After last week’s 28-point demise at the hands of the Crusaders, the Chiefs will want to get back to winning ways before the Super Rugby finals when they meet the Blues in Auckland. We’ll have live scores from 5.35pm AEST.
Despite leading the overall Super Rugby table for the majority of the season, last week’s loss means that the Chiefs could find themselves playing in the first week of the finals should they lose this weekend.
A bonus-point win from the Crusaders coupled with a Chiefs loss would see the Christchurch side elevated to the top of the New Zealand Conference.
Similiarly, a Brumbies win later on tonight would mean they leapfrog the Chiefs into second spot, should the Chiefs lose.
Chiefs boss Dave Rennie has made a number of changes to the side that lost in Christchurch last Friday night.
Liam Messam makes his return at blindside after recovering from a back injury, Toby Smith will start at loosehead prop while Robbie Robinson, Lelia Masaga and Andrew Horrell make up a new-look back three.
Pauliasi Manu, Sam Cane, Gareth Anscombe and Asaeli Tikoirotuma have all been added to the squad.
The Blues had their Super Rugby finals hopes officially extinguished last weekend when they were crushed 34-13 by the Cheetahs.
Blues coach Sir John Kirwan has made four changes to the side that lost in South Africa.
All Blacks veterans Keven Mealamu and Piri Weepu have been recalled at hooker and scrum-half respectively while Kane Barrett replaces Steven Luatua at flanker.
Rising star Lolagi Visinia comes in on the wing, while Rene Ranger moves into outside centre.
For Ranger, Ali Williams and Anthony Boric, tonight will be the last time the pull on the jersey for the Blues.
It should be enough to ensure that Kirwan’s men are fully motivated for the occasion, though if they are to give the trio the ideal send-off they’ll need to overcome a lopsided recent record.
The Chiefs have won the past four matches between the two sides by an average winning margin of 8.5 points, with the Blues’ last win being a 16-13 win in Hamilton back in 2011.
Last week was only the fourth time this season that the Chiefs have gone down, and Rennie won’t tolerate a repeat this weekend, and they should come away from Auckland with the points.
atlas
Guest
NZ Herald today: "Clarke says it didn't even touch his head." What do the judiciary do? he has a red card, off to the citing commissioner - say the sending off was sufficient, or back Pollock's decision and suspend him?
atlas
Guest
Re the red card - Craig Clarke, the 'victim' . . .the Chiefs co-captain suggested it grazed his shoulder. "I felt a little bit on the shoulder," Clarke said. "Personally I feel for the man. If that was a club game in Taranaki you wouldn't look twice at that thing. I know he's hurting about it. Rules are rules and you can't argue." Kirwan has challenged Sanzar referees boss Lyndon Bray to hold Chris Pollock "accountable" for his questionable decision to red card Kane Barrett at Eden Park tonight "I challenge Lyndon Bray to do what we do; being dropped from selection next week because you don't play well or losing your job because you don't coach well. All I'm saying is that please take a leaf out of the book of the NRL so we can at least challenge this stuff. "It's time we started to mature and be a professional sport and everyone is held accountable."
Kuruki
Roar Guru
Dear dear me. Very concerning for Chiefs fans. They have struggled all year to put out a clinical performance and they are still being shuffled around at this stage of the year. Incredible really, i just fail to understand any logical explanation for doing so other then just being clueless. They have just come off a 3 week rest and they have another week off, refreshing players is no longer an excuse to be used, all changes now are technical one's made by the coaches. What is technically smart about adding another player to the fullback mix on the eve of finals when Robinson and Anscombe were both playing? Why is Hika Elliot starting when Mahonri Shwalger is so much better in the tight and at scrum time?. Why have they not settled on a midfield pairing yet and allowed some form of combination to develop?. I would love to hear the reasons from the coaches themselves. I respect what they have done so far but i question why they are now making such poor decisions IMO there is no brilliant hidden reason, they have just made some bad decisions. Wayne Smith should no better they were crucified for making the same mistakes in a losing World cup effort, rotation robbed them of key combinations.
cantab
Guest
hmm... good point, lets hope they can turn it around again.
cantab
Guest
jez, lucky he was out.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
He blew the whistle before the try was scored then asked to check the try?? That's crazy.
cantab
Guest
ah.....pretty sure you can't check what happens after you blow the whistle.
cantab
Guest
high testosterone levels and age are the biggest factors...so yeah....most likely.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Is Ali Williams balding?
Kuruki
Roar Guru
Butchered it
ohtani's jacket
Guest
That Big Ben first three to the breakdown joke cracked me up.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
Tameifuna has been outstanding. Rennie and co better bench him for the next game as part of their super coaching tactics.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
They done the same last year.
cantab
Guest
Chiefs got hammered last week, now struggling against 13/14.....not great timing for a form slump.
Charlie Mackay
Guest
"stamping it out" aye BB... The master of the pun and pointing out irony! ;) (aalthough I'm in rural Australia at the moment and I haven't seen the card/s so I'm hoping I'm on a winner...!)
The Blues are holding on despite of the situation they find themselves in, I suspect the Chiefs have lost a bit of form since the break.
That great, I enjoy John Mitchell, he has been in the Supersport studio since the 2011 RWC, he does provide quality opinion.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
They put Horrel at 15 after Robinson has been outstanding and he makes two crucial mistakes in his bread and butter roles. Coaches are seriously annoying me. This team should be settled at this stage not experimenting ffs.
Come on BLues hit them now.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Big Ben is having a whale of a game.