Rugby: Nightmare of '99 haunts battered Chiefs squad

By CHRIS RATTUE

Injuries may hamper the Chiefs' bid to hit the ground running in this year's Super 12 but they will surely make a better fist of their opening assignment than last year.

The 1999 campaign could not have started more disastrously. Despite some early-season optimism, they were beaten 48-3 by eventual champions the Crusaders in Christchurch, and never recovered. It was not until round seven that they finally notched a victory, against the Brumbies.

It rammed home the importance of getting early points and the Chiefs altered their pre-season approach this year, completing bonding sessions late last year and getting straight into rugby work early in 2000.

They have an immediate chance to put the Jade Stadium nightmare behind them tomorrow when they take on the Crusaders at Rugby Park in Hamilton.

Neither side is in extreme good health, but the Chiefs are by far the worse for wear.

They are again minus injured All Black lock Royce Willis and that takes a lot of power out of a lightweight pack. Hard-tackling flanker Nick Holten is also still out of action.

But it is in the backs where injuries have really hit. Bruce Reihana, Scott McLeod and James Kerr are all missing, along with Todd Miller who does not play on Sundays.

It means that utility back Damian Karauna is on the wing and Justin Wilson, the Bay of Plenty back who is in the national sevens squad, is on the bench after being named as a temporary replacement only last week.

The Crusaders are without prop Greg Feek (elbow) and utility back Daryl Gibson, whose wrist was taken out of plaster yesterday.

Sevens stars Caleb Ralph and Marika Vunibaka, who have had recent injuries, are the wings, meaning there is no room for the sometimes brilliant Afato So'oalo. There will be a lot of interest in whether Vunibaka, one of the key men in the champion Fijian sevens squad, can translate his magical running to the 15-a-side game.

And there is a new look to the loose forwards. Scott Robertson, who often came off the bench when Angus Gardiner was around, starts on the open side. North Harbour's Ron Cribb is at number eight.

Waikato might get some scrum relief with Feek missing. It was a problem area last year, although they did not help themselves by sometimes playing specialist loosehead Michael Collins as a tighthead.

An early-season contest for the national selectors will be the clash between test halfback Justin Marshall, and World Cup squad member Rhys Duggan.

And the prediction: The Crusaders are firm favourites although Hamilton has not been a happy hunting ground for Canterbury Super 12 and NPC teams in recent years.