Rugby: Waratahs face the unknown from Chiefs

It's a challenge to come up with a game plan against unknown players, says coach.

The Waratahs have based their game plan on what they believe the Chiefs will throw at them as a team, rather than focus on individual players. You do not have a lot of choice when you've barely heard of some of the opposition, let alone seen them play.

Coach Chris Hickey admitted the Chiefs' inexperience made it a challenging scouting mission.

"In just trying to identify some of the players it does [make it tough], but we've had a good look at how they play," Hickey said. "From that point of view it's more about how a team will approach a game, rather than the individual players."

The likes of reserves Save Tokula, Phil Burleigh and starting wing Jason Hona might not have popped up on the Waratahs' radar too many times but they at least have a little inside knowledge, with former Chief Sosene Anesi returning to Waikato Stadium as a Super rugby player for the first time since the victorious semifinal against the Hurricanes.

He's been tapped up for his thoughts on how to shut down the opposition's backs and he's probably been asked for a short-term weather forecast following the Waratahs nightmare in the deep south.

That performance provoked some soul-searching among the Sydneysiders, who went from semifinal shoo-ins to one of a pack of contenders on the strength of the southwester.

The Highlanders played the conditions better and coach Chris Hickey could probably have lived with that, but it was losing the physical battle that really galled.

"That was an area of the game we were really disappointed in, there's no doubt about that, and it was probably the first time this year we've been exposed in that area," Hickey said. "We realise that particularly against the Chiefs back row, it's an area we have to stiffen up.

"Those conditions tend to magnify things in the game. You can't just wipe that performance because we own that performance. You have to take an honest look and make an honest assessment, but having said that you've got to move on.

"We're fortunate in that we've had an eight-day turnaround, so it gave us a couple of days to have a look at the performance in Invercargill and by Monday we'd very much switched our focus on to this game."

The Chiefs' season might have fallen away as the injury list has mounted, but Hickey is not buying into the theory they are a soft target.

"Not at all. If you look at that game against the Hurricanes they kick one goal and they probably win that game. They've scored seven bonus points, which I think is the highest in the competition so we're very aware that they're a team that can play."

Whether Anesi plays is a matter for Hickey to decide. He's been named on the bench to cover the back three and has struggled to establish himself in a Waratahs backline that often offers solidity rather than sparkle.

"My game wasn't really on to it in the first few matches but I've worked really hard and hope I get some more game time," Anesi said.

It will be a bit of a family do in the Waikato tomorrow. With regular sideline commentator Nigel Yalden unavailable, Matt Walsh, brother of referee Steve, makes an appearance off the bench.

CHIEFS VS WARATAHS
Hamilton, 7.35 Saturday 8th May

CHIEFS
T. Nanai-Williams
Dwayne Sweeney
Richard Kahui
Jackson Willison
Jason Hona
Callum Bruce
J. Poluleuligaga
Colin Bourke
Tanerau Latimer
Liam Messam (c)
Kevin O'Neill
Craig Clarke
Nathan White
Hika Elliot
Sona Taumalolo

WARATAHS
Kurtley Beale
Lachie Turner
Rob Horne
Tom Carter
Drew Mitchell
Berrick Barnes
Luke Burgess
Ben Mowen
Phil Waugh (c)
P. McCutcheon
Kane Douglas
Dean Mumm
Al Baxter
T. Polota-Nau
Benn Robinson

RESERVES
Chiefs: A. de Malmanche, Ben Afeaki, Culum Retallick, Luke Braid, Brendon Leonard, Phil Burleigh, Save Tokula.

Waratahs: Damien Fitzpatrick, Dan Palmer, Jeremy Tilse, Chris Thomson, Dave Dennis, Josh Holmes, D. Halangahu, S. Anesi.