Rugby: Chiefs aiming to reduce Super 15 penalty count

The influential Sonny Bill Williams returns for the Chiefs at Waikato Stadium. Photo / Getty Images

Chiefs expect their scrum to be targeted by canny Crusaders in another tight Super encounter

Past history has shown that Super 15 clashes between the Chiefs and Crusaders can be decided by a whistle and a kicking tee.

With little separating the sides in the last several seasons, small margins are as important as the big names both teams can boast. While the return of Sonny Bill Williams will be important for the Chiefs tonight, it is factors like the scrum, field position and discipline that can all add up to create the difference.

Which, based on the last couple of weeks, leaves the Chiefs facing a challenge if they wish to win the first encounter between New Zealand's two top teams and maintain their unbeaten record.

Dave Rennie's side currently concede a competition-worst 14 penalties a game, a number they matched in last weekend's win over the Brumbies. That match saw the Australian side put constant pressure on the Chiefs' scrum, causing their opposition to infringe and taking advantage to play at the right end of the field.

A similar strategy could be employed by the Crusaders and there has been an accent on the scrum in Hamilton this week, with five changes made to the pack in anticipation of another close encounter.

"We're all envisaging that it'll be a tight fixture," said assistant coach Tom Coventry. "We'd like to score tries and not win games on penalty kicks, but it'll be close and it'll be the team that can exert pressure and give away the least amount of penalties.

"The scrum has been an issue for a lot of teams and a lot of teams have been able to get field position on the back of scrum penalties. So we'll have to be better in that area than we were last week."

But making that amendment is easier said than done. The Chiefs have been frustrated with some of the tactics employed by the opposition at scrum time, with teams reneging on an agreement made by every Super Rugby coach at a pre-season conference.

The causes of consternation come before the ball is put into the scrum, subtleties that see packs trying to win the lean by sending locks early or using loose forwards to get props into an advantageous position.

"All the things that we said at the conference wouldn't happen are happening," Coventry said. "If we can get teams to push when the ball's in and in a position where both teams can compete evenly, then I'm happy with that. But, as usual, teams try and come up with little competitive edges in scrum time."

Those edges are too difficult for referees to patrol, given they are limited to only one side of the scrum, so teams are often forced to take matters into their own hands.

"You just have to be smarter than the opposition and you've got to win all those little battles yourself," Coventry said. "You try not to bring the referee into the equation, because he's got a lot to deal with."