Chiefs prop Ben Tameifuna believes the set-piece battleground will determine the winner of their Super Rugby semi-final against the Crusaders in Hamilton.
The defending champion Chiefs failed to fire up front in Christchurch three weeks ago when they were blown away 43-15 by the seven-time champions.
While the scrum was solid, the lineout was patchy and they were second-best at the breakdown as they were outscored five-tries-to-two.
It was a result that stung the Chiefs pack and one they are determined not to repeat at Waikato Stadium on Saturday.
“We need quality set-piece,” said tighthead prop Tameifuna.
“A solid scrum and a good lineout so (five-eighth) Aaron Cruden can direct us around the field.”
Despite qualifying top for the playoffs, they are underdogs against an All Blacks-laden Crusaders side coming off a 38-9 dismantling of the Queensland Reds in last weekend’s elimination final.
They also have a wealth of finals experience and appear to have timed their run well.
However, Tameifuna and his team-mates believe their experiences last year on the way to winning the title, including their 20-17 semi-final win against the Crusaders, will stand them in good stead.
“Most of us have been there and it’s just a matter of doing our job and not thinking about it as anything other than a normal game.
“It’s a matter of not going overboard and doing flash stuff. We’ve done it before and now we’ve got to do it again.”
The in-form Tameifuna has retained his starting spot despite Ben Afeaki recovering from a back injury.
Afeaki is on the bench in a side featuring three personnel changes from the starting side who beat the Blues 26-16 in their last round-robin match two weeks ago to secure top spot.
They are all in the backline, where Gareth Anscombe returns at fullback, pushing Andrew Horrell to centre in place of Bundee Aki.
Charlie Ngatai replaces the injured Tim Nanai-Williams at centre to form a new-look midfield while Asaeli Tikoirotuma pushes Robbie Robinson from the left wing to the reserves.
An unchanged forward pack features Brodie Retallick at lock after the All Blacks hard man shook off an ankle niggle.
