Hurricanes lose two playmakers ahead of season opener against the Reds
The Hurricanes have been dealt an early season blow to their playmaking stocks after losing fullback Ruben Love and returning five-eighth Brett Cameron to injuries ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific season.
Fullback Love, tipped by head coach Jason Holland recently to be one of many All Blacks bolters in 2023, will miss the start of the season with an ongoing groin issue picked up in the pre-season.
Former Crusader and one cap All Black Brett Cameron has been sidelined after a calf tear suffered against the Blues in a pre-season fixture. Both will miss the early season trip to Australia to face the Reds and Rebels.
Young first five Aidan Morgan looks set to start at No 10 after 10 caps for the side in 2022 in his first season of Super Rugby while Josh Moorby and U20 graduate Harry Godfrey will be vying for the 15 jersey.
The other option for head coach Jason Holland is to rely on Jordie Barrett to fill in at the back if there are stronger options in the midfield, with Barrett bringing plenty of experience to the fullback role.
Holland back his younger options to fulfil their duties after helping the team recover from a 26-6 deficit against the Crusaders to storm home 31-26 in their final pre-season fixture.
“It’s obviously not ideal losing two 10s. Rubes hasn’t trained with us much, so that’s a blow but losing BC who has done a lot of our pre-season is also a blow around combinations and confidence in each other," Holland told Stuff.co.nz.
“Aids and Harry have been around the whole time and I think both of them are really starting to understand our game.”
The Hurricanes travel to Townsville to take on the Queensland Reds in the opening round of Super Rugby Pacific this weekend.
Latest Comments
Ireland are the worst poachers in the World RW, you have to take that gut punch like a man mate. No discussion about the union of Ireland is going to change that fact.
Go to commentsHaha they are BS alright.. I first punched in the kakland Bristol as the destination (idk why when I'd only heard great theings of Stellenbosh) and then just typed Glasgow over it.
As long as you get that Australias picture, with just a few hours flight to where the best Clubs teams in the world are located, or 10 hours to where the richest are (holding most SA's greats) congested in Tokyo, is actually quite rosey, I have accomplished what I set out to do 😜
They've had some good games Glasgow so far, have to see if I can still catch that one. Interested in the Lions as well as it sounds like the pushed Leinster regardless of the scoreline. I stoped hearing of the jetlag complaint, and actually heard how techniques had made it less of an issue, but I agree its a better picture having only teams in the same timezone. I really would like the rest of Africa to be leapfroged into the pro era by some huge investment. What's your opinion on how all 4 squads are building relative to the old days, 2000' and 2010's? I've not actualy heard any sort of comparison to some of the great SR teams out of SA yet. Looking forward to seeing some of these fixtures hyped up once nov is gone and teams build towards 6N time, was some good hype excitment for rugby after the Cup so hope it returns.
Australia just need someone like Rassie to step in and take them forward, big 'if' though. Then the game there and in "skaapnarland" can get in on the hype! If with just a touch more reality in their boasts 😉
Go to comments