The Super Rugby season keeps getting better for the unbeaten Chiefs.
All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown is back after two months out with an ankle injury as the Chiefs aim for 10 in a row when they play the Highlanders tomorrow night.
The team’s successes have come from all parts of the franchise – including two real characters of the club, assistant coaches Nick White and Paul Feeney.
Former Auckland and Northland goal-kicking prop White initially got into coaching with the Blues and Auckland before he joined the Chiefs in 2018 as scrum coach while Feeney is a nuggety North Harbour fullback from yesteryear with over 25 years of coaching experience from the Blues and Auckland as well as internationally with the Stormers and Kenya.
And through it all, somehow, these two “geezers” nicknamed Rat and Skin Dog ended up together again.
The pair go back longer than a decade, as player and coach, and then coaching together in Auckland but since then the game has reached new levels of physicality, Feeney said.
“The game is so much more brutal, my goodness,” Feeney said.
“I'm on the sideline and the hits are massive, they really are.”
Feeney joined the club this season helping with the Chiefs backs and despite only being here a season, has noticed something special brewing in the Waikato.
“The players genuinely care about each other, they've played a lot together,” he said.
“There's no egos.”
The humbleness extends to the coaching staff as well with White not willing to take credit for the Chiefs’ solid scrum that even managed to one-up the powerhouse Crusaders pack in their most recent win.
“I'm just the organiser,” White said with a grin.
White agreed with Feeney on the club’s culture though and both said it’s clear where it comes from.
“[Head coach] Clayton [McMillan] drives that – everyone knows that,” Feeney said.
“Everyone knows who the gaffer is.”
McMillan has made minimal changes to his side that played the Crusaders last week although there is the welcome return of Lienert-Brown in the midfield who will bring up his 100th Super Game tomorrow night after an ankle injury earlier this year.
“We welcome back some experienced men this week, none more so than Anton Leinert-Brown who will be playing his 100th match. It’s a fantastic milestone and thoroughly deserved.
“Anton sets the bar in our team in terms of work rate, passion and competitiveness, and we hope we can put in a team performance befitting of the man and occasion.”
Elsewhere, the front row remains the same from last week with Aidan Ross, Samisoni Taukei'aho and George Dyer once again named to start.
Lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi moves into the starting lineup alongside Tupou Vaa'i, with Josh Lord to provide impact off the bench while Brodie Retallick is out injured.
Pita Gus Sowakula also makes the shift to start in the loose forwards alongside Sam Cane and Luke Jacobson.
In the backs, Brad Weber and Damian McKenzie again link at halfback and first-five while rookie Peniasi Malimali earns his first starting spot on the wing, with Emoni Narawa securing the other. Daniel Rona slots back into centre with Shaun Stevenson commanding fullback.
“It was a hard-fought battle when we played the Highlanders in round three, and expect them to be a formidable opposition under the roof in Dunedin," McMillan said.
"They haven’t been far away in their recent performances, and with the possible injection of some key players they will be ready, so they have our full respect and attention.”
Chiefs v Highlanders, Dunedin, Friday May 5, 7:05pm
Chiefs: 1. Aidan Ross, 2. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 3. George Dyer, 4. Tupou Vaa'i, 5. Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 6. Pita Gus Sowakula, 7. Sam Cane, 8. Luke Jacobson, 9. Brad Weber, 10. Damian McKenzie, 11. Peniasi Malimali, 12. Anton Lienert-Brown, 13. Daniel Rona, 14. Emoni Narawa, 15. Shaun Stevenson
Reserves: 16. Bradley Slater, 17. Ollie Norris, 18. John Ryan, 19. Josh Lord, 20. Kaylum Boshier, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Bryn Gatland, 23. Alex Nankivell
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