Rugby: Past results motivation for Chiefs

Brad Weber.
Brad Weber.
Losing the past five games to the Highlanders will bring added motivation to the Chiefs side, halfback Brad Weber says.

The Highlanders have to go back more than two years to when the side last lost to the Chiefs - in Hamilton in March, 2014.

Since then it has bagged five wins in a row against the Hamilton-based side.

Weber says the Chiefs have talked this week about the Highlanders' winning streak.

"They've certainly had the wood on us for the past few games and that gives us some more motivation to play well,'' Weber said.

"We've had a talk about it and have come up with some specific plans which I can't really go into. But every week you come up against different teams and you come up with different plans.''

Weber (25) has come a long way since he arrived in Dunedin as a fresh-faced university student from Hawke's Bay.

A one-test All Black, who played for the national side against Samoa last year, Weber was part of the Otago system for a couple of years but then went to Waikato when his services were not wanted in 2013.

He has made every post a winning post since he arrived in Hamilton and is now looking to buy a house in the city.

"I've had a bit more game time this year and time on the paddock always helps. It gives you a bit more confidence and gives you some more consistency to the game.''

The electric halfback will come off the bench tonight as All Black halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow gets the starting role.

Kerr-Barlow has had his share of injuries this year and with Augustine Pulu chasing sevens glory, Weber has had plenty of time on the paddock.

The Chiefs are top of the New Zealand conference going into the final round and know if they win tonight and results go their way they could be top qualifier.

Weber said the side's season had gone well, although it had lost games it probably should have won.

That was the nature of the competition and the team needed to be peaking at just the right time.

Weber was slowly ticking off an applied science degree at the University of Otago, doing one paper every semester, and had six papers to go.

His sister Ellen, a final year midwifery student at Otago Polytechnic, will be in the Zoo tonight.

Their brother Sam studied in Dunedin for a few years and also played club rugby for Dunedin before graduating. He is now a primary school teacher in Hawke's Bay.

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