The Chiefs may face the Blues in the upcoming Super Rugby Pacific final without their key forward, Samisoni Taukei’aho, following his injury during the semifinal victory over the Hurricanes.
The All Blacks hooker sustained a lower leg injury, overshadowing the Chiefs’ 30-19 win in Wellington on Saturday.
Taukei’aho was hurt midway through the first half while making a tackle, as the Hurricanes were attempting a comeback after the Chiefs’ early 17-0 lead.
Continued Playing Despite Injury
Despite his injury, the 26-year-old continued playing but was visibly struggling, allowing Peter Lakai to easily evade him for a try in the 20th minute.
“It’s pretty bad. We might need another hooker. It’s either a calf or an Achilles issue. It’s not extremely serious but something is wrong,” Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan told Stuff.
“He was in position to make the tackle and just walked off the field, which indicates it wasn’t good.”
Chiefs Face Additional Challenges
To add to the Chiefs’ woes, Taukei’aho’s replacement, Bradley Slater, also left the field injured late in the game, leaving the team without a specialist hooker.
“Brad Slater came on, got a knee injury, and needed an HIA,” McMillan said. “He was struggling but managed to continue until he had to leave. We finished with a halfback or a second-five throwing the ball in, so we had significant injuries.”
Searching for a Replacement Hooker
The Chiefs have Tyrone Thompson as their third hooker, but if both Taukei’aho and Slater are unavailable for the final at Eden Park, McMillan will need to recruit a player from Hamilton’s club rugby.
“We’ve had an extra guy in our wider training squad, but we haven’t seen him for a couple of weeks,” McMillan added.
“They’re likely to come from club rugby and step into a big game. You plan all season for moments like this when someone has to step up. It might be on the biggest stage, but you just pick them.”
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