Chief set to take on Sharks – Super Rugby preview
Round five’s day one consists of only two Super 15 matches, according to the schedule. Rugby frenzy has already taken over Brisbane and Hamilton.
In a total of 272 minutes that Sharks played this Super Rugby season, they finally conceded a five pointer in the campaign. Despite the pointer, Sharks have turned out to be the stingiest side in Super Rugby this year. Chiefs are waiting for Sharks to take
on the field and level the scores for what happened last time. Sharks have travelled from Tasman to Waikato for the fixture against Chiefs.
Meanwhile, Reds have returned home to welcome Melbourne Rebels for a decisive fixture. Reds are ready to put the opposition in trouble and are refreshed after previous victory.
Richard Kahui is back on field for the Chiefs and the fans have been boosted with enthusiasm and excitement by the return of their favourite player. And to add to the excitement and thrill, Tana Umaga has also made his way back after recovering from an injury.
Chiefs’ outside center has been ruled out due to an injury and the predicted time period for him being sidelined is around six months. He might be joining in World Cup during the late matches. Critics find Robbie Freuan and Conrad Smith responsible for this
development.
On the other hand, Ian Foster has announced that Hika Elliot, the New Zealand’s hooker will get his first shot at the first fifteen in this year’s Super Rugby. Ian Foster had foresighted his inclusion in the squad since his brilliant form in November’s tests,
where he didn’t any of the line outs. Foster has powered his side by bringing Aled de Malmanche off the bench for the fixture in Hamilton.
Sharks are no less though and the home team has to work on a lot of aspects to bring down the visitors. The standings might suggest something else, but it’s a fact that Sharks turn out to be dangerous when given even a slightest of room to play. Chiefs have
made mistakes against the Rebels during this season’s clash. The dropped line outs and the missed tackles have been an issue for them against Rebels and critics are expecting Sharks to score tries against Chiefs.
The match will be interesting not because it’s a clash between two teams, but it’s a battle between selected players. Willem Albert, Keegan Daniel and Bismarck du Plessis will taking on their opponent, while the real and decisive battle between Liam Messam
and Ryan Kankowski is a major attraction for the match.
The match is expected to be a try scoring match and we will witness both teams crossing the line frequently. Sharks have scored 99 tries in their previous 15 fixtures and they only need a single try to reach the hundred bench mark. Their average becomes
6.6 tries per fixture. Such kind of crazy scoring has only been witnesses in head t head Super Rugby, when Lions took over the Crusaders. They bagged a total of 112 in 15 fixtures, which makes their average to be 7.4 tries per fixture.
The lowest that Sharks ever scored against Chiefs was last year in a 19-18 victory, a match in which they scored only one try.
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