Rugby: Chiefs still wait for respect

Liam Messam was part of a bold showing against the Crusaders by the Chiefs. Photo / Getty Images

As the centre of excellence moves north to Hamilton, last year's champs see adoration of Crusaders continue.

The Chiefs need just seven points from their final three games to win the New Zealand conference for a second consecutive year and yet, despite their domination, they are clearly irked by the continued adoration heaped upon the Crusaders.

Their annoyance is understandable; the Chiefs have become the standard-setter in New Zealand rugby. They are the country's best franchise - on their way to building a legacy that may in time prove to be every bit as impressive as the Crusaders.

There has been a passing of the guard; a subtle shift in the past two years which has seen the centre of excellence shift from Christchurch to Hamilton.

It was the Chiefs who broke the mould with their enlarged coaching structure last year. It was the Chiefs who were the first to split their administration into a separate body.

It was the Chiefs who were the first to build a dedicated training facility and it is the Chiefs who sit atop the table - a position they have reached because they play better, smarter, more accurate, more disciplined rugby than everyone else.

In beating the Crusaders 28-19 two weeks ago, the Chiefs established that they also now lead the way in terms of commitment, bravery and resilience.

They are the defending champions, unbeaten this year against New Zealand sides, and have managed to stay in charge of the competition despite losing Richard Kahui, Andrew Horrell, Fritz Lee, Mo Schwalger, Gareth Anscombe, Tim Nanai-Williams, Ben Afeaki, Brendon Leonard and Robbie Robinson for prolonged periods.

"It's interesting, there is probably not a lot of respect paid to this group by many," says Chiefs coach Dave Rennie.

"We don't tend to worry about injuries and we don't tend to talk about them much. I guess when the Crusaders go well, everyone talks about how the much-vaunted Crusaders are ready to launch, type of thing.

"All of our stats tell us we are trending in the right direction. That's really satisfying because we are going to have a handful of guys coming back after the June window - more guys to pick from which will make our selections tougher but that is not a bad problem to have."

As much as Rennie gives the impression the lack of respect doesn't bother him or his troops, it's a fair bet it does. Here they are winning and winning - mounting a more than convincing title charge and it is the Crusaders who are predominantly viewed as the most likely overall winners. There must be times when the Chiefs must wonder what they have to do to be considered the leading franchise.

It's not so much the lack of respect that they don't like - more the lack of conviction others feel about their offering. They haven't commanded top spot this year and last on good fortune. Far from it. The essence of their success has been astute selection: adherence to the basics; a ferocious defensive commitment; attention to detail; strong planning and composure under pressure.

"I think the heart and soul of their team is defence and they are outstanding in that area," said Crusaders captain Kieran Read. "That is what drives them and they are obviously passionate men."