Waratahs often show early form - and Chiefs know it

If the Chiefs could have handpicked their opening match of this campaign, odds are it would not have been the Waratahs in Sydney.

Last season, the New South Wales franchise took off like Michael Schumacher, whacking 40 points on each of their first three opponents before doing their traditional fade in the home straight.

Despite an ordinary training session on Wednesday, which had Wallaby fullback Mat Rogers injuring his hip and had sloppy handling as its standout feature, the Waratahs are likely to start favourites, as they should given a starting XV featuring 11 internationals.

Rogers is expected to be fit for tonight, but Waratahs officials could be forgiven for being twitchy; their tumble down the ladder last season coincided with Rogers copping a bad ankle injury which sidelined him for five months.

The Waratahs have won six of their nine games against the Chiefs, three out of four in Sydney, so the numbers sit on the Australians' side.

"We're very conscious that basically it's a Wallaby forward pack," Chiefs coach Ian Foster said. "They're pretty strong up front and have really sharp backs with Lote Tuqiri, Rogers and Chris Whitaker, so we're fully aware of the threats they've got."

Foster's main focus - and he suspects the same will apply to the other 11 coaches in the first round - is on his own team's game plan.

"Really it's about us getting our game right. If we do that we're a tough team to handle."

Several aspects about the Chiefs performance will be intriguing: how long will captain Jono Gibbes last, given that his only rugby since November is 25 minutes in a pre-season hitout; how will new wings Sosene Anesi and Sailosi Tagicakibau cope on debut; how Marty Holah will square off against Phil Waugh in the battle of the flying flankers; and whether sparks will fly in a potentially fiery clash between rugged blindside men Wayne Ormond and Waratah hardman Wycliff Palu, whose colourful past includes a six-month jail stretch for assault.

As for Gibbes, he knows it will be a tough night, for the team and in a personal sense. "There's no secret, I'll just have to guts it out," he said. "I'm sure somebody will be giving me a good shove in the back to keep going."

Foster confirmed his players are itching to get into action after months of preparation. "We've had enough of training and planning. The guys just want to have a game of rugby," he said.