Shaun Stevenson scores a try for the Chiefs during the Super Rugby Pacific final against the Crusaders. Photo: photosport
Analysis- Super Rugby is back for 2024, with a fresh look and a commitment to running rugby. The second of our New Zealand team previews assesses last year's beaten finalists, the Chiefs.
Read the Crusaders team preview
Overview
Powerful is probably the best way to not just describe this Chiefs team, but the era of the organisation as it moves into its fourth year with Clayton McMillan as head coach. They are certainly ahead of schedule in their rebuild after the disastrous but thankfully short reign of Warren Gatland, culminating in a 13-win, two-loss season last year. Unfortunately, one of those losses was in the Super Rugby Pacific final, but considering it was to the Crusaders in Scott Robertson's last game, it hardly makes much of a dent in the Chiefs' capabilities.
Not that it will be of any consolation to the Chiefs, who will be surely targeting a finals spot again this season at the very least. Luke Jacobson takes over as captain, with the added incentive of an All Black loose forward spot on the line for him. That's a situation shared with plenty of his teammates in what makes for an intriguing campaign.
The good
The Chiefs are one of only two teams that haven't had a coaching change since last season, so McMillan's ways and means are well known to his side. It also shows a decent degree of loyalty by the coach, who notably wasn't one in the last few years to be linked to an All Black coaching ticket (even though he had every right to be). That sort of spirit has clearly filtered down, because on their day, there's not much any opposition can do to stop the Chiefs simply eviscerating them.
Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan. Photo: Photosport
The bad
The Chiefs haven't just lost one, but both of their captains from last year. Sam Cane and Brad Weber functioned as the heart and soul respectively of the side, plus whatever hope they had of sliding under the radar is long gone. Emoni Narawa's back injury suffered on test debut in July was bad enough to end his season, so it will be a challenge to manage the long-term effects of that on one of the Chiefs' standout try scorers last season.
Chiefs winger Emoni Narawa and Chiefs No. 8 Luke Jacobson. Photo: Bruce Lim / www.photosport.nz
Big boots to fill
It's tempting to say Cortez Ratima or Kaylum Boshier, but the second row is where a truly standout effort is going to be needed. Tupou Vaa'i is presumably going to be one starting lock, so it's a massive tussle between Josh Lord, Naitoa Ah Kuoi and Manaaki Selby-Rickit to try and replicate the immense presence of the departed Brodie Retallick. That's almost impossible, given just how important the 109-test All Blacks was to the Chiefs, so the trio may end up sharing the duties as a powerful ball carrier to complement Vaa'i's set piece and offloading game.
Naitoa Ah Kuoi of the Chiefs. Photo: Photosport
What they're saying
"It's not really a role I went looking for, but one I'm bloody proud to fill. I'm looking forward to working with the team and doing everything we can to go that one step further this year." - Luke Jacobson on being named captain.
"It's a new look squad for us but despite the changes, there remains a lot of continuity within this group. They are familiar with our environment, know how we do things, and bring a lot to the table." - Clayton McMillan.
Fan critique
While World Rugby just announced they are using AI to catch people abusing referees, they should have just saved some coin and gone to FMG Stadium. Chiefs fans had a reputation for being the human equivalents of Waikato Draught: distasteful but lightweight, but after last year's final's torrent of Hamilton-sourced hatred towards the officials, it tipped them over into Crusaders-like areas of self-righteousness. To be fair, #ChiefsMana can be seen as a proto-Up The Wahs vibe, and they do actually show up - more than can be said about a few other teams' fans.
Chiefs mascot with fans and supporters. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Big games
Obviously round one's final rematch, but the Chiefs and Crusaders don't wait long to see each other again. Round five in Christchurch will be another titanic battle but other than that, their early season draw is looking pretty manageable. Things may get tricky later on with consecutive games against the Canes and Blues before the quarterfinals.
Chiefs 2024 squad
Props: Sione Ahio, George Dyer, Kauvaka Kaivelata, Reuben O'Neill, Jared Proffit, Aidan Ross, Ollie Norris
Hookers: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Bradley Slater, Tyrone Thompson
Locks: Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Josh Lord, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Tupou Vaa'i
Loose forwards: Kaylum Boshier, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson, Simon Parker, Jimmy Tupou, Wallace Sititi, Malachi Wrampling-Alec
Halfbacks: Cortez Ratima, Xavier Roe, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi
First five eighths: Damian McKenzie, Josh Ioane, Kaleb Trask
Midfielders: Anton Lienert-Brown, Rameka Poihipi, Daniel Rona, Quinn Tupaea
Outside backs: Liam Coombes-Fabling, Peniasi Malimali, Etene Nanai-Seturo, Emoni Narawa, Shaun Stevenson, Gideon Wrampling
Tomorrow we're looking at the Blues.