Why not play more like the Chiefs? What’s stopping the rest of the world from adopting the high-risk/high-reward style of the Chiefs?

Admittedly, there is risk. But look at the rewards. The Chiefs are enjoying huge success with the risks they are taking. They have been tremendously successful over the last several years. Their success comes from the risk-taking: running from inside the 22, making the 50-50 offload, taking the quick tap, not taking the kick for an easy 3, etc.

Some might say that the Chiefs’ success comes from the quality of their players, not the risk taking. I grant you that this is true to an extent. However, I think the real enabling factor is their team fitness and coherent approach to the game. It is clear that Dave Rennie has instilled a consistent playing philosophy in the members of his team. When a break is made, or risk taken, they are all onboard with it and support the risk taker.

The ability to do this comes from the structure created by the coaching staff, but more importantly to my way of thinking, the fitness to perform and to provide support. If the team wasn’t at such a high level of fitness, they wouldn’t be there for the offload when required.

The point here is that fitness does not come directly from athleticism or skill. It comes from hard work and commitment to training. Any professional team should be able to develop the fitness level to implement a playing style similar to the Chiefs. Then, with enlightened coaching and an aggressive game plan, that team should begin to reap the rewards from risk-taking.

This past week I watched the Chiefs play the Reds. The Chiefs continued to produce wondrous sequences of rugby while the Reds’ only answer seemed to be another rolling maul. You could see the difference in the faces of the players: joyous smiles on the Chiefs and resolute bewilderment on the Reds. Certainly as a fan I prefer the Chiefs’ path.

Why not take a risk and enjoy the game?