Chiefs have been flying considering how many top players left after last season
It’s been wonderful to watch. The team that won the league / Heineken cup largely moved on at the end of last season, taking their place are basically a team of youngsters, who improve every game.
While the Chiefs don’t have the big names of other teams, they are beating teams with those names in - partly by work rate, commitment and passion, but also I think by being a team that’s far greater than the sum of its parts.
A lot of opposing coaches have said their team had an off day when they came down to Sandy park, and that is down to Chiefs stopping teams from being able to do their plan A, forcing errors and then capitalising on them by being clinical from 5m out.
There’s been a lot of tries scored from interceptions and loose balls, which is all down to our defensive line speed, catching attacking players behind the gain line. Also the team are very fit, so are out scoring the opposition in the second half. I don’t think the team are afraid if they are a score down at half time.
Away form had been poor, but seems to have turned around after the Toulon win. Home form - well last loss at home was October 2022 so that’s very reliable. No one likes coming down to Sandy Park.
I think this team can get to the playoffs but will need a home draw (so top 2) to make the final, and can probably progress in the Heineken cup QF too.
