KEY POINTS:
The Chiefs aren't expecting to be overwhelmed by subtlety when the Cheetahs visit Waikato Stadium tonight.
Hailing from the rough and ready Afrikaner heartland of Free State, the Cheetahs are as close to the old South African archetype as can be found in the post-apartheid era.
These aren't
the flashy, cosmopolitan types from the Cape, or even KwaZulu Natal. Free State used to be Orange Free State, an independent Boer republic. A couple of wars later it reluctantly joined the South African Republic, but change tends to come slowly to the region.
This week the province's capital, Bloemfontein, made headlines when a video surfaced appearing to show white university students feeding food laced with urine to black domestic staff.
News stories on the club's website are written in Afrikaans. The team might boast its quota of coloured players but it is founded - as rugby in the region always has been - on hulking, raw-boned Boers.
"They have some big boys and they don't try to step you too often," said stand-in Chiefs captain Mils Muliaina. "They'll be running pretty straight."
Chiefs halfback Brendon Leonard, recovered from a severely bruised thigh, echoed his captain's sentiments.
"They are probably going to take us on up front with a lot of direct forward carries so we have to be on our game and make sure we put them down early and then contest the ball at the breakdown," he said.
The breakdown is still the major area of concern for the stuttering Chiefs.
"It killed us," said Leonard of last Friday 's shoddy effort against the Hurricanes. Flankers Liam Messam and Tanerau Latimer were the major casualties, having been relegated to the bench in favour of Tom Harding and Faifili Lavave.
Muliaina, however, said the move to drop the first-choice flankers had as much to do with tactics as punishment.
"The guys that have missed out are pretty disappointed," he said. "But the impact they will make coming off the bench will be really effective for us. To have guys like Liam and Tanerau coming off the bench will add a lot of physicality at crucial times."
The Cheetahs may be winless this season but Leonard insisted the Chiefs would pay them due respect. Midfielder Meyer Bosman posed a significant attacking threat, while the visitors' pack would also be a force to be reckoned with. "I don't believe they are a bad side at all. They scored four tries against the Blues [in last week's 50-26 defeat] so they must have some talent in their ranks."
The Chiefs' injury toll continues to mount, with the loss of Jono Gibbes (hamstring) and Kristian Ormsby (shoulder) testing the team's locking resources. Wider training group player Mark Burman has been called up and was due to play in a warm-up match for Waikato last night.
The prolonged absence of centre Richard Kahui (ankle) remains the biggest injury headache for coach Ian Foster. Muliaina has been a less-than-convincing stand-in, with Sitiveni Sivivatu even shakier at fullback. Foster would be less than impressed with the ease with which Ma'a Nonu rounded Sivivatu on the way to the tryline last Friday. The All Black pair now return to their favoured positions with Callum Bruce partnering Dwayne Sweeney in midfield.
Soseni Anesi also returns on the wing as Foster plumps for the back three he fielded against the Blues in round one. "I guess the selection of the backs has been driven by wanting to go with a back three that is going to make fewer errors," Foster said.
"We need to eliminate some of the handling errors from our game to get a good flow on. It feels better. It is a backline that should be playing at a high level."
The injury situation at the Chiefs hasn't yet reached last season's level but Foster admitted it was "becoming frustrating".
"But I guess if anyone is prepared for it, the Chiefs are. It seems to be something that hits us early in campaigns. It is one of those unlucky things that goes with rugby. "
How they fare in this four-week run of favourable home fixtures will determine whether the Chiefs are contenders heading into the second half of the Super 14.
