KEY POINTS:
Technology has reinforced the Chiefs' conviction they can deliver the winning speeches tomorrow at Bloemfontein.
While skipper Jono Gibbes missed the South Africa trip because of a calf muscle injury, he has been in regular contact with his team and held a video hook-up yesterday with new skipper Tom Willis and other teammates.
"I don't need to tell them much because they have been producing a lot of good stuff, they know they can do it against the Cheetahs," Gibbes said.
Willis said: "We have that self-belief, we are confident about our style of game but we do have to get that result in the win column. The competition is not out of our grasp but if we have two more losses it will be very pressing."
The Chiefs took the hour's flight yesterday from Pretoria to Bloemfontein where they hope to reverse a sequence of four straight defeats in this year's Super 14 series. Coach Ian Foster has decided to spell experienced loose forwards Steven Bates, Marty Holah and halfback Brendon Leonard as he looks for some extra opening vitality against a Cheetahs side who were smarting from last week's loss to the Crusaders.
Willis takes over the captaincy and is also asked to front for the third straight week against a powerful local scrum.
"I'm okay, my body feels fine which is something after the [neck] injury I had. If I had been asked to do the same last season there would have been no way. But we are all geared up for this and have already spoken a great deal about our game against them last year."
The Chiefs won that match 33-32 staving off a late flurry from the Cheetahs and would take a victory, anyway and anyhow tomorrow.
"At four-nil down, if I said we were not conscious of our position I would be lying," Willis said. "But our morale is good and there were a lot of positive things, a lot of confidence to come out of last week against the Bulls."
Watching television coverage back here in the early hours of the morning, Gibbes said he could not go back to bed after Bulls wing Bryan Habana scored in the last move to pinch victory from the Chiefs. He texted his support and was in touch with teammates once they dealt with their disappointment.
"I am no good watching at the best of times and that just hurt. I have been doing it tough like they have," Gibbes said. "But they have produced some strong rugby and we all know they can do it this weekend."
The Chiefs then have a bye and, if his leg continues to improve, Gibbes is aiming to return for the next round against the Lions. He is sick of housework and rehabilitation.
In the republic, the Chiefs have toned down their trainings, working on how best to recover after the running with the Bulls at Pretoria.
"It has been a short turnaround this week, our focus has been on freshening and getting the enthusiasm right for this match," Willis said. "We have played some damned good rugby and we have to continue to trust our systems.
"But we also have to learn how to close out the tight games, we have to handle the pressure moments better."
