Chiefs 2025

[Bovidae]

From the Waikato Times:

• Coombes-Fabling had off-season knee surgery, will miss the first few rounds
• Narawa had wrist surgery so will be eased back into play
• Tupaea had his foot stood on at training

McMillan is bemoaning the lack of quality outside backs that aren't already in SR squads or aren't in the NZ sevens programme.

[Bovidae]

ENS is looking good at fullback. I've liked Brown's physicality and support lines at 7.

Both teams have made handling errors, the Hurricanes more often.

[Yeetyaah]

17-0 to the Chiefs at the end of the first third.

[WoodysRFC]

Jacombs clearing kicks are great, forget how important clearing from your 22 really is, something that DMac, Barett, and Mo'unga aren't great at.

[Bovidae]

So Carter went into halfback and Jacomb back to fulback in that third. Subs on after ~45 mins. Sinton is now at halfback.

24-19 Chiefs after 60 mins.

[Bovidae]

Interesting that when he was playing Jacobson was playing 6, Norris at 7 and Parker at no.8.

[Bovidae]

Popoalii scores in the 93rd min as the Chiefs go the length of the field to win 43-40.

Hopefully no injuries for either squad. The last 15-20 mins were WTG and young players in each team.

[ploughboy]

@Bovidae any stand outs?

[WoodysRFC]

@ploughboy said in Chiefs 2025:

@Bovidae any stand outs?

Leroy Carter, looked good both on the wing and at half.

[Bovidae]

In the starting XV I thought that both locks, Brown and Boshier had busy games. Parker was better when he came back at no.8. In the backs Roe and Jacomb controlled the game well with Rona and ENS the other standouts.

[WoodysRFC]

Second ENS, he's got a very good kicking game, and seems to be more involved when playing from 15. Think it may be his best position.

[Bovidae]

@WoodysRFC said in Chiefs 2025:

Leroy Carter, looked good both on the wing and at half.

I love his energy, and his ability to play 9 means a 6:2 bench is an option.

[Yeetyaah]

Quinn isn't injured, playing next week. Samisoni is back round 2. Malachi has a stress fracture. Coombes-Fabling also injured but couldn't find out what was wrong.

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah LCF had knee surgery.

The ABs can play 40 mins next week.

[Yeetyaah]

Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi gone for the season with a shoulder injury.

[Bovidae]

Dropping like flies. Is Malachi's injury season-ending too?

[Yeetyaah]

@Bovidae not sure on that one.

[Bovidae]

@Yeetyaah said in Chiefs 2025:

Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi gone for the season with a shoulder injury.

More on this. I expect McMillan will be calling Adam Lennox as WTG players are usually available to any team. Carter being the third option at halfback impacts on the outside back depth, which is already thin.

[booboo]

@Yeetyaah said in Chiefs 2025:

Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi gone for the season with a shoulder injury.

Boo. Am a fanboi

[Bovidae]

Fellow test reps Quinn Tupaea (who was nursing a foot injury) and Emoni Narawa (following off-season wrist surgery) are also set to be back, as well as playmaker Kaleb Trask, who had required stitches to a leg he sliced open on a sprig at training, while uncapped loose forward Malachi Wrampling may also return from a hip impingement which scratched him from the weekend.

Along with All Blacks hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, who is still on the mend from the achilles tendon rupture he suffered in last year’s semifinal, and winger Liam Coombes-Fabling, who will miss the first couple of rounds following knee surgery, the Chiefs will also start the season without rookie lock Fiti Sa, who will be aiming for mid-season after having dislocated his shoulder during the NPC, and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, with McMillan still awaiting full results of scans on a shoulder the halfback damaged at training.

The Waikato Times