Chiefs mana was on full display at a team practice just days away from the 2024 Super Rugby season starting. Depending on who you ask, though, the competitive energy may have been focused in the wrong direction.
Forwards Samipeni Finau and Hamilton Burr were caught exchanging knuckle sandwiches during a training session yesterday. Captured by Newshub, the footage shows the two on opposing sides of a scrum or maul when all of a sudden Finau just punches Burr.
With the team opening their season with a finals rematch against the Crusaders on Friday, the coaches and fans see the bruhaha as a positive. Head coach Clayton McMillan hopes the aggression will be used to enact revenge on the champions from Christchurch.
"We can't change what happened last year but we can certainly have an influence on what happens on Friday," he said. "If all of the energy is directed there, then we give ourselves a chance."
Punters online fully agree, saying the punch-up is just a show of passion.
“Bet the coaches are delighted,” one person wrote. “Shows the lads are serious.”
“Get in boys!” said another. “Love to see it."
“That’s Chiefs Mana right there,” a third added. “Didn’t back down to each other. I bet they’ll have each other’s back on gameday.”
Last year, a club rugby player showed some true, true mana when he crawled off the field with a broken leg so the game could continue.
With 17 minutes left in the Ngāti Porou East Coast championship game in Whangaparāoa, Anton King went down with the rough injury. Obviously, the game stopped as everyone waited for the ambulance to arrive.
After thirty minutes, the refs chatted about cancelling the game. Anton heard of this and decided to drag himself over the touchline.
Good God, I missed rugby.
