Chiefs' ever-improving locking depth set for huge boost once Brodie Retallick returns to the fold
Less than 12 months ago, the Chiefs were struggling through their almost annual issues in the second row.
‘Chiefs’ and ‘locking crisis’ are two phrases that seem destined to intertwine throughout the rest of time, with the Waikato side rarely seeming to have full access to their stocks.
Injury plays a massive role in that, with the likes of Tyler Ardon, Michael Allardice, Mitch Brown and Laghlan McWhannell all spending countless matches on the sidelines for the Chiefs in the past few years.
Their absences have been amplified throughout 2020 and 2021 due to Brodie Retallick’s ongoing sabbatical in Japan.
The silver lining to the situation, however, is that the Chiefs will have some unprecedented depth in the second row once Retallick is back on the park.
The 2014 World Rugby Player of the Year has returned to New Zealand and is currently in quarantine following the Kobelco Steeler’s loss in the semi-final stages of Japan’s Top League. While he’s unlikely to feature in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman this year, he’ll find the Chiefs have unearthed some exceptional talents when he eventually joins the team ahead of next year’s campaign.
21-year-old Tupou Vaa’i was the big mover last year, going from part-time labourer to All Black in the space of a few months. His performances this season have been head and shoulders ahead of what he was producing in 2020, however, and his form puts him up there with New Zealand’s most experienced second-rowers.
Naitoa Ah Kuoi, also 21, was another addition last season, joining the team from Wellington, and has emerged as the perfect foil to Vaa’i, excelling in defence and over the ball.
Now, Taranki 20-year-old Josh Lord is putting in some big shifts due to the injury-enforced absences of Ah Kuoi and Brown and has left Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan thoroughly impressed with the cattle he has access to.
“Lordy and all the younger guys that are getting way more minutes than what anybody ever anticipated coming into the season is first and foremost proving that they deserve to be here,” McMillan said following the Chiefs’ win over the Brumbies on Saturday.
“For us, it’s fantastic because they’re learning some massive lessons, they’re having to go big minutes and we get some value out of it now and we’re certainly going to get some value out of it in the future.”
Brodie Retallick, one of the greatest players in rugby history, is weighing up his future.
The #AllBlacks lock spoke to @TomVinicombe about his plans for the coming years and how an immense workload in his early days left him in dire need of a break.https://t.co/ptFSo2a3eA
— RugbyPass+ (@RugbyPassPlus) February 8, 2021
While the Chiefs’ locking depths are being tested, it will leave them in excellent stead for seasons to come, especially if Retallick calls time on his Super Rugby career after 2023, as the big lock previously indicated to The XV.
“I’m looking forward to, if all goes to plan, getting back to the All Blacks and playing two seasons for the Chiefs,” he said. “Realistically, they’ll probably be the last couple in New Zealand before I decide what I’ll do next, whether that’s hanging up the boots or maybe coming back to Japan.”
Ah Kuoi’s and Brown’s injuries could potentially open the door for Retallick to make an early return to action but that seems unlikely at this stage.
Vaa’i also left the park early on Saturday but McMillan is optimistic he’ll be available for selection for next weekend’s clash with the Reds.
“He got a poke in the eye, really couldn’t see out of it much for the last 10 minutes of the half,” McMillan said. “I don’t think that’ll be something that’s going to keep him out for a long time but obviously it affected him enough today to make the change.”
Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to comments