Injury crisis eases for Chiefs but franchise forced into balancing act ahead of playoffs.
The Chiefs' injury load is easing at the right time but they will still be without a pair of frontline forwards for tomorrow's showdown with the Hurricanes.
Resting Sam Cane and Hika Elliot reflects the balancing act the Chiefs are facing in New Plymouth. On one hand, five points couldlock up fourth spot and a home quarter-final but, on the other, an eye must also be cast towards that knockout match.
Coach Dave Rennie had already indicated his plan to rest Cane and Michael Leitch, having played plenty of flanker in Japan, will move to the side of the scrum to take over from the All Black flanker.
But Elliot, another who has started 14 of his side's 15 fixtures this season, was expected to play and celebrate his 100th Super Rugby match against the franchise for whom he made his debut in 2008. The hooker, however, has been carrying a couple of niggles and will receive a reprieve from his heavy workload, with Quentin MacDonald starting in the No2 jersey.
Elliot was unable to connect on half of his throws in the lineout in a win over the Reds last weekend, while the scrum also struggled to provide a stable platform. Props Mitchell Graham and Siate Tokolahi have paid the price for that poor performance against the Reds with Ben Tameifuna and Pauliasi Manu recalled to the revamped front row.
The other changes for the Chiefs are about reintroducing players typically found in a first-choice XV, a luxury the coaching staff has not enjoyed of late. Matt Symons will reform a first-choice locking pair with Brodie Retallick, after the Englishman was sidelined through concussion, while Sonny Bill Williams and James Lowe return in the backline.
"There's some guys who performed really well early on who are coming back into the frame," assistant coach Andrew Strawbridge said. "We've been pretty happy with how our midfield's been going. We were really happy defensively with Anton [Lienert-Brown] and Andrew [Horrell] in the last two games. But it's Sonny's opportunity now and he's back and firing on all cylinders."
