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Hurricanes name strongest team possible to play the Chiefs
By Ben Smith
After their bye week the Hurricanes have named their top side as they prepare to to play the Chiefs in Wellington on Saturday night.
Clark Laidlaw's side might be 6-0 but the Chiefs have had their number in recent years, holding a current five-game winning streak heading into the game.
The last win the Hurricanes had over the Chiefs was in 2020 during Super Rugby Aotearoa four years ago, a 31-18 victory.
The most notable change comes expectedly at halfback. After losing Cam Roigard to a ruptured patella in a dominant victory against the Highlanders, the Hurricanes have elevated TJ Perenara into the starting side and named veteran Richard Judd on the bench.
Brad Shields will captain the side with the pair of young loose forwards that have been tipped for higher honours, Peter Lakai at openside and explosive No 8 Braydon Iose.
On the bench the Hurricanes have made the decision to name two loose forwards, Du'Plessis Kirifi and Devan Flanders, in anticipation of a tough battle at the breakdown.
Head coach Clark Laidlaw highlighted Damian McKenzie as the key to shutting down the Chiefs in the "hardest game of the year".
"It’s going to be a massive battle," head coach Clark Laidlaw said.
"The Chiefs are last year’s finalists. They’re full of very good players and coaches. They’ve got threats right across the field when they get on the front foot.
"There’s the obvious threat around Damien Mackenzie and how well he’s been playing, so we’re expecting the hardest game of the year, so we’re preparing for it.
"But the team is feeling energised, refreshed, and ready for this. It was nice to have the time off to reflect on where we’re at, and now the team has come back in with real energy and a purpose to get back on the horse as quickly as possible."
Hurricanes team to play Chiefs:
1. Xavier Numia
2. Asafo Aumua
3. Tyrel Lomax
4. Caleb Delany
5. Isaia Walker-Leawere
6. Brad Shields (c)
7. Peter Lakai
8. Braydon Iose
9. TJ Perenara
10. Brett Cameron
11. Kini Naholo
12. Jordie Barrett
13. Billy Proctor
14. Joshua Moorby
15. Ruben Love
Reserves
16. James O'Reilly
17. Pouri Rakete-Stones
18. Pasilio Tosi
19. Justin Sangster
20. Du'Plessis Kirifi
21. Devan Flanders
22. Richard Judd
23. Peter Umaga-Jensen
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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