Rugby: How the Chiefs are taking charge

MENACING: Robbie Robinson, here jostling with Highlander Aaron Smith, has a defence-beating ability many of his teammates share. Photo / Getty

Back to back wins against the Blues and Crusaders have given fans cause for hope. Dylan Cleaver finds reasons why the Chiefs might just be for real.

They have embraced
Moneyball ...
To be honest, knowing the insularity of rugby folk, 95 per cent of those involved at any level at the Chiefs have probably never heard of Michael Lewis' seminal volume, but it does look like they were selected with Moneyball principles in mind.

They clearly placed exceptional value on No 10 and No 12, less so on the tight five.

They'd probably be reluctant to admit as much, but maybe they're changing the paradigm. The belief that games are won or lost up front might remain strong (to a point), but you can shape personnel to fulfil those roles without breaking the bank for, say, Tony Woodcock.

"We had a recruitment system," assistant coach Wayne Smith said. "We looked at work rate around the ITM Cup, because there aren't too many big names out there anyway. A, there's a budget issue and B, it's pretty hard to move the big names.

"You've got to go for guys who are the future and guys who have character."

The mere fact a team with names like Taumalolo, Tameifuna and Schwalger can beat up the Franks brothers, Flynn and Crockett might be a sign that traditional rugby thinking is about to be made obsolete.

They have talented
game-breakers ...
People often talk about the "step up" from ITM Cup to Super 15 as being a greater gulf than club to ITM Cup. The simple reason for this is talent. The players think quicker, react quicker and hit harder. To break defences, you need players who not only make the right decisions on the advantage line, but who can beat a defender with a step, strength or a well-timed pass.

Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Aaron Cruden, Sonny Bill Williams, Richard Kahui, Tim Nanai-Williams, Robbie Robinson and Lelia Masaga can all do that and what's more, they're encouraged to. If you're an opposition defence strategist, take a pile of paracetamol before trying to work out how to corral all of them.

The newbies are not scarred by failure ...
It has been tough being a Chief since their ill-fated trip to the final in 2009. Even their better players - like Stephen Donald, Brendon Leonard, Mils Muliaina and Richard Kahui - looked weighed down by the negativity surrounding the franchise.

A new coaching staff and a host of new playing personnel has brought a new vitality that will remain as long as they're winning consistently.

The draw has been kind ...
They started their season with two home games and even their away game against the Crusaders was a lot closer to their home than it was Christchurch.

Also, they meet the Force, Cheetahs and Sharks on their three-week tour. Compare that to the Blues who got the Bulls and Stormers. Things are set up for the Chiefs to establish plenty of points in the first half of the campaign and make the rest of the conference chase them.

But, to end on a salutary note ...
We're three weeks in. The Chiefs are already down to the bare bones up front. The more they play, the more teams will start to get a read on what they're trying to achieve and how they're going about it.

In other words, they're still in the honeymoon phase.