Chiefs 2022
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Ridiculous talent in midfield, particularly at second five (Tupaea, Nankivell and Wrampling). Barring injuries, this means that two promising players will get a limited playing time, which is not very good for NZ rugby. The other franchises are not so blessed with talented 2nd fives. Nankivell could be a regular starter at the Blues, the Canes and the Landers, while Wrampling's talent could be wasted if he is relegated to the matches played by the Chiefs Development XV.
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@bovidae said in Chiefs 2022:
@cgrant said in Chiefs 2022:
ALB will be the starting centre so Wrampling will be playing only a few minutes there. Wing then ?
That would be the only position he could start with an AB midfield locked in.
Sounds like a good opportunity to give him minutes at the end of games too. I'm actually a bit excited about the midfield stocks.
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The Chiefs have changed their coaching structure for next season with Warren Gatland moving into a director of rugby role and Clayton McMillan retaining the head coach position for the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
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@bovidae heard the Chiefs have signed Tyrone Thompson who in my opinion is going to be an absolute rock star and at 183kg & 111kgs will be one of the bigger bodies we have seen the hooker position for a very long time.
Also really liked the look of Gideon Wrampling especially in that midfield position for Waikato against Ta$man last friday.
Plenty of depth coming through at 12 & 13 . -
@steven-harris Yeah, I posted in the Taranaki-Wellington match thread that Ben Castle mentioned during commentary that the Chiefs had signed Thompson.
Is what I was told about Reihana not being re-signed by the Chiefs correct?
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@crucial As I've said before, I don't think the Chiefs were as bad as their record suggested under Gatland or that different under McMillan. At HT at the Caketin you wouldn't have said there had been any improvement from the previous season (a 0-3 start to the season). But a comeback victory and the confidence from that had a flow-on effect.
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@bovidae said in Chiefs 2022:
@crucial As I've said before, I don't think the Chiefs were as bad as their record suggested under Gatland or that different under McMillan. At HT at the Caketin you wouldn't have said there had been any improvement from the previous season (a 0-3 start to the season). But a comeback victory and the confidence from that had a flow-on effect.
But was it the coaching culture from McMillan that allowed that to flourish? I just think that he spoke the language of the players better than Gatland.
Bringing in a NH coach (which essentially Gatland is/was) was always going to take some adjustment. Not necessarily in playing style but more so management style and trust. -
Donk feels a bit nicer as a head coach in my opinion. I can't really explain it but it feels like the team culture is better, as a fan I feel a little closer, probably has something to do with the way he holds himself. He's pretty soft spoken and seems humble, Gats not so much.
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@steven-harris said in Chiefs 2022:
Tyrone Thompson
186cm? https://www.wellingtonlions.co.nz/player/player/Player/show/thompson/
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We still need a strike weapon out wide and with naholo gone to the saders I wouldn't mind getting vereniki tikoisolomone seems to have some genuine pace and x factor also if tanielu telea is no longer with blues I'd look at him he has the tools to be a game breaker