Chiefs vs Waratahs takes: The Chiefs' big question, little brother syndrome

The Chiefs and Waratahs locked horns in Hamilton on Saturday night, both with plenty to prove, having produced inconsistent results throughout the opening half of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.

Some untidy handling early made way for periods of overwhelming pace from the hosts, with the scrum contributing handsomely to momentum as the Chiefs struck first and continued to build a healthy lead throughout the 80 minutes.

The visitors were guilty of handling errors that saw the opportunities they created go begging, and struggled to control territory or possession.

The Tahs managed tries through impressive rookie Sid Harvey and No. 8 Pete Samu, but the Chiefs’ 42 points saw them home comfortably.

Here are some takeaways from the Chiefs’ win.

Little brother syndrome persists

The Waratahs have been Australia’s most intriguing team coming into each of the past three seasons, with talent across the park raising hopes and expectations.

But the club have failed to live up to those projections.

When facing their fellow Aussie opposition, the Tahs show signs of the team they can be, but there’s a lack of bite when playing across the ditch, having now lost 11 straight games in New Zealand.

The Sydneysiders had their chances in Hamilton but simply lacked the composure to execute, falling further and further behind as a result.

Coach Dan McKellar has called his squad out on numerous occasions when he’s identified a lack of fire in his men’s mindset, but there are only so many times the coach can deliver the challenge before it starts to lose meaning.

The Tahs need a talisman, and they’re running out of time to find one.

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The bones are there for the Chiefs

For a team recognised by most as one of the title favourites coming into the 2026 season, it’s been an unconvincing opening eight weeks from the Chiefs.

However, there are clear signs that the team can become the powerhouse its talented roster promises.

The team’s set piece is one of the strongest in the comp, with scrum and lineout success rates that provide consistent platforms for the backline to attack.

The scrum demolished the Waratahs pack at times on Saturday night, a positive sign in Ollie Norris’s first start of the year.

There’s also star power performing at a world-class level, with Tupou Vaa’i, Samisoni Taukei’aho and Quinn Tupaea the standouts throughout the season. Vaa’i’s extra efforts in this match can’t be overlooked for putting the Tahs on edge, with the lock a constant presence around the ruck, continuing to prove himself as New Zealand’s best second-row.

Once the Chiefs were able to maintain some pace, the points came thick and fast.

Let’s also acknowledge that the Chiefs produced their worst performance of the 2025 season against the Waratahs in Sydney in their last run-in, losing 21-14. Those 14 points were the fewest the team scored all year outside of the final.

The team entered the 2026 edition of the rivalry on an uninspiring run of results, having lost to the Brumbies and claimed a narrow win over the Force in their last two outings.

This win was a step in the right direction.

The Chiefs’ big question

New Chiefs head coach Jono Gibbes may have been with the team as an assistant last year, but he has clearly made some adjustments to the game plan that his men are struggling with.

There’s an obvious desire to play a high-paced brand of rugby, but there’s also a lack of patience in earning the right to play with pace, meaning runners are jumping the gun.

During the stints when the hosts generated quick ball, the team clicked, and the attack was lethal.

That chemistry factor is the big question for the Chiefs.

The team have seven more games to find their mojo before the qualifying finals roll around. If the playoffs started today, the men from Hamilton would just sneak in and face the table-topping Hurricanes first up, a team firing on all cylinders, thanks to consistency of selection and leadership.

Clark Laidlaw and co. have built and evolved systems with a growing team over the past three years, and the team’s chemistry is humming as a result.

The Chiefs have weapons, but much of the backline is struggling to find form; Damian McKenzie’s struggles have been widely discussed, while Leroy Carter and Emoni Narawa’s efforts aren’t generating the All Blacks buzz they once did.

Newcomer Kyren Taumoefolau is perhaps struggling the most, with just 165 minutes of game time coming into this round eight contest. His two tries against the Tahs showed what his team is missing.

Xavier Roe takes the next step

Inherent in the prior two takes is curiosity about what exactly Jono Gibbes is trying to achieve with this Chiefs team. Xavier Roe essentially shouted the answer from the roof of FMG Stadium Waikato against the Waratahs.

The halfback was running the attack and doing a superb job of it.

Roe’s playmaking kept the Tahs on their toes, with the variation of attack including smatterings of set moves and plenty of inside lines.

Roe is executing in this system and showing the new All Blacks coaches what he can contribute in a halfback-centric game plan.

The 27-year-old was involved in the 2025 All Blacks XV tour after training with the top squad as injury cover during The Rugby Championship, but did look a touch timid in his minutes in Europe.

Another shot at a higher level might prove that Roe’s confidence has come around.

Also, with new All Blacks attack coach Mike Blair eager to create an attack built around the strengths of his personnel, one can only assume Cam Roigard will be a central piece of that puzzle, and therefore, the reserve spot may be filled by not necessarily the second-best halfback in New Zealand, but the man who can play the Roigard role the best. Roe is putting his hand up as a very capable candidate in that respect.