Rugby: Refreshed Chiefs are ready for Crusaders

Tom Marshall of the Chiefs celebrates his try during the round eight Super Rugby match between the Chiefs and the Bulls. Photo / Getty Images

Trio return to strengthen squad for match that’s certain to push teams to their limits.

The Chiefs have emerged from the bye in rude health and ready for another "brutal" battle with the Crusaders.

A week away from action allowed the Chiefs a chance to bolster their squad ahead of Friday night's clash in Christchurch, with the midfield in particular receiving a welcome boost of fresh bodies.

Sonny Bill Williams will be fit to face his former team, recovering from a nagging knee injury that kept him from the Chiefs' last game, while Charlie Ngatai and Tim Nanai-Williams also appear ready for a return to action.

The trio's availability reduced the Chiefs' casualty ward to just a few long-term absentees. Flanker Johan Bardoul and hooker Rhys Marshall are still shaking off hamstring strains, Nathan Harris is about a month away, and even Tawera Kerr-Barlow is showing pleasing progress after suffering a serious knee injury on All Blacks duty.

It all leaves the Chiefs in a salubrious state entering the second half of the competition and, if recent history is anything to go by, the strengthened squad will receive a stern examination at AMI Stadium.

The Crusaders will be hurting, not only from last weekend's home defeat to the Highlanders but also the hammering they got in Hamilton in February.

But that result, if anything, suggests the Chiefs could be in trouble on Friday night, given the two rivals have split their regular season meetings for three years running.

"We try not to think about history," said Chiefs coach Dave Rennie. "They're two very close teams and the matches bring out the best in both - they're normally brutal.

"I'd expect both sides to be pretty desperate this weekend, so I'd say it'd be pretty tight. But as far as what's happened in the past, it's the case of us working really hard for 80 minutes to try and get a result."

Rennie is anticipating an influx of All Blacks into the Crusaders' lineup.

The Highlanders' victory only emphasised the quality of the New Zealand conference and reinforced the importance of local derbies, Rennie thought, considering the congested nature of the top half of the table.

"There's a lot of Kiwi games to come and we're all going to beat each other," he said.

"The Hurricanes have done it really well so far but all the Kiwi teams have their destiny in their own hands.

"We've still got to play the Canes twice and so do the Crusaders. There's a long way to go yet - another nine rounds."

The opening nine rounds saw the Chiefs accrue the second-most competition points but that haul partially disguised an inconsistency on attack in which Rennie's men were blistering at one moment and blundering the next.

The problems with handling were one aspect needing amendment identified during a bye-week review, with discipline and a lack of quick ball also areas of concern.

"We've got the most line breaks in the comp and the most offloads in the comp, but we also have the highest number of handling errors," Rennie said.

"That's a little bit to do with the way we play the game but it's also a little bit to do with decision-making and ball security.

"We've spent a bit of time focusing on that as well."