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All Blacks prop Atu Moli set for first Chiefs appearance of the year while Liam Messam promoted to start
It’s been over a year since Atu Moli last ran out for a game of professional rugby but the talented prop is finally set for some minutes after a number of harrowing injuries.
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Moli, who represented the All Blacks at the 2019 World Cup, has been named on the Chiefs’ bench for their Saturday night clash with the Brumbies.
The 25-year-old has notched up a handful of club appearances this year and last featured for the Chiefs in their final match of the initial Super Rugby campaign last season that was cut short due to the global pandemic.
Moli underwent FAI (femoroacetabular impingement) surgery on both his left and right hips to treat chronic hip dysfunction while he also spent considerable time on the sidelines in 2018 due to a leg-threatening haematoma.
“We’re really happy for Atu,” said head coach Clayton McMillan. “He’s had a bit of a treacherous run with injury but he’s maintained a whole lot of positivity and continues to add heaps of value off the field, in and around our environment.
“Now that he’s worked himself back to a point where he can get back out on the field I think is great for everybody and rugby to see.
Moli’s return offsets the loss of fellow tighthead prop Angus Ta’avao, who will join fellow prop Reuben O’Neill on the injury list.
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“He’s sort of trained with us over the last six or seven weeks at tighthead and it’s really through Gus pulling up with a bit of a join strain from middle of the game last week that has opened the door for Atu to come in but that’s timing,” McMillan said.
“We’ve been sort of asking the last two or three weeks whether he’s ready to go but he wanted a little bit of time at club rugby. He’s got that and now he’s fizzing.”
Sione Mafileo will take over the No 3 jersey while Moli is set to make his return from the bench. Mafileo will be joined in the front row by Samisoni Taukei’aho, who made a storming impact off the bench against the Western Force last weekend while Aidan Ross holds his place at loosehead prop.
New Zealand sides will be left with egg on their faces if they buy into the belief that victories are assured in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman and bonus points will be the deciding factor come finals time. #SuperRugbyTT
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— RugbyPass+ (@RugbyPassPlus) May 18, 2021
The only other change to the forwards sees 181-cap Chiefs legend Liam Messam slot in on the blindside flank with Pita Gus Sowakula expected to add impact from the reserves.
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“Pita Gus has done an outstanding job for us and to be fair, I think Liam will probably give us more early in the game and Pita Gus will give us an injection of power and speed,” said McMillan. “I’m not saying that Liam hasn’t got that anymore but [we’re going for] the experience and the front-end and a little bit of explosiveness at the back-end.”
In the backs, Damian McKenzie somewhat surprisingly will again start the match in the first five position. Saturday’s game against the Brumbies will mark the first time that McKenzie has retained the same role over consecutive weeks since the Chiefs’ win over the Highlanders in early April.
In fact, there’s just one change to the backline with Bailyn Sullivan taking over from Shaun Stevenson on the right wing.
Bradley Slater, Rameka Poihipi and Kaleb Trask all join the substitutes bench.
The Chiefs have lost their last two fixtures against the Brumbies but McMillan is confident that following their first hit-out with an Australian team last week, they’ll be well-prepared for the challenges ahead.
“You just respect the Brumbies right across the board,” he said. “[They’re] probably the most clinical of the Australian sides, I would think. A bit like the Crusaders, very structured, put a lot of pressure on you at set-piece. They’re a good side irrespective of who we put out there.”
“We know we’ve got an arduous four weeks ahead of us but we don’t want to make excuses for anything and you’ve just got to embrace it, make the most of it and get out and play.”
Chiefs: Chase Tiatia, Bailyn Sullivan, Anton Lienert-Brown, Alex Nankivell, Jonah Lowe, Damian McKenzie, Brad Weber, Luke Jacobson, Lachlan Boshier, Liam Messam, Tupou Vaa’i, Josh Lord, Sione Mafileo, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Aidan Ross. Reserves: Bradley Slater, Oliver Norris, Atunaisa Moli, Zane Kapeli, Pita Gus Sowakula, Xavier Roe, Rameka Poihipi, Kaleb Trask.
Comments on RugbyPass
It’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
24 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
1 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
24 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
14 Go to commentsHi NIck, I have been very impressed with him and he seems a smart player who can see opportunities which Bobby V _(who must be an international 6_) doesn’t see or have the speed to take advantage of. If he continues to improve and puts on 5kgs then he could be a great 8. He is a bit taller than Keiran Reid at 1.93m and 111 kgs, so his skill set fits his body size and who knows where it will lead. I hope the spate of Achilles tendon issues have been dealt with by the S&C people. It’s been a very long time since Mark Loane and Kefu stood out at 8. The question is will we be able to hold onto him, if he does make it he will be pretty hot property. I disagree with the idea of letting them go to the Northern Hemisphere and then bring them back.
24 Go to commentsBilly Fulton 🤣🤣🤣🤣 garrrmon not even close
14 Go to commentsDoes the AI take into account refs? hahaha Seriously why not have two on field refs to avoid bias?
24 Go to comments