KEY POINTS:
There's no such thing as a must-win second-round game in a 13-round competition.
But, having dropped their opening four games of last season only to miss a semifinal spot by two points, and then being soundly beaten in their opening match this season, the Chiefs would go close
to testing that theory.
There's no doubt they will be eyeing their perch near the foot of the Super 14 table with a touch of trepidation ahead of tonight's visit by the Waratahs.
A first-round loss at Eden Park to a Blues side that looks to be among the competition's early pace setters is no calamity; following it up with another poor showing in their first home game of the season just might be.
"You don't want to get left behind so it is an important game for us," coach Ian Foster said. "You want to build momentum and you want to win your games at home, so we need to target a good performance."
A significant improvement at scrum time will be needed if the Chiefs are to bounce back from last week's four-tries-to-one battering by the Blues.
"It's pretty clear that we weren't at our best there," said Foster, who has named an unchanged starting pack but bolstered his bench with combative loosies Faifili Lavave and Tom Harding.
"We need to make an improvement in a lot of areas but that is definitely one. They've certainly been talking about it a lot and hitting the [scrum] machine a few times."
While the Chiefs have spent much of the week assessing what went wrong, the Waratahs would have found little to fault in their 20-3 victory over the Hurricanes.
Coach Ewen McKenzie has named an unchanged team.
Foster said he had been impressed by the Waratahs' discipline and composure. He expected them to follow the Blues blueprint and attack his side in the scrums and on the fringes of the rucks.
"We are conscious that they are going to ask us some pretty significant questions," he said.
"They have got a big, experienced forward pack. Most of them have been around a long time and been in the Wallabies and they certainly played a very disciplined, powerful game against the Hurricanes."
The introduction of the experimental laws had made it difficult to get an accurate gauge on some areas of the Chiefs' performance but it had been pretty clear where they were outgunned by the Blues, he said.
"We didn't get enough ball and didn't get a chance to put them under pressure, so we were chasing the game. The big lesson from last week was that it is a tiring game if you don't get the ball."
Foster has made two changes to his backline. Brendon Leonard will start at halfback in place of the injured Jamie Nutbrown [knee] and Viliame Waqaseduadua comes in on the wing for Soseni Anesi [foot, neck].
CHIEFS
Mils Muliaina
V. Waqaseduadua
Richard Kahui
Callum Bruce
Sitiveni Sivivatu
Stephen Donald
Brendon Leonard
Sione Lauaki
Tanerau Latimer
Liam Messam
Kevin O'Neill
Jono Gibbes (c)
Ben Castle
Tom Willis
Simms Davison
WARATAHS
Lachie Turner
Timana Tahu
Ben Jacobs
Tom Carter
Lote Tuqiri
Kurtley Beale
Brett Sheehan
Wycliff Palu
Phil Waugh (c)
Rocky Elsom
Dan Vickerman
Dean Mumm
Al Baxter
Adam Freier
Matt Dunning
Chiefs: Aled de Malmanche, Ben May, Toby Lynn, Faifili Levave, Tom Harding, David Bason, Lelia Masaga.
Waratahs: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson, Will Caldwell, Beau Robinson, Luke Burgess, Sam Harris, Alfi Mafi
Waikato Stadium, 7.35pm tonight