The Chiefs, on an unprecedented six-game winning streak to start the season, are about to play a Hurricanes team who somehow find themselves on top of the table and determined to celebrate Dane Coles’ 300th first class game in the appropriate manner.
The match, in Wellington on Saturday afternoon due to a late rescheduling, has the ingredients of a spicy dish (Coles alone may ensure that) and is a welcome addition to the table after a tepid Easter weekend offering which featured only four Super matches in total due to four teams on byes.
The Chiefs were one of those having a rest and watched as the Hurricanes beat the Highlanders in Dunedin 29-14 to leapfrog them on the table.
Asked today about the Chiefs’ run this season, skipper Sam Cane said the team’s struggles over the past few years had provided a foundation for success.
Three years ago in the newly established Super Rugby Aotearoa, the Chiefs lost all eight games, but under Clayton McMillan, absent from training today due to illness, they have become far more robust.
Last year they were beaten in the semifinal by the Crusaders in Christchurch and they will almost certainly be in the grand final this year.
“Having gone through some tough periods in the past few years it certainly brings you together,” Cane said.
“It’s nice to see that correlating. We realise were only a third of the way through the season and things can change pretty quickly.
“We’re very determined to go down to Wellington [and win]. We realise it’s a tough place to play, it always has been, and they’re a team sitting at the top of the competition. It’s going to be a big challenge.”
The conversation inevitably fell to Coles’ milestone. The veteran hooker, who will retire at the end of the year, has an answer to most questions and Cane isn’t expecting anything different on Saturday.
“Knowing Dane he won’t want to get caught up in the 300th game but that’s an incredible achievement if you think about it,” he said. “It’s a lot of Saturdays strapping the boots on.
“I think he’s just the ultimate competitor – you see his passion on the field.”
Asked about Coles’ notorious on-field verbal digs, Cane said: “He knows how to get under some people’s skins but he won’t get under mine. I’ll leave him and Brodie [Retallick] to have a crack at each other.”
Cane said the bye came at a good time for his team, saying there was no secret ingredient to the Chiefs’ success this year.
“We’ve had good rhythm and consistency in terms of the squad and coaching and management for the last couple of seasons now. And although we’ve got a relatively young squad, we’ve got a good mix of experienced young guys coming through.
“The depth of the squad is really good and you can see that in the selections. It’s not the same 23 each week. There’s genuine competition and with that comes a high level of intensity at training.”
Of his own, impressive, form, he said: “I put in a lot of work in the off season after coming home early from the end of year tour with the cheekbone. I think that’s probably put me in good stead. But also in terms of how the team is running. The majority of my leadership workload is on the field or on the training park which is good.”
The Hurricanes have dropped only one game this season - against the Blues in Wellington - but have played only one other Kiwi team (the Highlanders).
There may be a sense that their competition lead (they are equal with the Chiefs on 27 points) does not reflect their quality, but the Chiefs are wary of their opponents’ counterattack and ability to turn over ruck ball.
“Their set piece has come a long way as well in the last couple of seasons,” Cane said.
As for the afternoon kick-off, it suits the Chiefs just fine. “The boys love playing in the afternoon,” Cane said. “If we were setting the schedule we’d be playing at 2.30 every Saturday.”
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