Elliot: Chiefs forwards firing

With more than 100 Chiefs caps to his name, Hika Elliot knows better than most the ins and outs of their forward pack.

The 31-year-old hooker, set to win his 107th Chiefs cap against the Hurricanes in Hamilton on Friday, believes they're 'firing beyond' from where they were 12 months ago after two dominant displays against the Highlanders and the Blues.

Kane Hames and Nepo Laulala will start either side of Elliot in the front row for the third successive game, which is the only consistency in selection the Chiefs have stuck with in their forwards this season.

"I think we've brought [in] some really good combinations. We've got two All Black props and myself who's been around for a little while now," Elliot said.

"We're getting those combinations going and I think we're firing beyond from where we were this time last year."

Elliot said the Blues, inspired by former Chiefs prop and Elliot's Counties Manukau team-mate Pauliasi Manu, tore their scrum apart in the pre-season match the Blues won 26-14 at Auckland's Alexandra Park three weeks ago.

But when it mattered in Super Rugby, in last Friday's encounter in Hamilton, the Chiefs tipped the scales in their favour and scored two tries from driving mauls, as well as turning over a Blues scrum that led to Lachlan Boshier's try as the Chiefs won 41-26.

"You can't really read too much into pre-season results," Elliot said.

"We and they were still trying to figure out what combinations [to work on] leading into the competition.

"The way the forwards fronted, with the Blues being particularly dominant at scrum time, we were able to nullify them and win a few turnovers."

Elliot touched down in that second rolling maul that finished with a Chiefs try, which was his second in successive weeks.

Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Elliot moved sharply from a lineout that caught the Highlanders napping in round one's 24-15 success, with Elliot scoring in the corner.

"I'm not used to scoring tries but I take that," Elliot said. "It's all credit to the way the team's going at the moment. 

"Every time I get the opportunity, I want to celebrate accordingly."

 

Photo: Phil Walter/Getty-Images (Hooker Hika Elliot won his 106th Chiefs caps against the Blues last Friday).