Three of the best Chiefs, from left: Aidan Ross, Sam Cane and Brad Webber. Photo / PhotoSport
Three of the best Chiefs, from left: Aidan Ross, Sam Cane and Brad Webber. Photo / PhotoSport
How did the Chiefs manage to beat the Blues at Eden Park on Friday night?
They had no right to do so with 15 players out injured when the team was selected on Wednesday. Make that 16 when in the final training All Blacks first-choice lock Brodie Retallick wore somefriendly fire in the form of a team mate's finger in the eye.
Then, in scarcely believable scenes live on SKY TV's match build-up, young fullback Shaun Stevenson made it 17 injured players when he badly twisted his knee and was seen gasping in pain and wiping away a few tears as well.
My heart went out to the former Auckland Grammar boy who was surprisingly rejected by Auckland and picked up by Waikato into the Chiefs. His dreams of playing in front of his family and friends at Eden Park and showing Auckland and the Blues what they were missing were dashed in the cruellest way.
But in an ironic twist his injury may well have played a key role in the Chiefs winning the match. Damian McKenzie was forced to shift from first-five back to fullback, where he clearly is better suited. That meant a call-up with 15 minutes notice for a relatively unknown young kid from Hawke's Bay called Tiaan Falcon to start the game in the pivotal No 10 jersey.
He has some top line experience as a standout for the Baby Blacks at last year's under-20 World Cup in Georgia won by New Zealand and his breeding is rich in rugby folklore in the Hawke's Bay. Both his father Gordon and grandfather Ray played for the Maori All Blacks, and Gordon also made a successful transition to rugby league in the NRL with the Penrith Panthers.
Apart from a couple of early nervous moments Falcon stepped up assuredly to run the Chiefs backline. When he sliced through the Blues defence and nearly put McKenzie in under the posts he showed what potential he has as a running first-five.
Captain Sam Cane made mention of Falcon in his insightful post-match interview that as always gives the viewers far more than we are used to from most of the other captains. Cane's own form is on a different level to the other opensides in the competition so far.
Aidan Ross has taken his opportunity to shine on the loosehead side of the scrum with former Bay of Plenty and All Blacks prop Kane Hames still on the outer with injury.
There were some ropey moments in the Chiefs scrum against the Crusaders but against the Blues, the collective force was mightily impressive.
Ross did not take a backward step against All Blacks tighthead Ofa Tu'ungafasi. A product of the Bay of Plenty Rugby pathway, Ross started at Otumoetai College before playing two years in the Tauranga Boys' First XV and making the New Zealand Under-20s.
Anyone who plays in a team with the ability to punch above its weight and defies the odds as often as the Chiefs will always get my support. But to see a local boy like Ross stepping up makes the watching so much more enjoyable.
