Ex-All Black Justin Marshall not ‘entirely’ sold on Hurricanes as favourites
Former All Blacks halfback Justin Marshall isn’t “entirely” convinced the table-topping Hurricanes are the favourites to take out the Super Rugby Pacific title this season.
The Hurricanes currently occupy pole position on the ladder with a flawless 7-0 record so far, with their only blemish to date being a golden point 38-33 win over the Reds in Melbourne.
Clark Laidlaw’s men have had to do it the hard way too by overcoming some menacing challenges in the Blues, Chiefs, Melbourne Rebels and the Crusaders in Christchurch.
What’s been especially impressive is the depth in their squad. Former Wallaby Morgan Turinui described the Canes as “a European-style team” before they faced the Highlanders.
The Hurricanes had made 14 changes to their starting side a week earlier to play the Rebels in Palmerston North and made 12 the following week to play in Dunedin.
But for all the praise and plaudits the Hurricanes have received this season, Justin Marshall isn’t sold on them being favourites. The former All Black explained why on The Breakdown this week.
“Traditionally in the past Hurricanes teams have faded a little in the last quarter (but) you can see they’re fit,” Mashall said on the Sky Sport NZ show.
“They’ve got massive competition within the squad which I think is helping because players want to be out there – they want to be on the field playing this really exciting brand of rugby.
“Am I convinced that they are the favourites to win it? Not entirely. They are trending really well but the Chiefs on a night where they lost Anton Lienert-Brown before the game, Stevenson missing as well, and a few other things didn’t quite go their way.
“They were still in the fight, so you can still compete with this Hurricanes side as good as they’re going at the moment.”
The Hurricanes registered another statement win over Saturday with a 36-23 win over New Zealand rivals the Chiefs. It was a clinical win in front of their home fans at Sky Stadium.
First five Damian McKenzie helped give the Chiefs the lead with 30 minutes to play, but tries to TJ Perenara, Kini Naholo and Asafo Aumua swung the fixture back the Canes’ way.
While the men from the capital were clearly thrilled with the fight after full-time, it doesn’t get any easier for them with a trip to Fiji to take on the Drua up next.
The Fijian Drua may be seventh on the ladder but they’re also undefeated from three matches at home this season, which included a thriller against the Waratahs last month.
“Well go to Fiji and win as a start off. That’s their next challenge and that’s not easy,” Marshall explained when asked what the Hurricanes need to do to prove themselves.
“Talking to Clark Laidlaw… after the game, he said that’s the game nobody really wants. I think their only saving grace is it’s in Suva rather than Lautoka which has been pretty difficult for teams to win at.
“Getting on the road, winning those games away. They just scraped in against the Crusaders who are nearly bottom of the table.
“The next few tests that they’ve got coming up will be (important).”
Comments on RugbyPass
France didn’t lose against New Zeland in 2011, but against Joubert…
54 Go to commentsHahahaha knew the “journalist” just by seeing the headline. Not wasting my time reading it as I know it's just another toxic manifestation of the boks living rent free in this babies head.
54 Go to commentsWhen you read those facts, you can say safely that the game was handed to the Springboks by the ruling mistakes made by the Referee and TMO. Perhaps that is why South Africans were/are so “noisey” about the win….this behaviour perhaps concealing that they realise luck played a big part in the result. Certainly not a good look for the IRB going forward…pretty shoddy sadly.
54 Go to commentsI must admit to being quite surprised by all the wine-ing and hand wringing from most AB pundits; commentators and the general analysis after a classic and engrossing final. I shudder to think how the pundits would’ve reacted if the AB’s where victors with 1 point on the day.. Most Bok fans pundits; fans and commentators take a loss on the chin; congratulate the winner and move on…and till now the NZ rugby fans where the same.. Naas Botha’s famous quote has never been more apt…. Cowboys don’t cry or make excuses.. STOP IT CRY-BABIES; …..YOU LOST.
54 Go to comments4 out of 8 beats 3 out of 10 cups. Maybe NZ are bad finishers???🤣🤣🤣
54 Go to commentsBokke bokke Bokke
1 Go to commentsThe main thing you need on your side to win a World Cup is luck. ABs had their fair share of it in the 2011 final. One score game in the SF vs Springboks in 2015 means there always things you can look at and say if this thing or that thing happened then SA would/should have won that game. Smith’s try being called back broke protocol, but it was the correct decision, so I don’t have a problem with that. If it was an SA try called back in the same circumstances I don’t think many ABS fans would have a problem with it. Cane’s shot was high, it was the classic thing NZ players have been doing, and getting carded for for years - Walking around bolt upright trying to put a big hit on someone. Stupid play by someone with a poor disciplinary record. The one that was a big problem for me was Etzebeth’s obstruction. The referee just choked on this occasion. Frustrating to have the TMO in his ear all night, apart from at this moment. Minimum yellow card for Etzebeth, but a very strong case for a penalty try also. Despite all that the ABs had the opportunity to be ahead with 3 minutes to play, so it’s hard to point fingers too much. Pollard makes that kick 99/100. JB and RM make it 50/100. That’s what it came down to in the end.
54 Go to commentsBOKS had a great side in 2011 and were in kicked out by a NZ ref and Nz were very lucky to win in final against France.
54 Go to commentsBarrett's try came from a forward pass, and perhaps the Bok game plan would have been different had the ABs remained with 15 on the pitch. We will never know. But if we are living in a world if what if's, then go back to the France v Bok game. France dominated the WC, and had they gotten past the boks, would have easily beaten the ABs in the Final
54 Go to commentsRehashed articles. But this piece does not do justice to how good the Boks had to be to win that tournament, and how immense some of their players were in that final. Peter Stef du Toit played one of the greatest games by a loose forward ever. All Blacks played well but not well enough and came up short. There are a million ‘if’s’ and none of the ‘if’s’ that don’t happen will win you a footy match.
54 Go to commentsSour grapes/ face it the allblacks aren't that good anymore LoL!!!
54 Go to commentsDear Internet, This is what sour grapes look like… It wont make any difference in down playing the SA win. The scoreboard is the ultimate statistic. I agree with Johnz, I would have liked a full 15vs15 for the whole game. Could have been even better or worse. What we as rugby supporters got, was a fantastic game where the result could have gone either way. It was great.
54 Go to commentsben loser smith. I haven't read the article. Just saw the headline and knew it was him. Rugbypass surely you can do better than this clickbate loser.
54 Go to commentsIf if if….If my aunt had balls she would be my uncle
54 Go to commentsBen is right, the RWC should be taken from SA and awarded to NZ. Rugby matches from now on will not be decided on points but rather on who deserved to win the most. This will be decided by 1 journalist sitting in a bunker.
54 Go to commentsThat's quite a wind up Ben. I'm an all black fan, and admittedly the loss felt a little hollow, given how well the boys played once Cane left the field. But that's finals footy, sometimes it's cruel. Let's look at the reality though. This was a team that spent an entire year thinking about how to beat Ireland, and did so magnificently. Come final time, they started the match looking overawed, fearful and unprepared. This led them to getting behind on the scoreboard, and chasing the game, which is never a good position to be in a final. SA started better, were confident and assured. That, in the end, was the game. The comeback led by Savea was phenomenal, but not quite enough. That's how comebacks often go. The real questions should be why they looked so unprepared? Why we needed to get behind and lose our so called leader to start playing? And why the best player against SA from a month or two before wasn't even in the team? Plus give some credit where it's due, PSD was quite phenomenal and instrumental in keeping SA ahead, a performance for the ages.
54 Go to commentsMy only response is “Check the Scoreboard” nothing else matters. Ben you will not wind me up pal. Boks are 4 times RWC Champions.
54 Go to commentsThere is no place to hide in the front row. You win or lose each time and it selects for hard men/women and those who enjoy combat
7 Go to commentsThey might have won several different areas on the field but the one that ultimately counts is on the scoreboard. Ben Smith’s nonsense is still shown up for what it is following criticisings by his team’s coach claiming similar nonsenses and several other players as well. I am not an expert but I know All Blacks know that the game is won by the team with more points on the board than the opposition. Also the red card on Sam Cane is entirely his own fault. If they were aggrieved for having one less player on the pitch, that was their own fault, their own captain who possibly in a moment of forgetfulness tackled too high but either way it is a RWC Final, you cannot be having lapses of forgetfulness in a match like that. The fact that they were down a man for 64 minutes was their fault. And even if they did dominate the second half for 35 minutes, they had crossed the whitewash twice, they had several kicks at goal, the fact is they didn't maximize on all the opportunities they were given. The one try was disallowed, the two kicks at goal were missed, the opportunities not taken. Every tackle was made by the Springboks with so much more fervour than anyone had seen even in the Semi Final the week previously. Whatever Ben Smith says, most of what he says can be chalked down to a spoiled sport who has nothing better to say than whine and moan because ultimately the team he supports lost when it mattered most.
54 Go to commentsThere’s plenty I could write on this, I won’t stop if I really get going, so i’ll make just 2 important points. Don’t forget that SA didn’t have a hooker, don’t discount that fact. I would have taken MBONAMBI fit for the game over a yellow to Frizelle. Also you forget that NZ had the luxury of playing without pressure once the red came. Noone expected them to win and they could always fall back on 14 men if they lost. I’d also have taken 15 men NZ and MBONAMBI on the field over what transpired.
54 Go to comments