Chiefs focus on new law

DONNA WALSH/Waikato Times

CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS: New skipper Sione Lauaki leads from the front at Chiefs training on Wednesday.

Relevant offers

Conforming with referees' harsher restrictions on tacklers is the Chiefs' main focus as they head into their second Super 14 pre-season match.

After an unfavourable penalty count of 16-9 in their loss to the Highlanders last weekend, the Chiefs are out to make amends against the Blues in Albany tomorrow night.

They will be paying particular attention to the tackle ball area where referees are going to be more forgiving to the attacking team and enforce tacklers to fully release the tackled player before they get to their feet and play the ball.

Last year's beaten finalists are hoping to turn the harsher rules into a positive for their side.

Their 2009 season was based around getting quick ball to their star-studded backline who produced magic touches out wide, so if they adapt successfully to the revised rule they could again open up more chances on attack.

The Chiefs received a yellow card in the tackle area last weekend and assistant coach Craig Stevenson was keen to get it tidied up.

"It was a real asset or weapon for us last year, we got a lot of turnovers at the tackle," he said.

"We need to make sure that we're compliant with the new rules, they're (referees) being hard in that area.

"Some of them may have different interpretations and it's up to us to problem solve and adapt on the field."

Stevenson, who is in charge of the forwards, also wants to see the side finish the match better and polish up areas of their set pieces.

"Our lineout was great last week; scrum, we just want to make sure we're working on our speed and just make sure we're working on our technical aspects for this weekend.

"We just need to work on the base of the scrum. We got some good solid scrums but our channel and our feed and our play off it wasn't up to scratch, which you expect at this time of the year."

The experience of the Chiefs pack lies among a key loose forward trio of captain Sione Lauaki and flankers Liam Messam and Tanerau Latimer, the latter of whom isn't part of the 26-man squad for tomorrow's match.

There are just 49 Super rugby caps among the squad's four props, while two of the four locks are uncapped at this level, meaning the pre-season is an important building ground for them.

Lauaki took a knock to a knee in last weekend's game but is good to go for tomorrow.

He said last week was "about getting our systems in defence and set-piece right", with this week's major emphasis on perfecting techniques to comply with the new rule at the tackle.

He knew a lot of the other teams were working on it too, but he acknowledged it was an area where his side could gain an edge over their opponents.

On skippering the side, Lauaki said he was "excited about the challenge", although "it was kind of different running out at the front".

"I guess when I'm on the field I just make sure I do my job first and foremost and just get the boys together when something's not working and call on those other leaders just to help out with the scrums and lineouts and stuff like that," he said.

Lauaki said the main aim for the Chiefs squad was to win the competition, not simply qualify for the top four playoffs in May.

"We've talked about it as a team and our first day back last year we had a look at the final. It was something hard to look at but I guess for a lot of the players it is something that still burns inside and it's one of the reasons I stayed back to have another crack with the Chiefs."

TEAM: Tim Nanai-Williams, Jackson Willison, Richard Kahui, Callum Bruce, Dwayne Sweeney, Mike Delany, Brendon Leonard, Sione Lauaki (c), Luke Braid, Jarrad Hoeata, Culum Retallick, Craig Clarke, Nathan White, Hika Elliot, Sona Taumalolo. Reserves: Aled de Malmanche, Ben Afeaki, James McGougan, Kevin O'Neill, Romana Graham, Liam Messam, Jack Lam, Junior Poluleuligaga, Phil Burleigh, Trent Renata, Siale Piutau.

- © Fairfax NZ News