Getting success out of a team is hard to achieve and harder to quantify. Moulding a disparate group of about 30 individuals is a daily project which in the modern Super Rugby season starts in February and ends in August. There are constant ups and downs but once again the Chiefs have coped better than any other franchise. They finished first after the regular season and now stand on the brink of a consecutive title.
Here are six things they have done right:
Getting the best out of their players
No Sonny Bill Williams, no Richard Kahui (following his shoulder injury), no early-season goalkicking for Aaron Cruden due to a groin problem, no worries. The Chiefs' coaches merely got more out of the players they had. Bundee Aki made the step up to this level with ease - all the while wearing the No12 jersey vacated by the incomparable Williams. Fellow midfielder Charlie Ngatai was a new recruit and has done everything asked of him. Tim Nanai-Williams, dogged by a groin problem, switched to centre and was outstanding before his injury finally ended his season. Blues reject Gareth Anscombe played well at fullback and was a goalkicking genius when covering for Cruden. Matt Vant Leven, a wider training group player, has been brilliant at No8. The Chiefs are the new Crusaders in terms of developing players.
It's all in the detail
Chiefs skipper Craig Clarke reckons Dave Rennie never sleeps, such is the work the head coach puts in. Wayne Smith is another who sets a fearsome work ethic. All the Chiefs' coaches put in long hours and none of it is wasted. Want an example? How about the way they discovered the Crusaders' exit plays aren't as efficient as they could be? The result in the first clash between the two teams in Hamilton was two charged down clearances (including one by Dan Carter) for two tries. In a match which finished 28-19, that was the difference. The Chiefs were monstered by the Crusaders' forwards in the return encounter, but while the different attitude in the weekend's semifinal was crucial, so were the tactics. They decided to go a bit wider with their attack and it worked.
It's them against us
A siege mentality can be a highly effective motivation tool. Look at the way Sir Alex Ferguson fostered a "no one likes us motto" at Manchester United during his tenure there, despite the fact that they were one of the most successful and popular football clubs around. During the latter part of this season the Chiefs showed irritation at not being rated by the media. They felt it was all about the Crusaders despite the fact the Chiefs were the defending champions and travelling pretty well, too.
