Rugby: Bubbly Foster not celebrating yet

Chiefs No 8 Sione Lauaki fends off Andrew Hore of the Hurricanes during last night's match in Hamilton. Photo / Getty Images

Even the quite ludicrous sight of coach Ian Foster wearing an Adolf Hitler moustache couldn't lull the Chiefs into believing it was time to start celebrating.

Foster's top lip was the victim of a forfeit that required the coach to front the media should the Chiefs win. It was, he said, a debt he was quite delighted to repay but he also stressed it was still entirely possible for the Chiefs to lose this week and not even make the playoffs.

In searching for reasons behind the Chiefs' transformation from nearly-men to genuine contenders, much focus will fall on their tight five. The Chiefs unit is not studded with big names.

It has, however, been one of the most effective in the competition, with Kevin O'Neill delivering everything he needed to last night. The front row stuck in at the scrum despite Foster being concerned at some of the angles the Hurricanes managed to force in the hit.

The potency and class of the backs, particularly Mils Muliaina and Sitiveni Sivivatu, is another key factor in the Chiefs' success.

But it is perhaps their ability to stay composed, to stay in the present and not fall into the trap of panicking or thinking too far ahead that's the real key.

Certainly, Foster felt his side were in danger of trying to do too much in the first quarter.

"I thought we were a bit fidgety," he said, "and we tried to play too much rugby in our own territory.

"After that, we slowed down and put a bit more pressure on them. We felt we finished the first half well and, really, halftime was about trying to eliminate the fluster and get more composure."

That was exactly what the Chiefs got and it paid immediate reward. There was a calm authority to the way they broke loose in the first play of the half, with Richard Kahui looking all around before opting to feed inside to Toby Morland. When the ball was recycled to Stephen Donald, he resisted the temptation to cross-kick left and instead backed his own pace and elusiveness.

"It was really pleasing to see Stephen take on the line and go through," said Foster. "It put them under pressure to open the game up and it wasn't easy out there."

Foster wasn't the only one pleased to see Donald make such a telling contribution. The first-five, through no fault of his own, is under pressure to satisfy even the casual observer that he is blessed with something out of the ordinary.

He could have spent the whole night banging the ball long, playing the tactical game of his life, and still there would have been doubt.

What counts in these pressure games is definitive action; high impact contributions that make the difference.

That's precisely what his try was - the critical difference between the two sides. Once the Hurricanes were eight points down, they had to chase and that forced the mistakes.

Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper did not take the defeat well.

"A lack of discipline cost us," was his blunt assessment. "We gave away too many silly penalties. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves and when you are trying to catch up, a lot of errors come into your game. We couldn't get the go-forward and they got excited about being ahead of us and the big crowd helped them.

"[Not getting a point] will hurt us and it puts a big edge on next week. The Reds have knocked over some big boys and it is up to us now."

Cooper's demeanour was a result of knowing the Hurricanes have blown a golden opportunity to secure the top spot and guarantee a home semifinal that would lead to a home final.

They know their destiny is no longer in their own hands, as, depending on other results, they could take five points next week and still finish fourth.

For the Chiefs, it's different.

"It's what we want - to have a chance to achieve our first objective," said Foster.