Kings v Chiefs
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Excellent news! Yamashita dropped!!<br><br><a class="bbc_url" href="http://m.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11603440">http://m.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11603440</a><br><br>
shame about the injuries, but hopefully this is a team that can get the set piece operating...<br><br>
Need Leitch to do Messam's role leading the defense. <br><br>
Looking forward to seeing Moli get a run.<br><br>
Article below, sorry can't quote on my phone.<br><br><br>
Any doubts about Dave Rennie's dissatisfaction with his side's scrum were extinguished with a glance at a teamsheet covered in red pen.<br><br>
The Chiefs coach has made eight changes from last weekend's shock home loss to the Lions, naming six new faces among the forwards to clash with the Kings in Port Elizabeth on Sunday morning (NZT).<br><br>
Two alterations had an air of inevitability, with Brodie Retallick's broken ribs and Michael Leitch's return to fitness showing the injury gods both giveth and taketh. But the remaining changes in an overhauled forward pack were all about form.<br><br>
A brand new front row will be tasked with settling a scrum that has been less than impressive during the competition's early rounds, with Japanese tighthead Hiroshi Yamashita omitted altogether.<br><br>
While the problem against the Lions came at the opposite side of the scrum, Yamashita will be replaced by Siate Tokolahi while New Zealand under-20s captain Atu Moli is promoted to the bench.<br><br>
Tokolahi will pack down with Nathan Harris and Mitchell Graham to culminate, after similar issues were present in the opening victory over the Crusaders, what has been a lengthy search for answers.<br><br>
The major issue we had with the Lions was their tighthead being able to get into our hooker, and that put an enormous amount of pressure on our scrum," Rennie said. "But they came off the bench last week, all three of those guys, and did a reasonable job.<br><br>
"We had a really good scrum session [on Wednesday] and may have come up with some solutions around how we can be more competitive in that area. I'm pretty confident that we'll get a far better showing than we did last week, even knowing that the Kings may be excited by the opportunity to scrummage against our boys.<br><br>
"It'll be a test - and it's going to be a test every week for us - but I think we've made some good shifts."<br><br>
Another shift has seen natural loose forward Johan Bardoul handed the unenviable task of taking Retallick's spot in the second row, while Leitch and Auckland youngster Taleni Seu will form a revamped loose forward trio alongside Sam Cane.<br><br>
"Johan's played a little bit of lock for us and he's trained a lot as a lock," Rennie said. "Ultimately, we're pretty keen for Taleni to have a bit more of a roaming role, but that may interchange a bit."<br><br>
The backs have a much more settled appearance, with the attack hardly struggling for tries in the early weeks. But Brad Weber will earn his first start of the season in place of fellow All Black Tawera Kerr-Barlow, beginning a halfback battle that will progress throughout the campaign.<br><br>
"Tawera has been really good, we've been really happy with him, and Brad's come off the bench and just sped things up," Rennie said. "His speed to the ruck and distribution deserves a start, and those two will share a lot of game time throughout the year."<br><br>
The only other alteration to the backline sees league convert Glen Fisiiahi given his first Super Rugby start, a bow that would have arrived a fortnight early had injury not intervened.<br><br>
Chiefs team to play the Kings in Port Elizabeth on Sunday morning (NZT):<br><br>
Damian McKenzie, Glen Fisiiahi, Seta Tamanivalu, Charlie Ngatai, James Lowe, Aaron Cruden (c), Brad Weber, Michael Leitch, Sam Cane (c), Taleni Seu, Johan Bardoul, Michael Allardice, Siate Tokolahi, Nathan Harris, Mitchell Graham.<br><br>
Reserves: Rhys Marshall, Pauliasi Manu, Atu Moli, James Tucker, Maama Vaipulu, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sam McNi -
<p>I didn't see the Chiefs-Lions game so can't comment on the scrummaging. Hopefully Hika is back soon - he was named to play for the Chiefs Dev team earlier this week. Tokolahi needed an opportunity to start. Bardoul will add some grunt to the scrum and mongrel around the field. I see that Sanders has been omitted from the 23. In the backs, Fisiiahi gets his first start.</p>
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<p>The Chiefs need 5 pts but this won't be a gimme. I remember when these teams played eachother a few years ago and the Chiefs came from behind to win a high-scoring game.</p> -
<p>Not surprised to see a lot of changes based on the reports of the Lions game, though I'm guessing the travel schedule over the next few weeks will force a bit of rotation anyway. Great to see Harris, Tokolahi, Bardoul and Leitch start (Graham too but I'm not too fussed who wins out between him and Manu each week).</p>
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<p>You'd HOPE this would be an easy win but who fuckin knows.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Unco" data-cid="563746" data-time="1457602384">
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<p>You'd HOPE this would be an easy win but who fuckin knows.</p>
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<p>Not having Andrew Lees as the ref is a good start!!! He can fuck up the Force-Brumbies game.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="563750" data-time="1457603148">
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<p>Not having Andrew Lees as the ref is a good start!!! He can fuck up the Force-Brumbies game.</p>
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<p> I have to agree there. I don't place any blame on him for the results but he is one of the more confounding refs on the scene at the moment. Both the Chiefs and Canes struggled with his interpretations. In the Canes sake it played a part in taking their focus away from how they wanted to play. </p>
<p>Last week he had plenty of moments where he was simply guessing. The end stanza of the game looked to have 3 weird decisions in a row (2 against the Lions) that were inconsistent with how he had decided earlier.</p>
<p>Just a frustrating ref to watch IMO.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Pixel_Ninja" data-cid="563783" data-time="1457635172">
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<p>Chiefs by 50</p>
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<p>Not going to happen. Have you seen their travel schedule? IF they get a comfortable lead in this game they will only be playing to maintain a BP. </p>
<p>They have to get up at 3am the next day to get to the airport to travel to Argentina. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="563750" data-time="1457603148"><p>
Not having Andrew Lees as the ref is a good start!!! He can fuck up the Force-Brumbies game.</p></blockquote>
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Yeah it was completely the refs fault you lost last week.. Nothing to do with your powder puff forward pack. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="563790" data-time="1457636658">
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<p>Yeah it was completely the refs fault you lost last week.. Nothing to do with your powder puff forward pack.</p>
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<p>Who has blamed Lees for the loss? He is just a shite ref.</p>
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<p>Don't you support a team beaten by our 'powder puff foward pack' anyway? I wouldn't be chipping in so quick if I were you.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="563795" data-time="1457638555"><p>
Who has blamed Lees for the loss? He is just a shite ref.<br><br>
Don't you support a team beaten by our 'powder puff foward pack' anyway? I wouldn't be chipping in so quick if I were you.</p></blockquote>
I support a team coached by an idiot who was beaten by that powder puff forward pack. :)<br><br>
And you've got super coach/ the messiah Rennie <br><br>
Just saying that it's pretty shit to complain about the ref when the reasons your team lost were pretty obvious for all to see. Likewise the canes game in week 1.<br><br>
But that's the silver fern for you. If ABs/Chiefs lose wait for the ineventable backlash against the referee -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="563741" data-time="1457601391">
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<p>I didn't see the Chiefs-Lions game so can't comment on the scrummaging. Hopefully Hika is back soon - he was named to play for the Chiefs Dev team earlier this week. Tokolahi needed an opportunity to start. Bardoul will add some grunt to the scrum and mongrel around the field. I see that Sanders has been omitted from the 23. In the backs, Fisiiahi gets his first start.</p>
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<p>The Chiefs need 5 pts but this won't be a gimme. I remember when these teams played eachother a few years ago and the Chiefs came from behind to win a high-scoring game.</p>
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<p>Harris is far better than Hika, so I am in no great rush to seem him back.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rembrandt" data-cid="563804" data-time="1457639578">
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<p>How has Tamanivalu been looking this season? Haven't had a chance to watch a game yet but see this will be his third start and should have a good combination with Ngati</p>
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<p>Finally starting to look comfortable at this level. Had a good run or two in each game. There were a few Lions breaks in the midfield, not sure who was at fault there.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Baron Silas Greenback" data-cid="563805" data-time="1457639591">
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<p>Harris is far better than Hika, so I am in no great rush to seem him back.</p>
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<p>So you're happy to have Marshall playing? The Chiefs' two best hookers are Elliot and Harris. Harris needs to play well in this game because he wasn't picked to start ahead of Marshall in the first 2 games on form (according to Rennie).</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="563797" data-time="1457638875">
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<p>I support a team coached by an idiot who was beaten by that powder puff forward pack. :)<br><br>
And you've got super coach/ the messiah Rennie<br><br>
Just saying that it's pretty shit to complain about the ref when the reasons your team lost were pretty obvious for all to see. Likewise the canes game in week 1.<br><br>
But that's the silver fern for you. If ABs/Chiefs lose wait for the ineventable backlash against the referee</p>
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<p>You could actually read my post before making comments like that.</p>
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<p>I have never (in this thread or the match thread blamed Lees for the loss or the poor performance of the Chiefs), I have simply added to the comment implying that he is a shite ref in general.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="563810" data-time="1457640263">
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<p>So you're happy to have Marshall playing? The Chiefs' two best hookers are Elliot and Harris. Harris needs to play well in this game because he wasn't picked to start ahead of Marshall in the first 2 games on form (according to Rennie).</p>
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<p>I would rather have Elliot on the bench ahead of Marshall. As for Rennie picking on form.. yeah ok.. this is also the coach who picked <span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Yamashita to start.</span></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rembrandt" data-cid="563804" data-time="1457639578">
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<p>How has Tamanivalu been looking this season? Haven't had a chance to watch a game yet but see this will be his third start and should have a good combination with Ngati</p>
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<p>Personally, I think he looks quite slow. But he can still destroy a defense when he wants to. I do wonder whether, long-term, second-five would be a better option for him, though.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="563812" data-time="1457640468">
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<p>You could actually read my post before making comments like that.</p>
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<p>I have never (in this thread or the match thread blamed Lees for the loss or the poor performance of the Chiefs), I have simply added to the comment implying that he is a shite ref in general.</p>
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<p>You complained about the referee. that's what I was responding to.</p> -
<p>Just in case anyone is interested in the Kings line-up:</p>
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<p><span style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;">1. Schalk Ferreira 2. Edgar Matutlule 3. Jacobie Adriaanse 4. Steven Sykes (c) 5. JC Astle 6. Chris Cloete 7. Thembelani Bholi 8. Jacques Engelbrecht 9. Ntando Kebe 10. Louis Fouché 11. Malcolm Jaer 12. Shane Gates 13. Stefan Watermeyer 14. Luzuko Vulindlu 15. Jurgen Visser</span></p>
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<p><em><span style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;">Reserves</span></em><span style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;">: 16 Sithembiso Sithole, 17 Martin Bezuidenhout, 18 Tom Botha, 19 Schalk Oelofse, 20 Cyril-John Velleman, 21 Kevin Luiters, 22 Elgar Watts, 23 Jaco van Tonder</span></p>
