Richard Loe called him a "journeyman" but if that's the case, Simms Davison has no complaints about the current journey he's on.

The Chiefs prop - who re-signed with Bay of Plenty this week - has emerged as one of the form props of the Super 14 competition.

He's recovered from injury in time to line up against the Western Force in Perth tonight knowing that if his side can win their next three matches, the barbs fired by former All Black Loe might be discarded forever.

"It's helped when players around you are playing well and it's been pretty exciting," Davison said.

"If the Chiefs carry on playing well, and hopefully I keep my form going, things may happen."

Davison has made it no secret he's targeting the All Blacks end-of-year tour squad, though it looked a faint prospect as the Chiefs crashed to the Blues and Hurricanes early in the season.

Five wins on the trot - along with some impressive performances from the Bay of Plenty loosehead - have turned things around.

"It wasn't flash at the start - we learnt a few valuable lessons up front and the backs basically demanded that we perform or beat it, so we had to.

"In previous years, we've had a rotation policy but this year we've largely stuck with the same frontrow, and me and Tom Willis in particular have really got a good combination going. That definitely helps."

Davison's try against the Crusaders was a definite highlight. He steam-rolled 25m off a Stephen Donald chip-and-chase, fending Caleb Ralph off into the Waikato Stadium turf along the way.

It was the first try scored by the Chiefs' tight-five all year, which perfectly showcased the team's expansive approach.

"The game might look a bit less structured these days but we're just trying to move the ball where there is space. If you're in space, you'll probably get your hands on the ball, which is what it's all about.

"It's a simple concept but it seems to be going pretty well for us, especially with the speed out wide."

The Chiefs, currently tied for third place on the points table with the Sharks but fourth on points differential countback, are hunting just their second appearance in the playoffs in 12 seasons of Super rugby.

Coach Ian Foster made two personnel changes to his starting, returning Davison to the fray along with second-five Callum Bruce, who will be up against 17-year-old Force midfielder James O'Connor.

Ben May switches sides to the tighthead and Steamers skipper Ben Castle drops to the reserves, while No 8 Sione Lauaki will become the 15th player to rack up 50 appearances for the Chiefs.

Flanker Tanerau Latimer, reckons a win tonight will be a great birthday present ahead of turning 22 next week, and just hopes their recent belief can continue.

"You can see it in our play - they've got a confidence about them," Latimer said. "We've got a lot of width in our play and we're chucking the ball around which suits us, then we've got the wheels out wide to take advantage of that."

With Steamers halfback Jamie Nutbrown starting again, Bay coach Kevin Schuler is already looking forward to the exuberance his players will return to the provincial fold.

"The best thing is that all our Chiefs are playing a really big part of the success of that team," Schuler said. "Nutbrown's been unlucky to be injured but he's back featuring now and the likes of Simms and BC and Lats have been playing a lot of minutes."