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Ex-Wallaby’s bold call: Drua could hand Hurricanes ‘first loss of the year’
Former Wallaby Morgan Turinui has tipped the Fijian Drua to hand the ladder-leading Hurricanes their “first loss of the year” in a blockbuster Super Rugby Pacific clash in Suva on Friday.
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The Hurricanes have emerged as the team to beat with the table-toppers currently boasting a flawless 7-0 record which has included wins over the Blues, Melbourne Rebels and Chiefs.
Coach Clark Laidlaw hasn’t been afraid to test the squad’s depth this season, having made 14 changes to the First XV to play the Rebels and another 12 before facing the Highlanders.
But not everyone is convinced. Former All Blacks halfback Justin Marshall recently questioned whether the unbeaten Hurricanes are indeed the favourites to take out the title this season.
Marshall said the Hurricanes would need to go over to Fiji this week and win “as a start.” It’s a menacing challenge and not everyone believes the men from New Zealand’s capital will win.
“Interesting too when you look at their team… the experience off the bench,” Morgan Turinui said on Stan Sports’ The Call Up.
“I expected a big full 80 and a strong finish over there in Suva this week.
“This could be the first loss of the year for the Canes.”
The Hurricanes have challenged some of their squad members to go the job at ANZ Stadium this week with coach Laidlaw once again making a stunning amount of changes to the starting side.
Head-to-Head
Last 3 Meetings
Wins
1
Draws
0
Wins
2
Average Points scored
16
43
First try wins
100%
Home team wins
67%
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Coach Laidlaw has made 10 changes to the starting side, including a fresh face at first five with Aidan Morgan replacing Brett Cameron in a still-supremely talented backline.
Wing Salesi Rayasi comes onto the left edge with Kini Naholo shifting to the right, while Josh Moorby shifts to fullback with Ruben Love set to provide impact off the bench.
This is a Hurricanes team that looks different but the core of the team remains the same. It’ll be a good test for the table-toppers and one that former All Black Mils Muliaina thinks they can do the job.
“You would be forgiven to say you take a weakened side over there and you could be bitten. We’ve seen that already a number of times,” Muliaina explained.
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“But I don’t see that with this Hurricanes side.
“The pack up front, especially the front row, they’ve gone through a lot of work in terms of Tyrel Lomax and Asafo Aumua… the fact they get a little bit of a rest.
“Flanders and Du’Plessis Kirifi, I mean… how much competition do those guys need in this department?
“Of course, Aidan Morgan – he’s been there or thereabouts. Probably a chance also for Clark Laidlaw to be able to give him some game time.
“Salesi Rayasi, we all know what he’s capable of.
“I sense, even last week after that game against the Chiefs, they’ve sort of blocked this out and almost got the feeling that these players already knew they were going to go to Suva and they’re going to be starting.
“The preparation for team has probably already started.”
Comments on RugbyPass
This article should have been written immediately after the final, not half a year later. While the content of the article is accurate with the references to the cruel bounce to Savea right before the try line, Etzebeth’s cynical infringement, and the inconsistent cards, some of the hyperbole emotional statements are unnecessary and gaslighting. The fact remains that the Springboks took their scoring opportunities. They had amazing defence throughout the entire match (limiting the ABs to one try is very respectable), their scrum was pretty good and they had quite a solid lineout despite having a part-time hooker throwing the ball in. Let’s give credit where credit is due and move forward. The Springboks won because they know how to win big games through strong defence and kicking, and they had lady luck on their side on the day. The All Blacks miraculously made the final despite everyone’s predictions and could’ve won the whole damn thing with 14 men who should’ve taken better advantage of their scoring chances and committed less mistakes (shoddy lineouts, dropped balls, some poor kicks and passing, etc), and an average coach and captain with some questionable tactics (Jordie kicking for goal late in the game from a dodgy position and perhaps the wrong game plan overall). Time to move on.
7 Go to commentsThere’s no doubt the All Blacks were the better team on the day, but it’s not enough to be better, you also have to have luck.
7 Go to commentsI dunno, Ben. It does feel a little like you are just in denial that the Springboks are really good. Good enough to win two straight world cups.
7 Go to commentsAre we still talking about the World Cup final in May? The final took place more than 6 months ago. Isn’t it time to move on?
7 Go to commentsIt looks like the trauma counseling is not helping the Ben Smith troll much. He is still trying to convince his little brain that his loser team won the RWC.
7 Go to commentsOh dear, Jon. Ben Smith’s Saffer clickbait was at least backed up by some rationale!
7 Go to commentsThe more direct approach to your past time this time I see Ben. Look, it doesn’t need to be said, anyone watching the match knows the ABs played better and just got robbed by the officiating, but lets face it, their dominance in the match was only because South Africa choked and forgot how to play rugby with the ball. South Africa were still the better side. Of course Ireland and France were also better sides that New Zealand. Possibly even England on WC performances.
7 Go to commentsGreat mythology - no surprises Ox didn't talk about being driven backwards by Laulala in the RWC final!
4 Go to commentsJust shows how a hand up can help as long as the invitation is accepted. Good story.
1 Go to commentsKarma is a powerful force
21 Go to commentsFrench players said the same thing to the All Blacks after their pool match in 2011. But the French can back up their s**t talk with action.
74 Go to commentsThe problem is the officiating & changing rulings,& TMOs.Last weekend I saw a 9 penalized for a crooked scrum feed! the last time I saw that rule applied was In about 1975!!!!!!!!.Late or not the incident is history & Australians alleging that Kiwi rugby supporters wear eye patches is a bit rich.Try listening to Australian Commentators.Every new player who has an above average game is suddenly the next great sensation.
21 Go to commentsEvery Irish fan in the stadium celebrated like they had won the tournament after the SA and Scotland games so yeah, the way Etzebeth tells it stacks up. It was definitely ‘In Their Heads’!
74 Go to commentsEtsebeth is right about 1 thing. Boks after winning a RWC have been crap. Only in 2009 did they reach the heights of what a RWC Champion should look like but that was only after 3rd/last in the TriN 2008. Lost a home series in 1996 (vs ABs); didnt win even 1 x Rugby Championship after 2019. ABs and Wallabies and England at least played like Champions after winning RWC.
74 Go to commentsCrusaders will knock one of the top seeds out in the first round, hope it’s not my Chiefs
28 Go to commentsEben really seems like just a deeply unpleasant man.
74 Go to commentsDMac. BB crabs too much at 10.
4 Go to commentsIt is every boys dream to be a Springbok. I managed it in a discipline other than rugby…But rugby, I have always engaged with passion. It does my old heart good to see the mix of people in the team and this displays the possibilities for this wonderful country. The logo “stronger together” says it all. This current edition of the Boks is nothing short of inspirational.
4 Go to commentsIrish people about the best damn people on the planet. OK, in the NH. Fijians are the World’s best happiest friendliest people. But as far as European cultures producing good people, Ireland stands alone. But on the rugby pitch there is a creeping arrogance that has detached from humility. eg Sexton abusing a match referee, and not for the 1st time. He was extremely lucky to make it to the RWC, strings were pulled. And O’Mahoneys sledge to Cane was lowballing, attacking an opposition Captain seems opportunistic and gutter talk. Cane is a real gentleman. Have never seen ABs unleash after the whistle like they did on O’Mahoney after QterF, it was well deserved. Unlike Bok supporters, the Bok players understand history. Massive amount of respect between Boks and ABs is evident, they get on well and have throughout history. Even Pinetree Meads best mate (except his old cobber Kel Tremain) were Springboks, friendships forged after tours. And Meads was always targetted given his star status (he even played 2 x Tests with a broken arm). On the contrary, ABs and Wallabies famously dont get on, bad blood after Aussies not taking offer of beersies postmatch.
74 Go to commentsHaha god NZ journalism is so crap listen to this guy “We’ll be proven in a few weeks if our baseless bs can stick” lol Everywhere else uses experts to write stuff but here they’re just career guys that don’t care about what they write, NOT CONCEDED A TRY IN YEARS lol > “Naturally, you’re looking for performance, sometimes that means you can’t think logically or use evidence to arrive at any sort of clarity of decision. Pretty much sums it up to a tee Paul ignores the articles in here about then runs off each team this year, that Penney is just a yearly stop gap until, who, Ellison is released by ABs, the huge imbalance of the injury front between teams at each end of the table, or who it was that _should_ have been coach. But of course if they actually do evidence and investigative work theyre shy of their article not hitting that sensationalism boundary and lose revenue. Leaving us non the wiser. They look like they would have been best with a geeup coach this year to turn around the razorless depression the clubs obviously going through. Hard to think of someone fitting the Bill to have been chosen instead, the clown Cheika? Id have been tempted to double play and entice O’Gara down. Hell maybe that is who they are waiting for, he wants a international gig and it could be after Scmidt or razor
28 Go to comments