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Cooper's Chiefs on the rise - Super Rugby 2019 Preview

By Sam Warlow
Cooper's Chiefs are on the rise. (Photos/Gettys Images)

In the next installment of our 15-part build-up to the season, we look at the Chiefs in the New Zealand conference.

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Colin Cooper’s Chiefs will be hoping for a healthy 2019 and will be looking to push for a third Super Rugby title after enduring a tumultuous 2018 campaign.

The Chiefs learned plenty about themselves in 2018 as injury ravaged the side. Despite missing several key players for significant amounts of time during the season, the Chiefs still made the play-offs for the seventh consecutive year, bowing out to the Hurricanes in Wellington 32-31 during the quarterfinal stage.

Reaching the play-offs last year – and finishing with the second best win-loss record in the competition – was an impressive feat for a side that went through more than most, losing 100 caps of All Black experience in the off-season and losing every prop from their original 38-man squad at some point of the season.

These factors put plenty of pressure on head coach Colin Cooper in his first season at the helm, but Cooper turned that pressure into diamonds when he unearthed All Blacks prop Karl Tu’inukuafe and revitalised the careers of fellow All Blacks prop Angus Ta’avao and cast-aside outside back Sean Wainui – the latter again shaping as important cogs in the Chiefs machine.

The 2019 season will be all about steadying the ship and building on newfound depth in hopes of another play-off run. Strength still remains in a pack led by All Blacks star Brodie Retallick and a strong front row but once again, everything will be centred around the man in the No. 10 shirt, Damian McKenzie.

In his first three seasons of Super Rugby, McKenzie starred as a human Swiss Army knife while operating from fullback, often topping the charts in tries scored, run metres and line breaks as well as points.

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Last year saw McKenzie shift to first five-eighth (No.10) full-time where he was eventually named SANZAAR’s Super Rugby Player of the Year for the third successive time. With that experience under his belt, the Chiefs should be able to take another step forward in 2019.

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McKenzie’s elite ability with ball in hand and continually refined skill as a playmaker makes the Chiefs a threat to score whenever they have the ball, and his presence alone will make sure the side remains a contender.

Another year in the saddle will only make the side better as McKenzie continues to forge a partnership with halfbacks Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Brad Weber, with the former likely to see an increased role after becoming an All Black at the end of 2018.

The 2018-19 off-season was kinder to the Chiefs than the year prior, with key losses including the aforementioned Tu’inukuafe, longtime leader and loose forward Liam Messam and midfielders Johnny Fa’auli and Charlie Ngatai.

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Perhaps the biggest loss the side suffered came in the form of co-captain Sam Cane. The veteran All Blacks loose forward broke his neck in October and will at best feature at the tail end of the season.

However, the loss of Cane could prove to be a big gain for another player – just like the loss of almost every prop last season found two new All Blacks in Tu’inukuafe and Ta’avao – with emerging loose forwards Mitchell Karpik and Lachlan Boshier ready to put their respective hands up. Second-year forward Luke Jacobson will also be pushing for a starting spot on the blindside after a few long months away from the game through injury, as will the versatile Taleni Seu.

While plenty of experience has been lost once more, some of the exciting youth stepping into the side will give fans a sigh of relief and a reason to be hopeful in 2019.

23-year-old Reuben O’Neill – a member of the 51-man All Blacks squad that toured Japan – joins an enviable propping core that will be aided by the return of All Black Atu Moli, who missed all but one match last year after complications with a quad haematoma.

The biggest question will be who joins Anton Lienert-Brown in the midfield, though the Chiefs have added a couple of players who can fill the role admirably.

Former Rebels playmaker Jack Debreczeni joins the side after a resurgent season with Northland in the Mitre 10 Cup and provides versatility across the backline and a booming punt, while Auckland back Tumua Manu is a sound addition to the midfield after a strong provincial campaign.

Former New Zealand Under-20 representative Bailyn Sullivan joins the squad full-time after making his debut last season to further bolster the backline, and 21-year-old Alex Nankivell shapes as another candidate to fill the midfield role after missing the 2018 season through injury.

All eyes will be on the highly-touted former schoolboy sensation Etene Nanai-Seturo, who steps up to Super Rugby after a stint with the New Zealand Sevens team and a few cameo appearances for Counties Manukau. 19-year-old Nanai-Seturo has an aura of X-Factor around him and will likely link up with last year’s breakout star, Solomon Alaimalo, and Shaun Stevenson in the back three to complete an exciting young backline.

The Chiefs will remain one of the competition’s best in 2019 led by Damian McKenzie and Brodie Retallick in what could be a temporary swansong and will be pushing hard for a finals place in Colin Cooper’s second year in charge. Cooper has also notably expanded his already impressive staff to include former Chief Roger Randle, who helped transform Waikato into a Championship-winning attacking threat in 2018.

The New Zealand conference will be tougher this year with the Blues making strides and the Hurricanes and Crusaders a consistent threat, but with one of the best young cores in Super Rugby, the Chiefs definitely look fit to contend in 2019.

2019 Predictions

New Zealand Conference Placing: Third
Player of the Year: Damian McKenzie
Rookie of the Year: Etene Nanai-Seturo
Breakout Player: Mitchell Karpik
Best Signing: Reuben O’Neill
Super Rugby Placing: Semifinalists

Franchise History

Best finish: Champions in 2012 and 2013
Worst finish: Eleventh in 2010

Squad Movements

In: Reuben O’Neill (Taranaki), Laghlan McWhannell (Waikato), Jack Debreczini (Rebels), Tumua Manu (Blues), Ataata Moeakiola (Japan), Etene Nanai-Seturo (Counties Manukau).

Out: Mitchell Graham (Taranaki), Sam Prattley (Sunwolves), Jeff Thwaites (Bay of Plenty), Karl Tu’inukuafe (Blues), Dominic Bird (Racing 92), Matt Matich (Northland), Liam Messam (Toulon), Jesse Parete (Taranaki), Luteru Laulala (Counties Manukau), Johnny Fa’auli (Toshiba Brave Lupus), Charlie Ngatai (Lyon), Regan Verney (Northland), Levi Aumua (Blues), Tim Nanai-Williams (Clermont), Declan O’Donnell (Waikato), Toni Pulu (Brumbies).

Squad: Kane Hames, Aidan Ross, Reuben O’Neill, Nepo Laulala, Atu Moli, Sosefo Kautai, Angus Ta’avao, Nathan Harris, Liam Polwart, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Brodie Retallick, Tyler Ardron, Laghlan McWhannell, Michael Allardice, Fin Hoeata, Mitchell Brown, Taleni Seu, Sam Cane, Mitchell Karpik, Lachlan Boshier, Luke Jacobson, Pita Gus Sowakula, Brad Weber, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Jonathan Taumateine, Damian McKenzie, Tiaan Falcon, Jack Debreczeni, Alex Nankivell, Anton Lienert-Brown, Tumua Manu, Bailyn Sullivan, Solomon Alaimalo, Sean Wainui, Ataata Moeakiola, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Shaun Stevenson, Marty McKenzie.

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J
Jon 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

28 Go to comments
A
Adrian 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

28 Go to comments
T
Trevor 10 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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