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Ex-All Black believes 2024 Hurricanes may be ‘better’ than 2016 champs
Rugby World Cup-winning All Black Mils Muliaina believes the 2024 Hurricanes are “possibly a better team” compared to the side that delivered the first Super Rugby title to the nation’s capital in 2016.
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First-five Beauden Barrett put on a masterclass in wet conditions at the then-called Westpac Stadium as the Hurricanes ran away for a clinical 20-3 win over the Lions from Johannesburg. Fans flocked to the streets in Windy Wellington to celebrate.
Halfback TJ Perenara and flanker Brad Shields were named in the starting side on that August night, and both men are back playing with the Hurricanes in 2024. Perenara is starting after an injury to Cam Roigard and Shields is the team captain.
Eight years on, Hurricanes fans are daring to dream once again after the Clark Laidlaw-coached team’s impressive unbeaten run of eight victories from as many matches. But next up, they face the team who ended their quest for glory last season.
The Brumbies, who were “absolutely beaten up” by the Blues in Auckland last time out, have named a strong side of their own as they look to repeat their heroics from last year’s quarter-final in Canberra on Saturday afternoon.
“There’s no doubt they’re hurting from last week,” Mils Muliaina said on Stan Sports’ The Call Up.
“I was really surprised at the fact… the Blues just really strangled them really and showed physical dominance.
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“That’s possibly one of the reasons why Alaalatoa was thrown straight in there – try and get that parity up front nice and early.
“For the Hurricanes on the other end of it… this Hurricanes outfit, I haven’t seen this for a very, very long time. I’d like to say they the fact they’re possibly a better team than the team that won the championship those years ago.
Head-to-Head
Last 5 Meetings
Wins
4
Draws
0
Wins
1
Average Points scored
34
27
First try wins
20%
Home team wins
100%
“They just seem really settled, really happy… they look, especially given it’s an afternoon game in Canberra, the sun will be shining, 40-odd degrees, I think the Hurricanes will love that.”
Stephen Larkham’s Brumbies have made three changes to their run-on side, including the headline-grabbing return of Wallaby Allan Alaalatoa at tighthead prop. Alaalatoa was injured against the All Blacks in Melbourne last year.
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Alaalatoa will end a more than 260 day wait when the world-class prop takes the field at GIO Stadium this weekend, while another Australia international in Len Ikitau is set to suit up at outside centre after a handful of matches out.
“It is interesting, straight in there. Probably speaks to the fact he’d be on limited minutes,” former Wallaby Morgan Turinui said of Allan Alaalatoa.
“If they give him 30, 40 minutes, maybe 50 (but) probably not. If you get him to half-time, I think the Brumbies will be happy to get him through safety.
“Rory Scott gets a start for the first time this season. Len Ikitau is back as well, that’s almost as important as seeing Allan Alaalatoa back for the Brumbies.
“That’s important for a Brumbies team who will want to show a lot more. They would’ve been a little bit shocked and not embarrassed but it’s a bit of a wake-up call for where they’re at last week.
“Back in Canberra against the team in the competition, the most consistent team in the competition this week.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Amazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
1 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
1 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
1 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
1 Go to commentsquins is all over the place. The minute they get the ball they panic. Quins can still win tho just need to win all rucks otherwise just don't bother.
7 Go to commentsGreat wins for the male & female kiwi sides. Ireland not far away..
1 Go to commentsWhy is this dude getting so much coverage? Usually knobs like this get cancelled.
2 Go to commentsWow. What was that? A 3 million word meandering article about what exactly?
2 Go to commentsNice piece of writing. And yes the Sharks pulled a rabbit from the hat and were a little lucky with that penalty try that wasn’t given… however the Sharks (with their resources) should be way more consistent and should be putting teams like Claremont away for breakfast. I expect more from them and hope they kick on now.
8 Go to commentsJust what the Sharks needed to get things going in the right direction Defence on the outside really creates havoc for the whole team and needs to be addressed.
8 Go to commentsWell done guys both teams will be ready to play knockout rugby.
1 Go to commentsSurprised that Ramos isn't starting at 15. But what a squad of galacticos!
2 Go to commentsWhy is it a snub? What journalistic garbage is that? Sure the guy is a great player, but there are plenty of loose forwards and not all of them can be Springboks. Also, I know of no-one who doubts Rassie’s judgment. South Africa has a conveyor belt of loose forwards that just keeps producing, so the competition is intense. I certainly wish him well, but there is no entitlement and there is no snub.
17 Go to commentsSkelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
6 Go to commentsSpot on Ben. Dead right. Havili looked great at 10. Easily the highest rugby IQ of any NZ player these days. Getting a kick charged down is a result of getting used to adjusting your depth to the line at 10, which he will sort out with time. But other than that it was an outstanding first effort in that position this year. I think the NZ media has misunderstood this directive from Razor. Havili might rank behind B Barrett this year, but Beuden is 33 this month and won't last much longer. DMaC is great but flaky and not really a test match animal (his efforts in Dunedin versus Aus last year for example). If Razor can't have Mounga, DMaC is too unstructured for Razor (and is just too small for test rugby). Havili will end up our first choice first five, and in partnership with Jodie will be excellent. Two triple threat operators in tandem, and big bodies and tough tacklers to boot. Jordoe will be the ABs goal kicker. I am an Aucklander and Blues (and Warriors) fan, but Havili at 10 is going to be sensational in time… he can be the best first five in the world by the end of this year. No question.
6 Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
8 Go to commentsGood riddance
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