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Five All Blacks return for Hurricanes’ derby with Blues
It doesn’t get much bigger than this for the Hurricanes. With the race for a spot in the top four set to come down to the wire, they simply need to win to beat the Blues in Auckland this weekend.
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Coach Jason Holland has made four changes to his starting side, including the inclusion of All Black Asafo Aumua at hooker.
Aumua returns from injury to start in the No. 2 shirt, and will pack down in the front row alongside Xavier Numia and Tyrel Lomax – with Lomax also returning from his mandatory All Blacks rest.
The rest of the forward pack is relatively familiar for the Hurricanes, except for a change at blindside. Caleb Delany has been promoted from the bench and will start at blindside flanker.
Captain Ardie Savea is also back for the Hurricanes this week after being rested for last weekend’s clash with the ladder-leading Chiefs in Hamilton.
As for the backline, rising stars Cam Roigard and Aidan Morgan will continue to develop their combination in the halves.
The pair will look to provide quality ball to a star-studded backline, which includes All Black Jordie Barrett at inside centre.
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Like Tyrel Lomax and Ardie Savea, Barrett is also set to return this week after being rested in round 13. Barrett will link up with the reliable Billy Proctor in the midfield.
Rampaging wingers Kini Naholo and Julian Savea take their spots in the run-on side, and Josh Moorby is the final piece of the Hurricanes’ starting puzzle – named to start at fullback for this “vital” clash.
“At this stage of the season, every game is vital, and this is definitely the case in Auckland this weekend,” coach Jason Holland said in a statement.
“Small margins are massive, and the team that makes the least mistakes and takes their opportunities is the team that wins these massive knockout games, so we are really focused on that.
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“We know what a massive challenge it is to go to Eden Park and come away with a win, especially with this Blues side who have All Blacks all over the field and are playing a good brand of rugby.
“It’s going to be a tough game but we’re training well and feeling confidence about where we are at.”
On the bench, the Hurricanes have named flyhalf Brett Cameron. Following a sensational debut for the Canes earlier this season, the one-Test All Black showed plenty of promise in a few appearances.
But then disaster struck. The playmaker sustained an injury, and has missed a majority of the campaign.
Including Aumua Lomax, Savea and Barrett, Cameron is the fifth All Black to return for the Hurricanes in round 14.
“It’s an awesome effort from the medical team and from BC (Brett Cameron) himself in getting him back. With the initial prognoses, we weren’t sure we would be getting him back at all this season,” Holland added.
“Everyone has worked hard to get him here, so it’s a pretty big success story as far as we’re concerned.
“He’s training well, and we’re looking forward to him getting back onto the park.”
The New Zealand derby between the Blues and Hurricanes at Eden Park is set to get underway at 7.05pm NZST on Saturday.
Hurricanes team to take on Blues
- Xavier Numia
- Asafo Aumua
- Tyrel Lomax
- James Blackwell
- Isaia Walker-Leawere
- Caleb Delany
- Du’Plessis Kirifi
- Ardie Savea (c)
- Cam Roigard
- Aidan Morgan
- Kini Naholo
- Jordie Barrett
- Billy Proctor
- Julian Savea
- Josh Moorby
Replacements:
- Hame Faiva
- Tevita Mafileo
- Owen Franks
- Justin Sangster
- Brayden Iose
- Jamie Booth
- Brett Cameron
- Salesi Rayasi
Unavailable for selection: Ruben Love, Tyler Laubscher, Reed Prinsep, TJ Perenara, Bailyn Sullivan, Dane Coles, Devan Flanders
Unavailable dur to New Zealand Under-20s: Siale Lauaki, Peter Lakai, Cooper Flanders, Jordi Viljoen, Hunter Morrison, Harry Godfrey
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
3 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
3 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
3 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments