Rennie made a near American football-style line change with his line-up for the game with nine changes from the side who went down to the Waratahs with the feature being a new-look midfield.
All Black Richard Kahui will pull on the No12 jumper with the nimble Tim Nanai-Williams outside him, while there's a new halfback, switches in the loose forwards and a completely rejigged front-row.
If you think that's a radical reshuffle, Sharks coach John Plumtree one-upped Rennie by making 11 changes to his side after they were beaten 12-6 by the Cheetahs last week.
"They'll be a real handful. They've got some real quality players and a lot of guys who have worn the Springbok jersey, they're big men and physical," Rennie said of the Sharks.
Plumtree is giving a number of weary players a break while presenting opportunities to a number of newcomers.
Injuries have forced his hand in some instances but in other cases he has looked to freshen up the team, notably at loose forward where Keegan Daniel and Marcell Coetzee have been given a break.
That means debuts for No8 Tera Mtembu and flanker Derick Minnie while Jean Deysel will lead the side from the other flank. Daniel and Coetzee will be on the bench.
Mtembu deserves his chance after having played consistently well for the Sharks XV in the Vodacom Cup. He was also one of the stars of the warm-up games against the Leopards and Pumas in February.
Minnie is well known as a rugged flanker for the Lions and is just the sort of player Plumtree wants against the Chiefs, who have a highly physical pack.
In fact, wherever possible Plumtree has looked to beef up his pack to counter the Chiefs. In the second row he has given a break to Franco van der Merwe and recalled Anton Bresler to partner Pieter-Steph du Toit.
In the front row, Craig Burden gets a chance to start ahead of Kyle Cooper, who will be on the bench, and Wiehahn Herbst switches from tighthead to loosehead to replace injured Beast Mtawarira, while Jannie du Plessis is recalled at tighthead.
Halfback Cobus Reinach makes way for Charl McLeod in a rotational selection and there is a debut for young Piet Lindeque on the left wing. Frans Steyn returns to the side at centre for the injured Paul Jordaan. It is not Steyn's preferred position and this is part of the reason he has not been encumbered with the captaincy.
Steyn captained the side for the opening month of the competition when Daniel was injured.
"Jean has captained us in the Currie Cup and leadership comes more naturally to him than Frans, who is also playing out of position," explained Plumtree. "I had wanted to play him at 12 but we don't have a lot of choice now in the centres after Paul Jordaan got injured on Tuesday. I don't want to burden Fransie this week with the captaincy as well as playing a new position.
Plumtree said that the number of changes he has made should not give the impression that he is taking the Chiefs game lightly.
"It is important that we don't overplay certain players. Keegan and Marcell have taken a lot of punishment and head our list for most contacts," he said. "I am not by any means writing this game off because I know what the doomsday merchants will have to say! It is a good opportunity to look at players while freshening up the team. It is only Deysel's third start of the year, we know what Minnie has done for the Lions and I am excited to see what Tera brings to the party. He has the opportunity to mark Liam Messam who is an excellent No8."
Burden will be relishing his chance to impress after finding himself leap-frogged by Kyle Cooper this season and the explosive hooker is suited to New Zealand conditions.
