KEY POINTS:
Try telling Chiefs captain Jono Gibbes that there's a buzz about his team's Super 14 prospects this year.
First up there's a pause, then he gives the verbal equivalent of a decent fend off towards the pundits who reckon a semifinal spot, at least, should be theirs.
"From
a players' point of view, we don't talk about that stuff," he said on the eve of tonight's opening round clash against the Brumbies in Hamilton.
"We're so used to being written off there's only so many talks you can have about something like that.
"I just don't think that's for us. We'll leave that to the rock stars mate, get on with things, enjoy the style of football we play and enjoy each other's company."
Tonight will be a good indicator of what lies ahead for the Chiefs. Their record is not flash against the Brumbies and their first-round record in the last 11 years doesn't offer much encouragement - four wins from 11 games.
All of which means nothing in Gibbes' book. The popular leader, who will run out for his 57th Super appearance tonight, will be at the heart of a solid Chiefs pack which, even shorn of the injured Sione Lauaki and Keith Robinson, should be good enough to at least match the Brumbies.
The test may come out the back where the Brumbies, who have 12 Wallabies in the starting lineup even without Stephen Larkham, still have class and rugby nous with captain Stirling Mortlock, George Gregan, Clyde Rathbone and Mark Gerrard seasoned operators.
Gibbes reckons there has been an extra edge in training this week. He puts that down to a desperation to start off the way they mean to go on.
"We've put ourselves under pressure in previous years by not starting so well. We're playing a pretty experienced team, which requires a degree of patience and discipline by us," he said.
For all the truth in that, the Chiefs feel they should have won their last two matches against the Brumbies - 28-all two years ago, 26-28 last season - and there's a resolve that, throughout this campaign, once a winning hold has been established the job must be finished.
"We are guilty of losing games we shouldn't. For us, the challenge is to play the whole 80 minutes," Gibbes said.
The pick of several intriguing matchups will be the loose forward contest, where the highly capable Liam Messam, Marty Holah and Steven Bates tangle with former Waratah Stephen Hoiles, 72-test veteran George Smith and fast-rising 21-year-old Julian Salvi.
Niva Ta'auso against Mortlock at centre should be a count-the-bruises job and up front Nathan White, Tom Willis and Simms Davison should have a decent set-to against the all-Wallaby trio of Guy Shepherdson, Jeremy Paul - playing his 100th Super match - and Nic Henderson.
"We think we've got as good a chance as anybody else, to be honest, and we're pretty excited about that," Chiefs coach Ian Foster said of this year's campaign. "But we really want to put ourselves to the test against the Brumbies. The focus is using them as a benchmark of how far we have progressed."
Hamilton, 7.35 tonight
Chiefs
Dwayne Sweeney, Sosene Anesi, Niva Ta'auso, Tane Tu'ipulotu, Anthony Tahana, Stephen Donald, Jamie Nutbrown, Liam Messam, Marty Holah, Steven Bates, Kristian Ormsby, Jono Gibbes (c), Nathan White, Tom Willis, Simms Davison
Reserves: Aled de Malmanche, Ben Castle, Toby Lynn, Tanerau Latimer, Brendon Leonard, Tasesa Lavea, Lelia Masaga.
Brumbies
A. Ashley-Cooper, Clyde Rathbone, S. Mortlock (c), Gene Fairbanks, Mark Gerrard, Julian Huxley, George Gregan, Stephen Hoiles, George Smith, Julian Salvi, Mark Chisholm, Alistair Campbell, Guy Shepherdson, Jeremy Paul, Nic Henderson
Reserves: Saia Faingaa, Salesi Ma'afu, Adam Wallace-Harrison, Jone Tawake, Richard Stanford, Tim Wright, Matt Carraro.
