Every now and again, as much as you’re hoping for a different result, you are left to simply marvel at the quality of the opposition on show.
That was my lot on Saturday night, when several of the Chiefs’ tries left me struggling for words even remotely adequate to what I’d just seen play out in front of me.
“I mean, I said it before, but all you can do is laugh,” former Brumbies and Wallabies centre, now ABC Grandstand co-commentator, Pat McCabe, offered after Brad Webber scored his amazing runaway try in the 66th minute to put the game beyond doubt.
The play originated from a James Lowe chip kick that I’m quite sure was going to be a full-blooded exit kick when he started the backswing, only to abort when he saw the Brumbies defenders standing off him.
“That’s extraordinary,” I added from the sideline; the kind of insight people should pay good money to hear.
“Just incredible,” Pat continued, before eventually managing to find the right words, particularly praising the way the Chiefs’ coaches back the skill of the players.
Normally, the idea of radio broadcasting is to put into words what the audience can’t see. Or on the occasion of a live sporting event, there’s a chance your words are adding to, or confirming what the live audience has seen themselves. Either way, you’re supposed to paint the picture with words.
But this was one of those occasions where we couldn’t immediately put what we’d just seen into words. For the medium we were operating in, it wasn’t ideal at all. Yet our struggle to find the right words in that instant might just have perfectly described the absurdly brilliant skill on show. And for me, that show was playing five metres away.
Coming into the game with the Brumbies, it was billed as the trans-Tasman conference leaders against each other, and by extension, the perfect opportunity to compare and make the appropriate judgements.
The Chiefs had players leading the all the major attacking measures: points, tries, goals kicked, carries, metres made, defenders beaten, offloads. If it wasn’t Damien McKenzie, it was Charlie Ngatai, and with Lowe not too far behind.
They’d scored 28 tries from five starts, and eighty minutes later had blown it out further to 34 tries in six games.
In 2015, the competition average was just over five tries scored in every game, and in 2016, this is already up to 5.6 tries per game after six rounds of 2016. The Chiefs already are scoring 5.7 tries per game themselves.
But it’s much more than just attack. The Chiefs boast the best lineout success rate in the competition, and they rank fifth for scrum success. This is despite an injury toll pushing a dozen, with seven of them forwards. The Chiefs’ manager told me on Saturday night locks Brodie Retallick and Dom Bird are a chance to return this week.
Despite this, the Chiefs made such short work of the Brumbies on Saturday night that I could only sit back in wonder.
And the wondering continued over the weekend. So much so, that I checked the draw. And even though the competition still has the best part of four months to run, I reached a stunning conclusion.
I don’t think the Chiefs will lose another game this season.
For one thing, they’ve completed the ‘touring’ part of their season already, and in the best possible fashion. Wins in South Africa, Argentina, and now Australia has them very well placed atop the competition log, and wins earned away from home tend to become more valuable as seasons progress.
The Chiefs now have five of their seven 2016 home games to come, with four of them and both byes coming in the next seven weeks.
Even if you want to make the argument that the New Zealand intra-conference games will be tougher than any of the ‘international’ fixtures the Chiefs have encountered thus far, the travel involved still can’t be underestimated. As I wrote last week, the Chiefs over the previous month had conservatively covered more than 33,000 kilometres, and had spent anywhere up to 80 hours in the air – and that was before the Hamilton-Auckland-Sydney-Canberra-Sydney-Auckland-Hamilton round trip just gone.
But this early-season lap of the southern hemisphere might, in turn, be recognised as the making of this young Chiefs side. With so many players out injured, a month away has quite possibly accelerated the natural ‘gelling’ process of a playing group. Eight of the 23 players in Canberra have debuted for the Chiefs in 2016, and six of them were playing only their second or third game. And despite all this, there’s currently no better all-round team from 1 to 23 in the competition.
Being able to get away for a month with a young group has given the Chiefs the great benefit of team bonding, almost forcing them into social interactions, and generally enjoying each other’s company without the distractions of being at home. The result is right there in front of us; three wins on the trot outside New Zealand this year (the streak is actually four, including a win in Brisbane late last season).
From here, the Chiefs’ run to the June international window reads like this: Blues, bye, Hurricanes away in Wellington, Sharks at ‘home’ in New Plymouth, Highlanders, their second bye (four weeks after the first), Rebels, and the Waratahs in Sydney.
After the June Tests, their run to the playoffs includes their historic ‘home’ game in Fiji against the Crusaders, the Reds in Brisbane, and the Highlanders in Dunedin in the final round.
On their current form, there’s no reason why they can’t win all nine games to come. They won’t be troubled by the remaining Australian sides at all and the um, ‘flaky’ Sharks at the mid-point of a five-week tour should similarly flounder at the hands of the ‘Chefs’.
The local derbies will present the only danger games that I can see, and even then I think we’re really only talking about the Crusaders in Suva, and the Highlanders down in the glasshouse the week before the finals. They will be enthralling clashes, no doubt, but you suspect both the Crusaders and Highlanders would have to play their best games of the season to win.
Right at this point, then, I see no reason to tip against the Chiefs for the rest of the season. I wouldn’t quite go as far as suggesting the engraver can get an early start on the trophy, but they’re sure going to take some topping from here.
Chivas
Guest
Muzzo, I'm just teasing you. I do think there have been periods in Otago when they have had a pretty weak tight five and Wiakato has had the better of them , but right now the chiefs scrum leaves something to be desired too. But when we had the likes of Loe, Gatland, Purvis, Anderson, Gordon, Mitchell, Monkley, Stephenson etc. had the best of most sides when it came to power and certainly had the measure of the Otago boys. At the time Otago relied on speed across the park, in some ways not too dissimilar to the way the Highlanders play today, but now they are a really difficult proposition and are hard to shut down for any team as they seem to have so many options and so much confidence in their systems and in their ability to execute. All, quite apart from the fact they have an absolute legend playing at fullback, as well as a great halfback, first five, centres, wing all supported by a mobile and tenacious pack. As I mentioned earlier, if the Chiefs aren't able to take the pot, I hope it is the Highlanders, because they play such great footy and as much as people can dissect their game, they still can't beat them. In addition I love watching Ben Smith and listening to his after match comments. Just an awesome player and person who deserves everything he wins.
BBA
Guest
SBW will play a half for both sides and then leave for Toulon
Old Bugger
Guest
Bugger!!! I better keep an eye out on the Jameson's stocks then just in case, that other bugger, turns up on me doorstep......mind you, his law, can also work back in my favour - fingers x-ed then, aye mate???
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
sorry " this has being addressed."...S/be this is being addressed...
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
Mate, I don’t disagree with your thoughts about the ‘new coach, new combinations etc’ but I mentioned last year too about the lack of on field leadership and not sure that this has being addressed. The squad does not lack talent which predominantly has been drawn from its immediate catchment area instead of looking further afield. This, I think augers well for the future but just feel that the team needs to be built around onfield leaders. The lack thereof I thought was obvious (to me anyhow) on at least three occasions, the Cane’s, Reds and Jag’s matches. The worse of these to me was the Reds match, there was no onfield direction and when West was instructed at the end of the game to kick the goal for a draw, that decision was made from the coaching box as there was no one trusted on the field of play to be able to make the decision, in spite of Parsons being nominated captain. Major concern to me is that from the outside looking in I see no one at this moment who has the potential to become a long term on field general. They may well develop that in the future but the young future candidates just do not have enough Super Rugby experience yet … as I am sure there is someone … but who? … This is Tana’s dilemma, I don't want it to be his epitaph.
Muzzo
Guest
As I say Chivas, we all have an opinion, which we are entitled too, you might not have thought that they were up to it, but I do. We have had some great props come from out of the deep south, such as Skinner, Hazlett bros, Murdoch, Hoeff, just to name a few, along with some very good breakaways. As I can remember, at the Brook, there weren't that many times the Auckland teams really ever dominated an Otago pack. That's what I saw & remember, but Canterbury, was always the dominant South Island team. Even the like's of Oamaru born Richie, & Mataura born Justin Marshall, I'm sure, would attest to that. Cheers
RobC
Roar Guru
I dont think the Captain is the issue yet, RT. Its a brand new coach, some new combinations, some new players. and a base game that needs work. They will take time imo
Not Bothered
Guest
The Chiefs big 3? The Highlanders big 3 are 9, 10 & 15 you mean? The Chiefs big 4 are Ngatai, Cruden, Lowe and McKenzie. The Highlanders kick a lot, the Chiefs counter off kicks a lot. It should be a cracker with the Highlanders strength perhaps playing into the Chiefs hands.
Not Bothered
Guest
I think you might be typing up one for your articles on how the ABs are going to be vulnerable this year too. They could well be better than 2015, just quietly, I think they will be. Different but better.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
I think they're probably more like 2 minutes on average, so that's maybe a couple of working months spread over many years. Which is still massive and excessive and too much. I'm a little behind on articles so I guess I should catch up there. soapit can't really argue though I think there are others ahead.
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
I think in the professional era the best captain(s) of the Blues have been ZinZan Brooke, imo Xaiver Rush, and as it so happens they captained in the years in which the Blues (Auckland Blues) won their Super titles. The Statesman Keven Mealamu was also good but not an on field motivator like the other two. Herein lies the problem for Tana ... who has the potential to be an onfield general?
Klee gluckman
Guest
Blues haven't had a decent captain since Flavell.
RobC
Roar Guru
Yeah Chivas, Pat Tuipolotu playing out of his skin I reckon.
RobC
Roar Guru
Nice one Brett, thanks fory our ppost. Interesting topic. The way to win against the Chiefs is not defence. As the Lions demonstrated you have to score OVER 35 points to be able to beat them. So in that context: - Blues. Blues can win if they maintain possession. Not likely. But this weekend they may click! So who knows - Canes. A possibility. They have started to score well again, against lower ranks. - Sharks. Nope cant see 30 points from the Sharks - Landers. Oh yes, definitely. Landers can score 30 - Rebs. Dont have the finishers to score the extra 15 points in the last 20' - Tahs. Not if they dont fix their scrum and their loose scrum - Saders. Yes, they have been piling on the points - Reds. Life's a box of chocolates... - Landers. As above, yes. So Landers, Saders, maybe Canes
colvin
Guest
Wow. 10,000 comments. That will include both longer and shorter comments. Does it include articles? Lets say an average of 5-10 minutes a comment because for each comment earlier comments on the article need to be read. So that's 50,000-100,000 minutes. And that's 833-1633 hours. And that's 104 to 208 working days using 8 hour working days. And that's nearly 5 to nearly 10 working months. Wow, Just Wow.
colvin
Guest
Chivas, I'm a bit suspicious too. The Chiefs were stunning but the Brumbies were right off their game. A different day, a different place and it could well be a different result. You can be absolutely sure the Highlanders coaching staff will develop a game plan to try and take away the Chiefs strengths. Assuming both teams are at full strength you can be sure that the Chiefs big three of 9, 10 and 15 will have no space in which to move. Don't forget the Highlanders have a big three too. McKenzie will get the ball and a couple of Highlanders players at the same time. That will make a big difference and really test him. That doesn't mean the Chiefs can't do it. But they'll need to earn it against both the Highlanders and I believe the Crusaders. The Brumbies on their day tossed in the towel. I'm deeply suspicious Brett is trying to help the opposition by trying to jinx the Chiefs. It's like a commentator saying how well a batter is going and he's out next ball. Or how well a goal kicker is going and he misses the next kick. You gotta watch Brett.
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
Sorry 'bout that Akari ... I'll be more circumspect in the future...
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
No OB, what I mean is a leader... experience does not necessarily make a person a good leader.. that's what the Blues are lacking .. the playing talent is there but they run around the ground like chooks with their heads lopped off .... (apologies to Machooka)
Jigbon
Guest
Maybe with a tactical nuclear missile. !
soapit
Guest
to be fair kpm you were always short odds to hit that mark pretty quickly.