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Hurricanes' horror start to the Super Rugby season
By Online Editors
Hurricanes fans - how's this for starters? On Friday in Takapuna your team will play the Blues in their second and final pre-season match. It's probably fair to say they have a few things to work on after losing 40-19 to the Crusaders in Ashburton yesterday.
The Blues players, meanwhile, will be looking forward to a rare visit to Onewa Domain (their only game on the North Shore this year as, rather than playing at North Harbour Stadium, they will host the Jaguares in Northland in April) after beating the Chiefs 26-19 in Waihi in their first hit-out.
A day after the match the Hurricanes will fly to Cape Town to play the Stormers in their opening game before considering more long-haul travel to get to Buenos Aires to play the Jaguares a week later.
They will be without Ardie Savea (knee surgery) and Beauden Barrett (gone to Blues). They may be without wing Jonah Lowe, who injured a shoulder which has troubled him in the past.
If it wasn't already evident, this has the makings of a very difficult season for their new head coach Jason Holland, a man who got the gig after former boss John Plumtree was appointed one of new All Blacks coach Ian Foster's assistants.
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It was always going to be that way once Barrett announced he was joining the Blues but loose forward Savea's injury is a massive blow and the opening two matches in South Africa and Argentina a week apart could hardly have been more challenging.
One victory from those two would have to be considered a fair return and while the Hurricanes have it a little easier when they are back in New Zealand; the Sharks in Wellington and Sunwolves in Napier, they then go on a run of three derbies against the Blues, Chiefs and Crusaders.
The first few rounds are likely to be played out in blazing summer heat – the Blues kick things off against the Chiefs at Eden Park on the absurdly early date of January 31 – but that's likely to be relatively kind compared with what is Holland's baptism of fire.
Pre-season matches count for little as far as results go but another big loss against the Blues will do little for the Hurricanes' confidence and should the skids go under their season it will be very difficult to pull it back without an experienced driver at 10.
"We need to be more efficient around our carry and our cleanout and our breakdown," Holland told reporters in Ashburton after his side let slip a 12-0 lead against the Crusaders.
"That's a big area around us getting momentum and being able to play. The Crusaders slowed our ball down a lot today. That's a little bit around our attacking shape and what we do there and just around a bit of mongrel at the breakdown."
It was a similar story in Sydney where the Highlanders let slip a 14-0 lead to the Waratahs to lose 40-21. It was former Canterbury coach Rob Penney's first game in charge of the Sydneysiders and an indication perhaps that he may bring a new steel to what is generally an underachieving franchise.
"I'm rapt with the calibre of talent that is there and it has just reinforced to me how far this group could go," Penney said.
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.
The Stormers face one of the kinder Super Rugby draws this year:
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Latest Comments
Excellent points Mz. Because of other commitments I have just watched the game.
Interesting watching it after reading all the news reports especially in the English media. I was expecting to see a game that the ABs were very lucky to win. What I saw was a game that England showed their tactical incompetence and their inability to construct any try scoring opportunities.
They can go on deluding themselves that they were unlucky to lose ( as Borthwick said post match ) but until they stop relying on rush defence and goal kicking to win I feel they're doomed to be ranked 4 or 5 in the world.
Can't wait until the weekend to see how the Wallabies go against them
Though I dare say Walter will be hoping for an England win.
Go to commentsIF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.
As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.
Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).
This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.
If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.
Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.
After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.
Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.
Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)
Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.
Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.
Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.
Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:
Seeding Band 1
IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG
Seeding Band 2
SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO
Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6
Strongest pool opponent: FIJI
1/8 final opponent GEORGIA
Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond
Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6
Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA
1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND
Prognosis: You know the prognosis
I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?
Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.
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