's just too much riding on this for the Chiefs to blow it now – a win gives them a home semi and a chance to top the table if the Bulls blow up later in the round. The Chiefs are also the competition's hottest team, with eight wins in nine matches, and we think they'll extend that run with a hard-fought, narrow win on Friday.
TEAMS:
Chiefs: 1 – Ben May, 2 – Aled de Malmanche, 3 – James McGougan, 4 – Craig Clarke, 5 – Kevin O'Neill, 6 – Liam Messam, 7 – Tanerau Latimer, 8 – Sione Lauaki, 9 – Brendon Leonard, 10 – Stephen Donald, 11 – Sitiveni Sivivatu, 12 – Callum Bruce, 13 – Richard Kahui, 14 – Lelia Masaga, 15 – Mils Muliaina (captain).
Reserves: 16 – Hikawera Elliot, 17 – Faka'anaua Taumalolo, 18 – Toby Lynn, 19 – Serge Lilo, 20 – Toby Morland, 21 – Dwayne Sweeney, 22 – Sosene Anesi.
Brumbies: 1 – Ben Alexander, 2 – Stephen Moore or Huia Edmonds, 3 – Guy Shepherdson, 4 – Ben Hand, 5 – Peter Kimlin, 6 – Julian Salvi, 7 – George Smith, 8 – Stephen Hoiles (captain), 9 – Patrick Phibbs, 10 – Matt Toomua, 11 – Francis Fainifo, 12 – Tyrone Smith, 13 – Stirling Mortlock, 14 – Clyde Rathbone, 15 – Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Reserves: 16 – Edmonds or John Ulugia, 17 – Salesi Ma'afu, 18 – Sitaleki Timani, 19 – Henry Vanderglas, 20 – Josh Holmes, 21 – Afusipa Taumoepeau, 22 – Sanualio Afeaki.
REFEREE: Stuart Dickinson