Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan says his side’s come-from-behind win over the Reds in their quarter-final last weekend was ideal preparation for Saturday’s semifinal against the Brumbies.
The Chiefs, who lost to the Reds in the regular season – their only defeat – did it the hard way in Hamilton when prevailing 29-20 after scoring 10 points in the final 10 minutes.
"It was a real grind… it was the best possible preparation we could have had,” McMillan said today.
“We had to go deep into the game and showed a lot of composure. We probably missed a few opportunities, we’ve highlighted that, so it should round off our game really well this weekend, I think.
Skipper Sam Cane agreed, saying: “It’s easy to talk about being composed under pressure… but when you’re down with 10 or 15 minutes left on the clock, that really tests guys’ mental ability and where we are at as a team.
The Chiefs will host this year's final if they can take down the Brumbies in Hamilton this weekend. (Source: 1News)
“To be able to respond when it really counted was important. The stakes increase again this week. I’m fairly confident there are going to be moments like that again this weekend.”
The Chiefs’ victory means they remain on track for a first championship since 2013. Should they beat the Brumbies at Waikato Stadium, they will face either the Crusaders or Blues who play the other semifinal in Christchurch tomorrow night.
Cane, almost certain to be confirmed as All Blacks skipper when the Rugby Championship squad is named in Te Awamutu on Sunday, said the Chiefs’ championship winning teams of 2012 and ’13 were similar to the current one in terms of depth.
“I look back at '12 and '13 and the quality we had on the bench and the fact that we had such a strong squad,” he said.
“We had some seriously good players on the bench, guys who had played a lot of games and were All Blacks, including myself - I was on the bench both those years.”
McMillan, meanwhile, said he would be watching tomorrow’s semifinal in the hope that the Crusaders and Blues bashed each other up.
“Two quality teams,” he said. “The Crusaders are a little bit banged up but they’re a quality team, they’re tough to beat down there and know how to get the job done. The Blues are starting to come into some form with a lot of their quality players on the field. It’s going to be a hell of a game I imagine.”
The Chiefs have three players who could be named in the All Blacks for the first time on Sunday, with flanker Samipeni Finau and outside backs Emoni Narawa and Shaun Stevenson in the mix.
Cane said Finau, 24, was a “pretty exceptional athlete - we’ve known that for a couple of years. It’s just a matter of getting some consistency in his game. He’s done that this year”.
McMillan has made four changes to his starting line-up, with lock Tupou Vaa’i and midfielder Alex Nankivell returning from injury.
Tighthead prop George Dyer will start, with Luke Jacobson, a late withdrawal last weekend due to illness, replacing Pita Gus Sowakula at No.8.
Chiefs team to play the Brumbies at Waikato Stadium on Saturday, kick-off 7.05pm, is:
15. Shaun Stevenson, 14. Emoni Narawa, 13. Alex Nankivell, 12. Anton Lienert-Brown, 11. Etene Nanai-Seturo, 10. Damian McKenzie, 9. Brad Weber (co-capt), 8. Luke Jacobson, 7. Sam Cane (co-capt), 6. Samipeni Finau, 5. Tupou Vaa’i, 4. Brodie Retallick, 3. George Dyer, 2. Samisoni Taukei’aho, 1. Aidan Ross
Reserves: 16. Tyrone Thompson, 17. Ollie Norris, 18. John Ryan, 19. Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20. Pita Gus Sowakula, 21. Cortez Ratima, 22. Josh Ioane, 23. Rameka Poihipi
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