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Mils Muliaina - Source: Photosport -
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One of the more remarkable outcomes of the Super 14 opening weekend was that the Chiefs appeared to emerge with a positive medical report.
Well, natural order has been restored.
The team whose seasons are perennially blighted by injury have found form, with coach Ian Foster forced into a handful of changes for Friday's match against the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney.
Most annoying for Foster is the bizarre injury suffered by captain and All Blacks fullback Mils Muliaina, who strained his back when simply standing up at a team video session on Tuesday.
Muliaina and Lauaki didn't fly with the team to Sydney yesterday, with Lauaki struck down by a minor hamstring strain.
Also in doubt is classy centre Richard Kahui, who may not line up for his anticipated showdown with rising Waratahs teenager Rob Horne because of a bruised hip.
Kahui is named to start but Jackson Willison is on standby.
Sosene Anesi couldn't be considered as a replacement for Muliaina as he is still recovering from a hamstring twinge.
"It makes the whole thing exciting, doesn't it?" a phlegmatic Foster said.
"It's not ideal to lose two senior players but reality is that in the nature of the competition, it's going to happen.
"We've got quite a big leadership group, it's going to test that.
"We're going to miss Mils and Sione but we've got to have a strong squad to get through this campaign."
Flanker Liam Messam inherits the captaincy while the skilful Colin Bourke comes in for Lauaki and Bay of Plenty first five-eighth Mike Delany will wear Muliaina's No 15 jersey.
In two other selectorial changes, Foster has injected the "fresh legs" of Toby Lynn for Craig Clarke at lock and introduced the "freshness" of Callum Bruce in place of Dwayne Sweeney at second five-eighth.
Muliaina and Lauaki are both expected to miss just one week, with Foster keeping his humour about the skipper's unfortunate demise.
"I've joked with our coaches that our back unit sessions are much tougher than the forward ones," he said.
"He (Muliaina) was obviously a little bit stiff after the Crusaders and he bent over, probably at a funny angle to pick a bit of paper up and his back went... obviously something in there was ready to tweak."
Foster felt Delany was among the best of his backs in their unbeaten pre-season run, even if most of it was at pivot.
Delany was an impressive performer at first five-eighth for the Highlanders last year but said he was ready to slot into a position he had played sporadically through his career.
"It's not too foreign for me, I feel pretty comfortable back there.
"They're big shoes to fill but I feel that I'm up to it."
The Chiefs ran hot and cold in their 13-19 loss to the Crusaders in Christchurch last weekend while the Waratahs kept cool heads to hold out the Hurricanes 26-22 in Wellington.
"I think they surprised the 'Canes with how they went at scrum time. They looked really disciplined and structured," Foster said of Australia's premier title hopes.
"They had a lot of composure on defence, that was probably a real strong point for them, particularly with the amount of possession the Hurricanes had in the second half.
"And they'll be pretty desperate to start their home season well."
