omething's not right," he said. "That's what makes a team a great team, not a good team.
" Welcoming back World Rugby's 2014 international player of the year is a pretty easy decision for the Chiefs this week when they choose their team to play the Blues in Hamilton.
But fitting Brodie Retallick - now recovered from the torn ligaments in his shoulder that sidelined him for five weeks - into a second row that has been one of the Chiefs' strengths so far this season is not so straightforward.
The question is who gives way?
Both Matt Symons, who has become key in calling and running the Chiefs' lineouts, and Mike Fitzgerald have been in consistently impressive all-round form in 2015 and have been a big factor in turning around a Chiefs lineout that last year was their Achilles heel.
Retallick missed the Chiefs' season opener against the Blues at Albany as one of three All Blacks on compulsory stand-down for the team but after coming off the bench for the second 40 minutes in his return against the Brumbies in New Plymouth he lasted just 10 minutes of his first start of the year before injuring his shoulder in a tackle.
On Tuesday Retallick declared himself fit and ready to return to action, but for forwards coach Tom Coventry that meant a tough choice for himself.
"It's a difficult decision isn't it, because I've been really happy with our locks, including Ally [Michael Allardice] who's come off the bench to take the pressure off Mike [FitzGerald] and Matt [Symons] as those two boys have done the majority of the work," Coventry said.
"But Brodie's world class, he's voted the best player in the world, it's an easy decision to get him involved again, but who moves out for him is a difficult one.
"That's what you want as a coach, you want the difficult decisions at selection time, and I'm more than happy with those four specialist locks in our team - they're all doing a great job and Brodie just comes in and complements what those boys have done for most of the season so far," he said.
Retallick said running around on the training field made a nice change from the many hours he had spent on the spin bike in the gym and he couldn't wait to get back into match play, having put plenty of time into his rehab and getting his body in the right shape for a return.
"This is the longest break out of the game I've had since I started so it's been a bit tough sitting on the sidelines and watching from the stands, but hopefully, all going to plan, I'll be out there this week," Retallick said.
"It's a bit frustrating that it's round eight and I've only managed to get 50 minutes out there so I'm looking forward to stringing a few games together."
One positive was that he had now used up all his compulsory pre-Rugby World Cup stand-down games.
Retallick said he had been determined to get back for Saturday's Waikato Stadium match, knowing that if he missed that he would have to wait another two weeks due to the following weekend's bye.
Meanwhile the good news outnumbered the bad for the Chiefs in terms of those returning from injury with utility back Tim Nanai-Williams and No 8 Liam Squire joining Retallick in being passed fit and available for selection against the Blues.
However, the news was not so good for centre Charlie Ngatai who has still not recovered from a hamstring injury.
- Waikato Times
