Menu superrugby.co.nz

News

Chiefs not rushing Kerr-Barlow back

Getty Images

Tuesday, April 25, 2017    Lynn McConnell    Getty Images

Kerr-Barlow is getting through concussion while replacement Finlay Christie received a three-week suspension for a stomping offence last weekend.

QUICK TAP: FIVE INVESTEC SUPER RUGBY TALKING POINTS

Jonathan Taumateine came into the side as injury cover after Brad Weber broke his leg earlier in the season and will get a start this weekend. He had a good 10s tournament in Brisbane and had also shone in Sevens for Counties. He was also one of the fitter players in the squad, had good feet and had a couple of cameos for the side off the bench.

"The fact he's been with us in the past means he's got a bit of knowledge, it's not an easy position to come in and get your head around all the lineout calls, all the lineout options, our back strikes and all our structure," he said.

Richard Judd, who has worked with the squad before would provide cover from the bench. He had played for Counties Manukau and had now signed for Bay of Plenty. He was a very good defender, Rennie said.

Second five-eighths Charlie Ngatai got through 40 minutes of club rugby on Saturday and was also playing another 40 minutes on Anzac Day. The Chiefs were still not going to rush him back in but would build him up. He was looking in good shape and had built up more muscle mass than last year, Rennie said.

"We just want to get him confident so playing a bit of club footie would be good so we certainly won't consider him this week."



Rennie was pleased with the way Sam McNicol had performed for the side at centre. He had proven a good chop tackler and had serious speed and while he was finding his feet from a positional point of view he had gone really well.

There were likely to be some changes for the Sunwolves game, not due to any disrespect for the visitors, but having been on tour with only 27 players to choose from there was a need to rest some players who had had a lot of rugby while also bringing fresh legs and enthusiasm into the side.

"If you don't defend well against them, they have got some real gas and great footwork. They have scored some outstanding tries this year so looking after the ball is going to be key for us. That's something we didn't do very well so our big focus is on getting our game right.

"We're at the halfway point and from a performance point of view over the last three weeks we haven't been where we want to be so if you've got aspirations of winning a title we've got to make a few shifts," Rennie said.

The side was creating opportunities but hadn't been finishing them off and against the top sides there might be only two or three chances and it was not good enough to be taking one out of 12 created against the Force.

"When we look back to the Hurricanes when we won we probably only created three chances and we took two of them so that's important, we've got to be clinical," he said.