Sky Super Rugby Aotearoa: Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan elects for mass changes for dead rubber Blues clash
29 Apr, 2021 04:30 AM
4 minutes to read
Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu and Blues wing, midfield back Rieko Ioane on the team s 29-6 loss to the Crusaders.
Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu and Blues wing, midfield back Rieko Ioane on the team s 29-6 loss to the Crusaders.
Multimedia Sport Journalist
Saturday night s regular season finale against the Blues is taking a back seat for the Chiefs as they keep one eye on the present and one on the approaching Super Rugby Aotearoa final.
Coach Clayton McMillan has brought 15 new faces into the matchday 23 that will take the field at Eden Park. First-five Bryn Gatland and number eight Pita Gus Sowakula are the only players that remain from the starting side that beat the Hurricanes a week ago.
The Chiefs have transformed their Super Rugby Aotearoa season with four successive wins.
From pretenders to contenders, the Chiefs will be in Hamilton on Friday night, but, at the same time in some rather foreign territory. Not since their season-opener against the Highlanders have they gone into a fixture as favourites. But, some action-packed seven weeks later, here they are as just that, up against the bottom of the table Hurricanes at FMG Stadium Waikato. Having happily dined out on underdog status through the campaign to date, now comes just a little more weight of expectation, as the Chiefs push hard for their place in the Super Rugby Aotearoa final – an idea so ridiculous just a short time ago.
An onset of concussion symptoms then ruled him out of the World Cup and last year he tore a hamstring, twice, then broke his hand. Jacobson recovered to captain Waikato in last year’s Mitre 10 Cup and has been outstanding for the Chiefs under McMillan, starting every match at No 8, and has rediscovered the form which earned him his first All Blacks call-up in 2019. He played two tests off the bench against Argentina and Tonga, but his return for the final round of Super Rugby Aotearoa next weekend, when the Chiefs face the Blues at Eden Park, is uncertain and potentially harms his chances of returning to the All Blacks.
Updated
17/04/2021
Can the Chiefs do it again and pull off the upset against the Crusaders? Credits: Image - Getty, video -
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Chiefs 26 (Boshier, Lowe tries, McKenzie 2con, 4pens) bt
Crusaders 25 (Jordan, Taylor, Fainga unuku tries, Mo unga 2con, 2pens)
HT - CRU 17-9
Wrap - Four in a row for the Chiefs and they are well and truly in the hunt for not only a spot in the final, but also a home final if the Blues can tip up the Crusaders next week. It s all on as they say.
80+1mins - Chiefs lineout midway 22 and halfway to end the game. Chiefs win the throw and they have a penalty and that s it!! Ball is smashed into touch from the tap and it s game over. Chiefs win!!