Rugby: Chiefs rely on fringe players to maintain winning run

Sonny Bill Williams during the 2012 Super Rugby match between The Sharks and Chiefs. Photo / Getty Images

There is an experimental look to the Chiefs pack as they try to stretch their winning run to nine matches.

While they would be foolish to admit as much, the visit of the struggling Lions to unfamiliar territory in Pukekohe has given Dave Rennie and his coaching crew the opportunity to rest a few tired bodies.

The flipside being that fringe players will be given a chance to stake a claim for more playing time in the second half of the season.

Asaeli Tikoirotuma will start in place of Tim Nanai-Williams on the left wing, but the backs are largely untouched from the crew who helped dispense with the Hurricanes in Hamilton last week.

Halfback Brendon Leonard will be given another opportunity to get his groove back after what Rennie described as a scratchy return to the Super 15.

Leonard injured his hamstring in the round-one loss to the Highlanders and has watched on as Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Augustine Pulu have tried to establish themselves, with some degree of success, at this level.

There are several changes between numbers one and eight.

Alex Bradley has given way to Samoan international Kane Thompson at the back of the scrum, while they will experiment once more with a left-right flanker combination of Sam Cane and Tanerau Latimer.

Liam Messam sits out with a rib injury.

In the second row, Manawatu's Mike Fitzgerald gets a start alongside captain Craig Clarke. The impressive Brodie Retallick gets his first rest of the tournament.

To the undoubted disappointment of the crowd, Sona Taumalolo will be restricted to a role off the bench as he attempts to add to his season-leading seven tries.

The rarely-used Scott Waldrom, Jackson Willison and Maritino Nemani will join the reserves.

"As we are only halfway into the competition we are using this game to give some players who have not had much game time an opportunity they deserve," Rennie said.

It's a tricky balancing act. Even against a team like the Lions, which has no pedigree of success in New Zealand, there is a danger that too many changes smack of hubris.

It's been a red letter week for the Chiefs so far, after it was announced that assistant Wayne Smith had committed to the end of his contract in 2013.

About the only thing that could improve their outlook would be the signature of a certain second five-eighths, named to start alongside Richard Kahui.