Heart and soul Holah hurting for the Chiefs

His coach calls him the heart and soul of the Chiefs, so it's no wonder Marty Holah is hurting when he thinks of his team sitting at the foot of the Super 12 table.

"It's been highly frustrating," the classy flanker said of the campaign so far, ahead of today's match against the Sharks in Hamilton.

"We've underachieved by our own expectations. We're doing hard work, but something's happening and it's just not clicking for us."

Holah played his 50th Super 12 game for the Chiefs in last week's - here we go again - frustrating loss to the Hurricanes.

But Holah was impressive, keeping a tight check on their snappy rookie first five-eighth Jimmy Gopperth, which not many No 7s have done this season. Yet this perpetual understudy to the outstanding Richie McCaw in the All Black squad is a hard self-analyst.

"I've been reasonably happy with what I've been able to do in certain areas, but I feel in the last couple of years I've dropped away in front-on tackling, which came quite naturally, and become a bit preoccupied with trying to steal the ball too much. And my ball running and ability to step, I've lost that a bit in the last couple of months."

Balancing that, Holah said he had worked hard on his speed and evasiveness with the ball in hand. It's a tough self-assessment and there are many openside specialists who'd happily take the below-par Holah's talents any day.

"Well there's no point in looking at what you're doing well, you might as well look at where you can improve," Holah reasons.

This 32-test veteran, who made his test debut in 2001, would walk into most top international sides. At 28 he's in his rugby prime. Coach Ian Foster has no doubt of his value.

"He is one of the best technicians over the ball in the world as a No 7. He's a perfectionist," Foster said.

"He just keeps churning out top-quality No 7 games. Richard McCaw is an outstanding footballer, no doubt. But they've got different strengths and in my opinion, over the ball in this country Marty is second to none."

He'll need to be today as the Chiefs look to get above the second-from-bottom Sharks, who have a 6-3 win-loss record against their hosts.

Holah knows what to expect. It will be the usual story when you're up against South African packs, who traditionally are distinctly different from their Australian and New Zealand counterparts.

"Like most South African teams, they're big men. It means you have to be that much more accurate at scrum time. Ditto ruck time.

"But they do play a slower game compared to the Aussie forwards. I don't think you'll see a South African pack involved in quick consecutive phases the way the Brumbies do."

Foster has rejigged his backline, giving Stephen Donald and Niva Ta'auso their chance, with David Hill to provide the older head between them at second five-eighth.

Plenty of interest will centre on what sort of shape Keith Robinson is in on his return from long-term injury. Foster is cautioning against expecting miracles, and he's right.

Hardman AJ Venter captains the Sharks in the absence of test skipper John Smit.

Albert van den Berg is back at lock after an injury break. The Sharks field three locks in a hefty pack and they have pace out wide in Brent Russell and Henno Mentz.

There's no ifs and buts; the Chiefs must win to keep the season alive.

Waikato Stadium, today, 5.30pm

CHIEFS
Sosene Anesi
Sailosi Tagicakibau
Niva Ta'auso
David Hill
Sitiveni Sivivatu
Stephen Donald
Byron Kelleher
Steven Bates (c)
Marty Holah
Sione Lauaki
Keith Robinson
Bernie Upton
Deacon Manu
Aleki Lutui
Michael Collins

Reserves: Scott Linklater, Simms Davison, Sean Hohneck, Wayne Ormond, Isaac Boss, Keith Lowen, Adrian Cashmore

SHARKS
Brent Russell
Adrian Jacobs
Trevor Halstead
Rudi Keil
Henno Mentz
Butch James
Ruan Pienaar
AJ Venter (c)
C.van Rensburg
Solly Tyibilika
A. van den Berg
Johann Muller
Danie Saayman
S.Badenhorst
Eduard Coetzee


Reserves: Bismarck du Plessis, Deon Carstens, Jaco Gouws, Warren Britz, Sandile Nxumalo, Conrad Barnard, Gcobani Bobo