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How will the Hurricanes bounce back from the worst off-season in history?
The Hurricanes finished their 2019 season with another semi-final defeat to the Crusaders, their second straight season-ender in Christchurch.
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It would be Beauden Barrett’s last game for the franchise after an eight-year career in the nation’s capital. His shock announcement that he would join the Blues soon followed.
His departure will leave an irreplaceable chasm at the Hurricanes, who will not be able to replace his otherworldly instincts and attacking production. As he grew in stature at the franchise he also became a de-facto attack coach, running the show with newly-promoted coach Jason Holland.
Possessed with a golden knack for scoring a try out of nothing he also produced them – only Quade Cooper matched Barrett’s try assists totals during the 2010s decade. Every back at the Hurricanes will suffer from Barrett’s absence.
If that blow wasn’t enough, their best player from last year and the heartbeat of their forward pack, Ardie Savea, will be out for most of the season following knee surgery.
Savea’s form in 2019 reached new heights as he lifted the Hurricanes with world-class performances week in, week out. His impact was monumental on both sides of the ball and, much like Barrett, he is simply irreplaceable. Du’Plessis Kirifi almost matched Savea’s defensive impact last year, but no one has the kind of leg drive that sees Savea power through contact.
The final spanner of the off-season was the late departure of head coach John Plumtree to join Ian Foster’s All Blacks staff.
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Whilst the public was let in late on the news, the Hurricanes would have had a little more time to prepare but still not enough to look outside the headquarters to the open market.
The perfect storm swirling has understandably lowered expectations for the Hurricanes heading into 2020.
This season will force the franchise to adapt like no other. If they are to find their way back to a Super Rugby semi-final, change is a necessity but it has already been forced, potentially allowing Holland some freedom to explore new ideas.
For all of Plumtree’s expertise upfront in the engine room, there were areas of the game plan that began to slip under his guidance.
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Seemingly without any trust that halfback TJ Perenara can deliver an accurate box kick consistently, the side moved further away from Barrett’s defensive bombs that began under Chris Boyd and began driving kicks long down the middle as an exit plan.
This absolutely cost the side dearly in the semi-final against the Crusaders, with Barrett’s ill-advised kicking gifting the opposition a mountain of possession in the first half, which put his side in a deep hole after conceding multiple tries.
Contestable kicking has become a key metric that many elite sides understand is fundamental to winning games of rugby in the modern era. The Hurricanes didn’t seem to understand this in last year’s semi-final.
In contrast, the Crusaders have had one of the highest averages for contested kicks in Super Rugby over the last few years. They became three-peat champions and ended the Hurricanes’ chances of securing multiple titles at the same time.
The World Cup-winning Springboks side also did not let Handre Pollard drive the ball deep and uncontested down the middle in years past like Morne Steyn, instead handling nearly all kicking duties to Faf de Klerk. It worked as the formula suggested.
If the Hurricanes let Jackson Garden-Bachop or Fletcher Smith consistently hammer the ball long and uncontested they are headed for trouble.
Recruitment at the Hurricanes has been spotty, to say the least, despite being gifted with one of the biggest playing pools in the country.
The graduation rate has been lower than desired, as they continue to lose top-rated prospects to other regions. They have held onto Devan Flanders, Danny Toala and Peter Umaga-Jensen in the backs and Xavier Numia, Alex Fidow and Asafo Aumua up front, but have seen some brilliant young players find greener pastures.
In two of the most crucial positions, the Hurricanes have failed to invest in their best emerging local talents at halfback and first-five, instead going for conservative stopgaps.
Halfback Folau Fakatava, out of Hastings Boys’ High School in Hawke’s Bay, was snapped up by the Highlanders last year at just 19-years-old to become the heir to Aaron Smith and a dynamic impact player off the bench.
With Jamie Booth, a player they cut last season and then re-signed as a late replacement from the Sunwolves, and ex-Chiefs halfback Jonathan Taumateine backing up TJ Perenara, there is no long-term plan in place at the position that local prospect Fakatava would have been a worthy investment for.
Again in the five-eighth stocks, instead of finding a roster spot for Hawke’s Bay and Hurricanes junior rep Lincoln McClutchie- who was also Fakatava’s schoolboy teammate – the franchise has re-signed 31-year-old James Marshall. McClutchie has since taken up a contract in Japan.
This year, the Wellington academy signed the New Zealand Schools pivot Aidan Morgan out of Auckland in a smart move that should be applauded, but he will not be ready for Super Rugby for a few seasons yet.
Young Wellington lock Naitoa Ah Koui was signed by the Chiefs while the Hurricanes brought in journeyman lock Scott Scrafton from the Blues.
However, the signing that raised the most eyebrows was South African and ex-Sharks winger Kobus Van Wyk.
It is a head-scratcher when all the New Zealand Super Rugby teams are meant to produce All Blacks under this centrally contracted system. Why you would sign a South African winger when there is no shortage of outside backs in New Zealand, or even at the Hurricanes for that matter?
The signing of former franchise legend Cory Jane as an assistant coach, just three years removed from his playing career, smells like cronyism and is another question mark.
Ex-players don’t exactly have a great record of becoming great coaches. One that has, Scott Robertson, spent 12 years honing his style, starting at the bottom at grassroots club rugby starting way back in 2004 and under-age rugby before that.
He spent five years as an assistant for Canterbury from 2008 before being elevated to head coach in 2013, where he stayed for four years to earn a gig as Super Rugby head coach.
Robertson’s three consecutive Super Rugby titles were about 15 years in the making.
Compare that to his ex-Crusaders teammates Aaron Mauger (pro coach three years removed from playing career), Mark Hammett (three years removed), Todd Blackadder (four years removed) and Leon MacDonald (one year removed), who were all thrust into professional coaching earlier than Robertson and none have won any professional titles as head coaches.
There’s a lesson to be learnt there for any ex-player who wants to be a success as a professional coach – take the time to get there on merit, not playing credentials.
For all the operational flaws and bad luck this off-season, the Hurricanes do have areas of relative strength that makes them a dangerous proposition in the New Zealand conference.
You would have to assume TJ Perenara will continue to dictate most of the phase play and the Hurricanes will continue to play a truckload of rugby off No. 9, while Perenara will become even more of a playmaker at set-piece time without Barrett.
The outside backs are truly stacked with powerful and explosive players, headlined by Ngani Laumape and Ben Lam, who have been try-scoring machines over the last few seasons.
Midfielders Danny Toala and Peter Umaga-Jensen are gifted young players that can open up any opposition. Give them space and they will make you pay.
Those who doubt Jordie Barrett do not understand he is still in the development stage of his career and is one of the best prospects in world rugby. He will only turn 23 this year.
In his debut season in 2017 as a 20-year-old, he finished second in Super Rugby in try assists only behind brother Beauden. With the older Barrett gone and no playmaking No. 10, Jordie could assume a larger role in the Hurricanes’ attack out wide as a pivotal ball-playing fullback to complement Perenara.
This young Hurricanes side has the makings of a champion side at some point this decade but is missing a few pieces and a few more years of development to make that happen.
One thing that has been proven time and time again is that Super Rugby champions generally have a generational playmaking first-five, so getting one should be a top priority. The Hurricanes don’t have one anymore, so until they do they will remain a tough side to beat but it is hard to see more titles coming.
It’s why they should have rolled the dice on McClutchie and Fakatava to see if they could make good on their potential and build on their schoolboy 9-10 combination. It’s way too early to predict how Aidan Morgan would go but he can’t get there soon enough to find out from the Hurricanes’ point of view.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
16 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
16 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
10 Go to comments