'The tide will turn': Chiefs head coach not counting out ninth-placed Blues

This week, Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan urged his side to fight back after last weekend’s defeat in Lautoka against the Fiji Drua, and it was evident they did just that against a struggling Blues side on Saturday evening at FMG Stadium Waikato.

The Blues were a whisker away from taking the lead in the 75th minute, as a Xavi Taele conversion hit the post from the left-hand touchline.

McMillan, who admits there were some tough conversations this week in Chiefs camp, was relieved to get the job done at home.

It was everything that we anticipated it was going to be; we didn’t expect that we would run away with the game. It’s a desperate Blues side, still a lot of quality rugby men out there that put us under some pressure,” McMillan told media post-match.

“That’s exactly what we got, so there was some moments of a few heart flutters, but in the end, we’ve got it done.”

Despite the Blues only winning one game from their opening five, the Chiefs head coach is confident that they will bounce back and find some form later on in the season.

“We don’t look at this as 11 v 1, that’s not a number 11 team out there.

“They are on the on the points table, but they’ve lost by small margins, and I still think they’re going to be there at the end of the end of the competition. We’re only at game five, there’s a lot of rugby to be played and a lot of points to accumulate.

“They’ve had a tough start, as have we. So we were stoked that we’ve walked away from two games with the Blues with eight points, and they got one.

“I do anticipate that they’ll be there at the end of the season, they’re a good rugby team and the tide will turn.”

McMillan acknowledges the competitiveness of the Super Rugby Pacific competition so far this season, saying that teams must be at their best for all 80 minutes of each match.

“The closeness of the match, the closeness of all of the games, suggests that you just can’t afford to be slightly off on your game, otherwise you run the risk of losing and then falling back to the pack.

All Blacks first five Damian McKenzie managed to brush off a minor knee injury to start at No.10 this weekend for the Chiefs, pushing young playmaker Josh Jacomb to a bench role.

McKenzie, who strolled in for one try under the posts on Saturday evening, is considered to be the All Black No.10 by his coach.

“Damian you know, is a 10, the All Black ten, and we’re blessed to have him, and circumstances have meant that especially around our outside back availability. It meant that he’s had to play at full-back for the first three or four outings.”