Rugby: Chiefs take issue with scrum rulings

Criticism of set-piece has stung the Chiefs who believe it's one of their strong points this year. Photo / Getty Images

The Chiefs have made a plea for consistency in scrum rulings ahead of tonight's pivotal clash with the Waratahs.

The New Zealand conference cellar-dwellers headed to Sydney this week with questions over the integrity of their scrum after they got a mauling from the Blues pack at the end of the first half last weekend.

The criticism has stung the team who believe the set-piece has been one of the strongest aspects of their play this year.

Like most teams who play Australian sides, they will feel they have an edge in the scrums should they be allowed to contest them properly, though the light blues have been given considerably more starch with the return of internationals Benn Robinson and Tatafu Polota-Nau from injury.

The Chiefs have made one change to their starting front row, with the impressive Toby Smith coming in for Sona Taumalolo.

The Herald understands the Chiefs have sent a strongly worded message to referees' boss Lyndon Bray concerning the way Ian Smith officiated the scrums against the Blues.

The Chiefs' belief is that Smith never awarded a penalty try or a yellow card, despite issuing a warning that the next collapse would lead to one, because he was never convinced the Chiefs were at fault.

From the 31st to 37th minute the Blues were camped on the Chiefs five-metre line, with seven scrums resulting from either resets or four penalties against the home side.

Coach Ian Foster said: "We were pretty frustrated with the way that spell was reffed."

Foster agreed the Blues were dominating the "hit" during the spell but that his side were not actually committing the infringements they were accused of.

There is a belief in Chiefs' country that loosehead prop Taumalolo is targeted by refs because of a preconceived notion of how he plays - the Crusaders made similar noises at the start of the season in regard to Wyatt Crockett - rather than the reality of what was happening on the field.

What is known is that the loosehead side of the scrum is being targeted by referees this year, with the Blues' Tony Woodcock among the tournament's most penalised.

Coaches know that the loosehead is under scrutiny and teams with the put in are boring in on the tighthead side to work on the opposition hooker and further isolate the loosehead.

The Chiefs have already been vindicated once this season when it was agreed under review that they wrongly conceded five free-kicks against the Brumbies in round one for not setting properly. The Chiefs lost 28-20.