25 Mar 2015

Rennie wants Chiefs to learn lessons

12:29 pm on 25 March 2015

The Chiefs coach Dave Rennie says his side must learn from a couple of close losses in their last three Super Rugby games, following their disappointing one-point defeat to a 13-man Sharks outfit.

Chief mascot with fans.

Photo: Photosport

The Chiefs next face another South African side the Cheetahs in Hamilton on Saturday night and Rennie wants a far better effort than in Durban.

However the coach is expecting the long flight from the Republic to provide another obstacle for his side.

"Obviously we've got to travel home and ironically the Cheetahs have only got to go about an hour to get to Hamilton. But you know they looked like they ran out of puff maybe due to the travel and maybe being a man down against the Crusaders so we'd expect them to bounce back from that. Certainly from our point of view we need to be a whole lot better, but I guess it will be a test of our character how we front up. We're certainly keen to make amends."

The Chiefs will be without hooker Hika Elliot for Saturday's match after he was banned for one week for an illegal shoulder charge in the loss to the Sharks, while they won't lose captain Liam Messam, who was cited for choking during the match.

Messam is free to play this weekend after having his offence downgraded by the SANZAR judiciary.

The Sharks' hooker Bismarck du Plessis has been suspended for four weeks after lashing out with his boots against No.8 Michael Leitch.

Du Plessis was sent off after just 18 minutes, one of three players red-carded during the match.

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