KEY POINTS:
The Chiefs would doubtless settle for a spot of grafting, ugly rugby if it brought the right reward against the Stormers in Cape Town tomorrow.
So far, scoring tries has not been a problem. Their seven puts them behind only the eight of the Crusaders as the most
prolific team in the Super 14 so far.
They've turned in some scintillating football and have created chances to burn, but they've been squandering them at almost the same rate.
There have been problem areas, notably in defence and decision-making, and sloppy skills have hurt them and mean they sit second-last after two rounds, ahead of only the Stormers.
Unlike some of the desperately dull, wretched football on display so far, particularly from South Africa, the Chiefs are invariably watchable. Something is either happening or about to happen, if not always for the team's good.
This week, the coaching staff have been preaching a simple message: back yourselves, but watch the silly stuff.
"We've asked the guys to throw away the self-destruct button they've been carrying round," assistant coach Warren Gatland said from Cape Town yesterday. The focus in training has been putting players under pressure and working on sharpening their decision-making, cutting out the errors and reducing the turnover rate, which has proved costly. At least two of the Hurricanes' five tries in their 39-32 win in Hamilton last week were directly attributable to Chiefs players handing over the ball.
Gatland could also have mentioned slipshod tackling which seems to have infected the Chiefs' defensive operation. Physically, he believes the Chiefs are in fine shape, but at important moments players appear to have forgotten their lines.
"In terms of the points we've scored we have worked really hard to achieve them, then we've given away soft points. And that's really hurt us," he added.
Of the six changes for the game from the team beaten by the Hurricanes, the most interesting is young flanker Tanerau Latimer in for experienced Marty Holah.
It's no slight on Holah, one of the most influential Chiefs, as the management look to avoid overloading players on a tough road trip.
But Latimer is tipped for big things. He made a splash at the Crusaders last year and Gatland likes what he's seen this season.
"We've been really impressed with his whole attitude and training ethic. He's a great kid and we've said 'you've got your chance, go out and have a crack'."
As for the Stormers, it's shaping up as a grim campaign. Their only points so far have been four penalties, and the bloke who kicked them, Naas Olivier, has been dumped for tomorrow's match in favour of the more direct Peter Grant.
Springbok loose forward Joe van Niekerk is missing due to impending surgery on a knee but captain Luke Watson and Schalk Burger should ensure a tough contest at the breakdown.
"We haven't spoken as such about the fact that we are not scoring tries," Stormers Springbok centre Jean de Villiers said. "We tried to analyse why we are not achieving go-forward momentum because that's what is needed to score tries."
As for the Stormers, Gatland is wary of reading too much into what's happened so far. "To be honest they have been terrible and they've been criticised heavily by their media. So they've got their backs to the wall.
"We're expecting they'll show resolve and be really direct."
