Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Opinion: Potential season defining challenge for Chiefs

By Michael Pulman
Hamilton News·
6 Feb, 2020 08:18 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The Chiefs started the season with a comeback win against the Blues. Photo / Getty Images

The Chiefs started the season with a comeback win against the Blues. Photo / Getty Images

The Chiefs have to lift their game to a much higher level if they are to match the Crusaders and give their title aspirations some real legitimacy.

It is a clash that always tends to bring out the best in the Chiefs and its outcome on Saturday night could well prove to be season-defining for Warren Gatland and his men.

It's only round two, granted, but what's on the line here could have long-term consequences.

This Crusaders side is no joke. Its depth and winning consistency are legendary and a part of their success has been a thirst to dominate all who stand in their way, not merely win games week to week.

It's a different mentality, potentially one the Chiefs could look to adopt.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Going against the mind of Warren Gatland won't phase the Crusaders in the slightest.

They've got Scott Robertson as their director general, a pretty fine coach with a fantastic record in his own right, they've hit the ground running in far more conclusive fashion, they've comprehensively out-classed every other Super Rugby side for the past three years.

The Chiefs cannot say the same. Failing to match the Crusaders will leave the Chiefs looking like they are mere pretenders who managed to spark at the right time to down a Blues side that was tactically and mentally awful when defending a decent lead.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Losing on Saturday night isn't the end of the world for the Chiefs, far from it. But it would confirm that the status quo in Super Rugby is highly likely to remain. It will confirm that there's the Crusaders… and then everyone else.

A lot of emphasis has been put on what will be a weakened Chiefs forward pack with the winning or losing of the game potentially being in the battle up front. The scrums and lineouts will have to be better than they were at Eden Park, they are major elements to a successful Chiefs set piece that will allow Aaron Cruden to work his magic as general of the backline.

The Chiefs also want to win the midfield battle. Better performances from the forwards would be a big part of that but it won't be easy with two of the leading props unavailable.
Any slight advantage the Chiefs may have had up front is no longer. Now the emphasis goes on how the replacements can go against what still is one of the most formidable front row combinations in the competition.

So, buckle in and get ready. This next 80-minutes of rugby could be massive in the context of the Chiefs season and you sense it would be the perfect time to make a big statement.

Maybe that's why Warren Gatland was injecting himself into the physical action at training this week. He knows what's on the line here and he's preparing to fire up his troops to ensure that they do to.

■ Michael Pulman is a freelance journalist based in Hamilton.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Caught on tape: Identity finally revealed of Jaguar-driving teen behind CBD rampage

06 Jul 06:00 AM
Waikato Herald

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners

05 Jul 10:45 PM
Waikato Herald

Pedestrian dies after being hit by vehicle in Canterbury

04 Jul 08:04 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Caught on tape: Identity finally revealed of Jaguar-driving teen behind CBD rampage
Waikato Herald

Caught on tape: Identity finally revealed of Jaguar-driving teen behind CBD rampage

06 Jul 06:00 AM

Police and footpath pedestrians had to dodge the vehicle to avoid getting run over.

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners
Waikato Herald

'Safety risks': Concerns as hospital security guards double as cleaners

05 Jul 10:45 PM
Pedestrian dies after being hit by vehicle in Canterbury
Waikato Herald

Pedestrian dies after being hit by vehicle in Canterbury

04 Jul 08:04 PM
'Please do not do it': Man inflicted intense pain on woman during violation
Waikato Herald

'Please do not do it': Man inflicted intense pain on woman during violation

04 Jul 08:00 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP