BBC Rugby Union: Chiefs Gear Up for Playoffs Warm-Up Clash Against Table-Topping Blues
In the final round of the Super Rugby Pacific regular season, Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan is preparing his team for a crucial showdown against the league-leading Blues. Despite being locked in as the fourth seed, McMillan insists there is ample motivation for the upcoming match.
For the table-topping Aucklanders, the clash holds significant importance as they share 51 competition points with the Hurricanes heading into the final round. The highly anticipated “Battle of the Bombays” will see one of the two heavyweights enter the playoffs with a confidence boost, while the other may face a dented morale.
Both the Chiefs and the Blues come into the contest having lost derby matches in the previous round. McMillan expressed his enthusiasm for the game, stating,
“We love playing the Blues. It doesn’t matter whether we play there or at home. It’s a game we always look forward to.”
While the Chiefs struggled with lineouts in their previous match against the Hurricanes, McMillan was pleased with their scrum performance, noting,
“We had a few dusty lineouts (on Friday), but the scrum was good, so there are some things that we can build off that will set us up well for what’s coming in the future.”
Discipline will be a key focus for the Chiefs as they prepare for the playoffs, having struggled in that aspect against the Hurricanes. McMillan’s men also found it challenging to win the collision area, which led to increased indiscipline and allowed the Hurricanes to gain a foothold in the game.
Chiefs captain Luke Jacobson echoed his coach’s sentiments, acknowledging,
“We got the brunt of the penalties which is not what we want.”
The team was unable to capitalize on the yellow card shown to the Hurricanes’ flanker, as the opposition was able to retain possession and play effective rugby.
Despite the loss, McMillan gave credit to the Hurricanes, stating,
“They’re a quality rugby team, and the second try they scored was good heads-up play around us being a man down and targeting a transition zone where we were a little bit thin. So you’ve got to give them credit for seeing those opportunities.”
The Chiefs will be eager to give their fans a positive result in the final round, even if the match is played away from home. As the playoffs loom, this clash against the table-topping Blues presents an opportunity for the Chiefs to fine-tune their game and build momentum heading into the knockout stages.
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