The Chiefs made the short bus trip from their Hamilton base to Mt Maunganui to put the finishing touches on their preparation to face the unbeaten Brumbies. It will be a meeting of not only two of the more surprising early season teams, but World Cup-winning mentors in Jake White and Wayne Smith.
Their names alone lend respect to franchises that have struggled in recent years.
"For us, we've been trying to gain respect," Smith said.
"It's hard earned and easily lost, so we can't afford to drop our standards or our attitude. We've got a bye next week so we've got absolutely no excuse not to rise to our expectations."
The Chiefs have surprised not with the quality of their back play, which was always expected to be dangerous, but by the competitiveness of their tight five.
"It's a truism that it doesn't matter what happens out back, it all starts up front," Smith said.
"You have to challenge them enough through the middle to provide some space out the back."
There is no desperation to get the big names in the backs the ball, even when they appear to be running into roadblocks up front.
On the contrary, Smith said they would be just as happy for Sonny Bill Williams to be creating space by running decoys as they would with him ball-carrying.
"We're looking for a team approach and I suppose a logical approach to our attack where we're trying to create space before we actually move it."
As for the punts they took on relative no-names up front, Smith said it was no fluke, but rather careful recruitment systems. "You have to go for guys you think have a future.
"We always had the feeling that given time they'd be up to the task. That time came around pretty quickly for some of them. They're not the finished product but they've got plenty of heart.
"That's the key."
