'They genuinely looked like the Chiefs of 2012': Early-game performance could set the Chiefs up for a comeback season
It’s difficult to get too excited about a team’s prospects when they’ve just lost their tenth match in a row by a 16-point margin.
But despite the eventual thumping dealt to the Chiefs by the visiting Highlanders, it wasn’t all bad news for the home side.
Before Jona Nareki came to life, playing a starring role in four of the Highlanders’ five tries, the Chiefs were very much on top of their opposition, cruising out to a 20-6 lead. It’s the first third of the game that former All Black James Parson has suggested the Chiefs need to emulate more consistently if they want to break their duck.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Parsons commented that the Chiefs had the wood over their opposition and were playing like the side that won back-to-back Super Rugby titles in 2012 and 2013. Were it not for some freakish magic from Nareki, the game could very easily have finished with the Chiefs posting a big score.
“It seriously was a one-man show and probably, if you look at it, that’s a positive for the Chiefs,” Parsons said. “It would’ve been a lot closer, if not a Chiefs win, had he not been on the field.
“They genuinely looked like the Chiefs of 2012 and 13. It was around the quick taps, the quick 22, keeping the ball alive, catching the team off-guard. You can see that Lienert-Brown was looking to quick tap and they got so much reward around that.
“And their breakdown was like… I know that when [former Chiefs forwards coach] Tom Coventry came to us, they called it ‘napalm’. They’d clean a ruck and there’d just be bodies everywhere. I think [Naitoa] Ah Kuoi picked through the middle and Brad Weber was there and that led to Sio Tomkinson’s yellow card.
“They had so much reward in that first 20. Sammy Cane, from the first kick-off, got that turnover. Sione Mafileo – chop tackle, Sammy Cane on the ball – boom.”
Despite sitting on a nine-match winless streak heading into the match, there was still reason for optimism for Chiefs fans. The key players were all on deck, including Cane, Weber, Lienert-Brown and Damian McKenzie, and new coach Clayton McMillan had come on board to cover for Warren Gatland’s absence.
That optimism appeared vindicated early in the game, with Luke Jacobson barrelling over for a try shortly before Damian McKenzie scampered in untouched.
View this post on Instagram
ADVERTISEMENT
The no-look passes were finding supporting runners and the Chiefs were finding gaps in their opposition’s defensive line.
Then, with Ash Dixon in the bin, a third try looked all but guaranteed – until Tomkinson got fingertips to a chip kick from Bryn Gatland and a grateful Nareki collected the ball and galloped 90 metres down the field to score at the other end.
Still, a 20-11 lead heading into halftime was a good start for the home side, but they simply weren’t able to halt the Highlanders’ momentum in the second stanza.
Livewire halfback Folau Fakatava scored a solo try in the 50th minute to get the Highlanders within touching distance, and from their the visitors ran away with the game.
“The Highlanders came out with a little more vigour and they were starting to win the collision, which put [the Chiefs] on the back foot,” Parsons said. “[That] meant they couldn’t have the stability and … they weren’t showing the picture that the ref was seeing in that first 20 that allowed them to get those results.”
Jona Nareki proved on Friday night that one man can make all the difference.
Were it not for the blistering pace of the Highlanders wing, would the Chiefs still be sitting on a losing streak? @TomVinicombe suspects not. #SuperRugbyAotearoa #CHIvHIGhttps://t.co/MiuP4SYf3D
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 7, 2021
Still, the Blues centurion saw enough from the Chiefs to suggest that with a few tweaks, rewards will come in the near future.
“I don’t think it’s a drastic [problem] for the Chiefs. There’s a lot being said but I’m really positive for where they can go.
“I think, if you look at the tries of Nareki, it’s just one-on-one tackles and maybe some skill execution errors at key times like knock-ons and kicks out on the full that allowed the Highlanders into their territory which led to those opportunities – which are so fixable. They’re not system errors.
“Fakatava’s try, before he did the dummy – and that’s an individual error, to fall for the dummy and go – that was a wall. [The Highlanders] didn’t really look like they were getting through that, to me. I just felt like they were going back and forward, back and forward.
“And then Folau Fakatava scored and it’s almost like the floodgates opened from there.”
“But defensively, and their system – I know they were giving away a few penalties – but they looked good. I still think there’s positive enough signs to say that you’ll see some benefit this year. I’m not saying give up on this season. I was really impressed with what I saw.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
43 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
2 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
43 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
43 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
2 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
5 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
5 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to comments