Did the Chiefs run out of puff?

I was on the sideline at the Chiefs v Reds match on Friday night in Hamilton (4th round of the 2010 Super 14).

It was a perfect evening for footy

• The pitch was in pristine condition – it looked like a carpet. One of the ground staff told me that it had just been laid the week before
• The sun was out and it was warm
• The Chiefs had won 3 from 3 on their season-opening road trip
• The chicken and chips before the game was perfect (chicken was boneless thigh fillets, chips well-drained) – worth the $8.50 price tag

Waikato Stadium is shaping up as an excellent World Cup venue.

The Reds form was patchy and they had suffered an unfortunate amount of injuries in their 3 games. The casualty list includes James Horwill, Richard Kingi, Digby Ioane and Rod Davies.

So the scene was set: nobody gave the Reds a chance.

Turinui at Hamilton Stadium after the win

I had never really rated Morgan Turinui, thinking that he would never have gone as far had he stayed in New Zealand.

This was probably a typical (but completely unfair) blinkered Kiwi rugby view.

Turinui was very vocal when the Reds ran out, looking to fire up his team. I figured it was right that a senior player step up when needed.

Ex-All Black, Daniel Braid was the other voice that could be heard in the Reds huddle.

I had always thought Braid was a bit light weight for big time rugby. He was tough but not a real stand out at the highest level due to an inability to make a significant physical impact. Well, that night he had a blinder.

The Chiefs boasted one of the quickest loose trios in the competition in All Black Tanerau Latimer, Ex-Sevens Captain Liam Messam and ex-backline player, Colin Bourke yet it was Braid who prevailed in the end.

All Black flanker, Tanerau Latimer

The speed over size equation had worked in Perth and with the way things were going, there was no reason to believe it wouldn’t work again.

With Braid’s younger brother, Luke on the bench for the Chiefs, I wondered how many of the loose forwards had Bay of Plenty connections.

• It’s where Ex-All Black Gary Braid raised his sons
• Messam went to Rotorua Boys High
• Latimer went to Tauranga Boys College
• Colin Bourke is the captain of the Bay of Plenty NPC team (although he came from the Hawkes Bay)
• Like a lot of his teammates, I knew Reds number 8 Leroy Houston had New Zealand connections but it turns out he was born in the Horowhenua

So 5 in total but only 4 actually from the Bay.

I wanted to see Quade Cooper’s new kicking style up close for KiwiRugby.com. It reminded me of the 70′s cartoon character, Snagglepuss (‘Exit stage left’).

Back to the game … The Chiefs were all over the visitors in the first 20 minutes.

All Black, Sitivini Sivivatu scores the Chiefs first try

Sivivtu scored the Chiefs first try, which was a bit soft. He waltzed over almost untouched. The Reds players looked somewhat dejected and I thought the writing was on the wall.

5 minutes later, Lelia Masaga went over for the Chief’s second try. He looked sharp on the right side in a full-strength All Black back three rounded out with the return of Mils Muliaina.

Hawkes Bay and Tonga prop, Taumalolo barged over for the Chief’s third try.

Donald missed all three conversions but the score was still 15-0.

Then Reds wing, Brando Va’aulu made a poor decision to lift Sivivatu in the tackle. It was dangerous and linesman Garrett Williamson advised a yellow card. The Reds were down to 14 men and really steering down the barrel.

But they came back … It started with a soft try to Will Chambers under the posts. To a supporter focusing on the home side and their dominance to that point – rather than the ebb and flow of the game and the all-important scoreboard – it still seemed like the Chiefs had this one.

But they would only score 3 more points. Donald had kicked very well in the frst three games of the Super 14 but his touch deserted him.

Queensland continued their comeback. Relentless attacking, committed defense and focused kicking by Quade Cooper got them in front.

A significant moment came from a kick through by Daniel Braid in broken play. Liam Messam had the advantage chasing back but Reds full back Luke Morahan showed real pace to beat him to the ball, toe ahead and then score in the tackle of Masaga.

I was close to the pitch a the time and remember thinking that Masaga should probably have won the race to the ball. I may have been mistaken but it looked like he was just cruising, expecting Messam to get their first and when this didn’t happen, he hauled it back to make the tackle but it was fractionally to late.

[[Update: Watching replays of the build up to this try leaves me convinced that man of the match Masaga was not running at full pace in the initial chase for the ball from the kick through - very disappointing. This try won the match for the Reds.]]

The Chiefs had enough ball and field position in the last 10 minutes to win the match. The game finished after a poor line-out throw on the Reds 5metre line.

The Chiefs failed in what was a poor second half effort - in fact the performance from the end of the first quarter was poor.

In the after match press conference, Reds captain Will Genia said it was their tactic to stay as close to the Chiefs as possible early on because the Reds were confident the Chiefs would tire in the second half.

Reds coach Ewen McKenzie with captain, Will Genia

The Chiefs had flown from South Africa to Perth for their match last week and then flew home via Sydney from there. Perhaps it is a known thing that teams who travel that route will struggle for fitness in their first match on home soil. It seems the stats support this hypothesis.

The Chiefs arrived back in New Zealand on Monday and were required to play on the Friday night – so just 3 and a half days to recover and prepare.

There is an idea that the time-zone change from Perth to New Zealand (6hrs) is more difficult to adjust to than the 12 hour difference from the Republic.

I don’t think there is any doubt that the Chiefs were mot 100%.

But if that is true, what does it mean for the rugby consumer?

• That they can expect something less than value for money from their teams the week after they fly long distances

With a bye in the draw, should it be used for situations when teams have made the longest travel journeys?

Perhaps the rugby consumer should have been asking that question right from the beginning of the Super 12 when South African teams were required to make the longest and most arduous journeys of any teams …