This may be a weekly article although I cannot guarantee to retain enough enthusiasm if the Chiefs season heads in the usual direction. Firstly, here's the team for this coming weekend's game, against the Waratahs in Sydney.

1. Sona Taumalolo 2. Hika Elliot 3. Ben May 4. Toby Lynn 5. Kevin O'Neill 6. Liam Messam (captain) 7. Tanerau Latimer 8. Colin Bourke
9. Brendon Leonard 10.Stephen Donald 11.Sitiveni Sivivatu 12.Callum Bruce 13.Richard Kahui 14.Lelia Masaga 15.Mike Delany

Reserves: 16. Aled de Malmanche 17. James McGougan 18. Craig Clarke 19. Serge Lilo 20. Toby Morland 21. Dwayne Sweeney 22. James Wilson

The injury free Chiefs didn't last long, Lauaki has a bad hammy and Muliaina injured his back getting up from a chair (honestly he really did!). That has opened the way for Colin Bourke to slot into number 8 and Mike Delany to play out of position at 15. Hopefully this won't give Foster an excuse to ditch these two should things go badly in Sydney. Foster has also dropped Clarke and the turnstile Sweeney to the bench to bring in Lynn and Bruce.

Bourkey won't be able to duplicate Lauaki's bullocking runs but hopefully his higher work-rate and superior ball skills will help the side. I worry about Delany at 15, I know he lacks no courage as a defender but he doesn't have the size to run the ball back like Muliaina does. I would rather Delany at 10 and Donald at 12 but that is another story.

The Chiefs went OK against the Crusaders without being totally convincing. If they could have actually retained the ball instead of going for the pointless chip kick, they may even have scraped a win. All in all, that was probably their best "first game of the season" since they made the semis back in 2004 with the great lord Glen Jackson controlling the game. That is always my main criticism of Donald, he does good things, he does bad things but he rarely gives the impression of playing to any sort of plan. On some days, this suits the Chiefs as they can thrive on loose rugby.  

Tanerau Latimer looked hungry again after his exhaustion at the end of 2008 and he was having a monumental battle with McCaw for the whole game. He isn't the most visible of players though unless you make a point of watching him (which of course I did as he was the only Bay player on view for most of the game) and Messam and Lauaki will always be more visible whether for good or bad. Googs and Bourkey only appeared late in the game with little chance to impress.

KP's prediction is 29-22 to the Waratahs.