Chief happy despite winless pre-season

Craig Tiriana | 8th February 2010

Chiefs
stand-in captain Sione
Lauaki would have
preferred to have placed a
win on the board but he's
happy with their pre-
season progress as they
head off to South Africa
tomorrow.

The Chiefs lost all three
of their pre-competition
games in the past few
weeks - to the
Highlanders, Blues and
Hurricanes - but will
start the 2010 Rebel Sport
Super 14 largely intact
with no major injuries in
the squad.

"Personally, I'm
happy," Lauaki said
following the Chiefs 12-17
loss to the Hurricanes in
Rotorua yesterday.

"I feel like we've put
some of the puzzle together
and we're not going over to
South Africa to see where
we're at, we're going to get
some points.

"I guess a win [in
Rotorua] would have been
nice but there was nothing
much in this game with
both teams trying a few
things. We talked a lot
about our defence today
and the attitude was very
good."

The match was played
mid-afternoon in stifling
heat at the Chiefs' request,
specifically to help them
get a leg up on the hot
conditions expected for
their opening game
against the Sharks in
South Africa next
weekend.

The Chiefs squad of 26
will leave tomorrow and
the two certainties not to
be required for the first
three games are captain
Mils Muliaina (on leave)
and winger Lelia Masaga
(recovering from shoulder
surgery).

Former All Black
Lauaki will captain the
Chiefs in Muliaina's
absence and the travelling
party is expected to be
named today once a roll
call is taken from
yesterday's pre-
competition match against
the Hurricanes in Rotorua.

Chiefs Lock Kevin
O'Neill (bruised) and loose
forward Colin Bourke
(ribs) missed yesterday's
hit-out as precautions after
picking up a few bumps
during the pre-season
campaign.

Lauaki relished his
leadership role and turned
in a busy match before
being subbed 15 minutes
into the second spell.

The bullocking No 8
handled the ball
frequently, setting up one
and scoring the other, as
the Chiefs largely favoured
a close quarter attack.

It was a typically messy
affair. The first half
featured frequent
interruptions by referee
Bryce Lawrence for
infringements or dropped
balls as the Hurricanes led
the scoring with two tries
to one.

Lauaki said the pattern
was set in the first 20
minutes with lots of
turnovers and players
anxious to get their hands
on the ball.

The visitors opened the
proceedings. William
Ripia shimmied past Liam
Meesam to run through a
hole and fed Ma'a Nonu
who then set Tamati
Ellison away. Flanker
Scott Waldrom crossed for
the other, chiming into the
backline and crossing in
the tackle right on the
break.

The Chiefs' reply came
via Tanerau Latimer who
burrowed over off the end
of a Lauaki off-load
following a good lineout
drive close to the
Hurricanes' line.

There were plenty of
substitutions in the second
spell with players subbed,
then returning to play in
different positions.

Mike Delany started at
fullback and moved into
his favoured five-eighth
spot when Stephen Donald
was subbed. Unfortunately
for the Bay of Plenty
player of 2009, his first
touch at five-eighth was
memorable for the wrong
reasons as his pass was
poached by flanker Karl
Lowe to score the final
Hurricane's try.

Meanwhile, Tim
Nania-Williams looked an
exciting prospect for the
Chiefs. The 20-year-old
Counties Manukau
representative spent the
last 30 minutes at fullback
and made two big
incisions in the
Hurricanes defence. Scores.-

RESULT: Chiefs 12 (Tanerau
Latimer; Stephen Donald
con); Hurricanes 17
(Tamati Ellison, Scott
Waldrom, Karl Lowe tries;
Aaron Cruden con) HT
7-10 (Hurricanes).