Chiefs recruitment team must learn from lessons of 2019
Any slim chance the Chiefs had of making a push for the play-offs is all but gone after their Saturday night loss to the Blues.
It’s been a poor season to date for the Waikato men – no thanks to some of the worst Chiefs defence in history coupled with the traditional high injury toll.
The Chiefs have averaged over 32 points conceded per game in 2019 which puts it as their second worst defensive season on record. By year’s end, they will have conceded more points than any Chiefs team prior.
Perhaps having so many absent players has made it difficult to fortify defensive systems. Sam Cane played for the first time this year when he suited up against the Blues. His co-captain, Brodie Retallick, has played only seven out of a possible thirteen games this year. Damian McKenzie has also managed just seven matches and will play no further part in the season. Throw in a couple of rest weeks for the likes of Anton Lienert-Brown and Nathan Harris and you can see why the Chiefs may have struggled at times.
All Blacks and experienced Super Rugby players are always going to be difficult to replace, but there have been questions raised over whether the fill-ins at the Chiefs are up for the task. Between now and the start of the 2020 season, coach Colin Cooper (assuming his contract does not come to a premature end) needs to start getting serious about recruitment.
Injuries are a part of professional sport and finding men who can back up your top performers is an absolute must. There are three positions where the Chiefs will need to find able replacements to complement their top All Blacks.
Lock
Perhaps no team in Super Rugby has ever been hit as hard in one position as the Chiefs were in the second row for 2019. Retallick has spent ample time on the sidelines this year and for a decent period has been joined by stand-in skipper Michael Allardice. Allardice has been available for eight games this year.
Along with the first-choice pairing being absent, Fin Hoeata hasn’t featured at all in 2019 (and missed 2018 with an ACL injury) and Laghlan McWhannell has also missed the whole season.
Hoeata and McWhannell represented New Zealand at the under-20’s level in 2016 and 2018 respectively, so both obviously have plenty of potential to bring to the side.
The slew of injuries faced in the second row has seen loose forwards Tyler Ardron, Mitchell Brown and Jesse Parete start matches in the 4 and 5 jerseys. While the three may have the skills needed to play at lock, they’re all listed between 1.94 and 1.96 metres tall, putting them well below the height needed to play in the second row.
Even ignoring injuries, having only two players with Super Rugby caps to call on in the second row is far from ideal – especially when the backups have only a couple of dozen provincial caps between them.
How Waikato lock James Tucker missed out on a contract for the Chiefs remains somewhat of a mystery. Tucker played a huge role in Waikato’s successful run for Championship glory in 2018 and has earned 34 caps since debuting back in 2015. Being able to call on an industrious player like Tucker would add both experience and aerial prowess that the Chiefs would benefit from in the pack when senior players are unavailable.
First Five
Damian McKenzie, Tiann Falcon and Jack Debreczeni were the Chiefs designated first fives when the squad was first announced back in October.
McKenzie spent three games in the 10 jersey at the start of the season before it was decided that his skills could be better used at fullback. McKenzie had yet to make a return to the playmaker role when he was stretchered off the field in week 9 of the competition.
Falcon has missed the whole season after rupturing his Achilles tendon and Debreczeni has taken the field just three times due to a number of medical issues, amassing 77 minutes of play time.
Others, such as Orbyn Leger, Stephen Donald and Marty McKenzie have been used at 10 for the Chiefs with varying degrees of success.
Marty McKenzie, the only original squad member of that trio, burst onto the scene as a seventeen-year-old for Southland after starring the age-group scene. He played in the 2012 Under 20 World Cup and made his Super Rugby debut for the Blues in 2013. It’s fair to say that expectations of McKenzie were very high after he spent his final two years of high school representing Cantebury’s Christ’s College.
Since his initial provincial and Super Rugby debuts however, McKenzie has not kicked on. While there’s plenty of like about the older McKenzie brother, he simply does not have the skills and temperament to guide a Super Rugby team to a championship. McKenzie has been a handy player for Taranaki for a number of years, but even there he’s found himself playing second-fiddle to young Stephen Perofeta in recent seasons.
Debreczeni, although he has not had the opportunity to present his worth, is probably the most natural of the first fives in the squad, with a killer cut-out pass, but has still only had middling success for Australian Super Rugby sides in recent times. To be blunt, if you’ve spent five seasons playing in Australia at first-five and you haven’t cracked the national side, you’re probably not going to make a big splash in a New Zealand team either.
When Cooper took over as Chiefs coach in 2018 there must have been some part of him that realised Damian McKenzie might not be best utilised at first five. Although he the skills to play at 10, McKenzie benefits so much from having wide open spaces to play with – something not on offer when you’re in the thick of the action at flyhalf. Cooper opted for only the two McKenzie brothers and Falcon as 10 cover, however.
Falcon, like the two McKenzie brothers, was selected for Super Rugby based more on what he could offer in the future than what he’s proven to be capable of in the past. Sometimes that pays off (in Damian’s case), sometimes things don’t quite work out – you can never be certain. Regardless of whether Falcon comes of age in the future, however, he’s not a Super Rugby starter just yet – so where is the safe pair of hands that the Chiefs needed when Damian McKenzie wasn’t guiding the team from 10?
Outside Backs
Sevu Reece was one of the stars of the 2018 provincial season. He topped the try-scoring charts with 14 touchdowns to his name – the most by any player since Hosea Gear scored the same number way back in 2008.
Reece’s hot season didn’t come out of nowhere, however. He first debuted for Waikato in 2016 and played almost every game for them on the wing in their next two seasons. After spending three years under development for Waikato, 2019 should have been the season he stepped up to Super Rugby and started terrorising players from outside of New Zealand.
He’s now doing that with aplomb – just not for the Chiefs.
Reece was deemed surplus to requirements, with young Japanese winger Ataata Moeakiola instead specifically sought out by coach Cooper. Moeakiola, who is not eligible for the All Blacks has now chalked up 367 minutes for the Chiefs. In that time, he’s scored 3 tries, beaten 17 defenders, made 5 clean breaks, assisted in 5 tries and passed the ball 11 times. He’s tackling at a 69% success rate.
Compare that with Reece: 346 minutes played, 9 tries, 32 defenders beaten, 21 clean breaks, 16 try assists, 32 passes and a tackle success rate of 83%.
Also on hand is Taranaki midfielder Sean Wainui who has at times done a commendable job on the wing for the Chiefs over the last two years – but he’s very much a stop-gap player who would not find selection at any of New Zealand’s other franchises. Wainui was signed part-way through last year until the end of 2020.
In Shaun Stevenson and Solomon Alaimalo, the Chiefs have two young, promising outside backs – but they both look devoid of confidence in 2019. Alaimalo emerged as a potential All Blacks bolter last year but looks a long way off now – though he hasn’t been helped by some early season injuries.
Hopefully, with some regular game time for their provincial sides, both players will bounce back for 2020. With Etene Nanai-Seturo also on the books, the Chiefs can field a strong top trio – especially if McKenzie remains at fullback.
That doesn’t mean there’s not some space for recruitment, however. Cooper’s number one goal should be trying to convince Reece to return to the Waikato for Super Rugby – though that may be a hard ask.
There’s no doubt about it that the Chiefs have been hit exceptionally hard by injuries in 2019 – but injuries are at worst the time to bring in a reliable pair of hands and hope that the healthy starters can carry the team, and at best an opportunity to test young players with huge upsides. 2019 has been a disappointing season for Chiefs fan – hopefully some key recruiting in the off-season can fix some of this year’s problems.
Comments on RugbyPass
Interesting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
12 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
15 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
12 Go to commentsAfter missing the curfew, the player was simply too “Shagged” to stand up.
12 Go to commentsVernier is probably the best 12 in the world though she has some English competition these days . I am nervous for England because it is unpredictable France and who knows which team will turn up, but they have not yet shown anything that should worry England, Saturday could be a different day. I would be more confident against the BFs.
1 Go to commentsWhat a difference Rodda and Carter made. Rodda has been out for ages but he is really the only world class lock in Australian rugby. Him, Carter and Beale made a huge difference on the weekend. If only they had a few decent props they’d be a much more dangerous team. Hamish Stewart was excellent last week as well. His carrying has improved significantly and has to be next in line after Paisami at 12 for the Wallabies. He’ll benefit hugely with Beale at fullback, there’s just no better communicator in Australian rugby than him and his experience will make a huge difference for the Force. No one sees space like Beale and he’s still sharp. I can see Force making a late charge into the top 8 if they can get some consistency.
2 Go to commentsRodda will be a walk up starter at lock. Frost if you analyse his dominance has little impact and he’s a long way from being physical enough, especially when you compare to Rodda and the work he does. He was quite poor at the World Cup in his lack of physicality. Between Rodda and Skelton we would have locks who can dominate the breakdown and in contact. Frost is maybe next but Schmidt might go for a more physical lock who does their core work better like Ryan or LSL. Swain is no chance unless there’s a load of injuries. Pollard hasn’t got the scrum ability yet to be considered. Nasser dominated him when they went toe to toe and really showed him up. Picking Skelton effects who can play 6 and 8. Ideally Valetini would play 6 as that’s his best position and Wilson at 8 but that’s not ideal for lineout success. Cale isn’t physical enough yet in contact and defence but is the best backrow lineout jumper followed by Wright, Hanigan and Swinton so unfortunately Valetini probably will start at 8 with Wright or Hanigan at 6. Wilson on the bench, he’s got too much quality not to be in the squad. Paisami is leading the way at 12 but Hamish Stewart is playing extremely well also and his ball carrying has improved significantly. Beale is also another option based on the weekend. Beale is class but he’s also the best communicator of any Australian backline player and that can’t be underestimated, he’ll be in the mix.
8 Go to commentsWhy do people keep on picking Ardie at 7 when he's a ball in hand 8? A modern 7 is the lead tackler and ruck clearer which isn't his strength.
15 Go to commentsSly dig there at Ireland’s propensity to back a non-Irish coach. Must really want it. I’m not sure I like ROG very much. Comes off as unpleasant. But he’d gain my respect if he took a number 7 ranked team and turned them into WC winners. Not even back-to-back. Argentina? Scotland? Or how about Wales? France would be too easy, no?
1 Go to commentsA bit of sensationalism, but surprised by the comments about SBW. I’ve always thought of him as a pretty authentic person. There is nothing worse than working with a colleague you’ve seen straight through.
12 Go to comments100% agree with your comment about Touch. I’ve been playing it competitively since Covid. It’s on a Wednesday night after work. It means the weekend is free for time with my family.
2 Go to commentsRodda back is massively important for the Wallabies. Kaitu at hooker important too coz he was very good a few years ago.
2 Go to commentsThe pink cabous might be eligible this year and the Boks don’t need him
8 Go to commentsNasser and kaitu are options for hooker. Especially Nasser. You forgot Rodda who touch wood will be fit at test time and if fit he’s number one. Great partner for the great Skelton and Oz best lineout caller. Third best lock is LSL whom I’d be inclined to sub on for Skelton around 60 minutes. Probably start valetini at 8 because I like a big body back there. Cale should play 6 at the brumbies. For Wallabies definitely cale in the squad but as an apprentice. Dunno who starts at 6 seru wright Swinton hanigan with Will Harris and Harry Wilson not far away. Seru and Swinton my front runners but Swinton is going. Still if we don’t cap seru then Fiji must coz they need his lineout skills and easily compensate for his lack of weight
8 Go to comments