The Chiefs square up against the Highlanders in Queenstown on Saturday in their second Super Rugby pre-season match without boxing champion Sonny Bill Williams.
Williams missed the Chiefs’ 36-0 win over the Rebels in Geelong as he prepared for his New Zealand heavyweight bout with American Clarence Tillman in Hamilton on Wednesday.
Williams dispatched Tillman with a technical knockout late in the opening round, but won’t line up for the Chiefs until their last warm-up match against the Hurricanes in Taupo on February 17.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie was happy with last week’s result, but expects Saturday’s match to be a much tougher encounter.
“It will be a good measure of where we are at,” he said.
Chiefs’ co-captain Liam Messam, who has a calf injury, won’t play but is expected to be available for the opening Super Rugby round against the Highlanders in Hamilton on February 25.