Hurricanes vs Brumbies takes: Wild Love concerning, Dearns signing of the year

It was definitely an out of character performance from Love. His defining characteristic this year has been not trying to do too much - being patient and weighing up his options until the right moment presents itself, but in between times kicking and leading the team around the field very well too. Maybe the carnival atmosphere got to him and he went into Exhibition 7s mode. Hopefully something he can look at and just never do again.

No offence to the Canes locks of 2017 - 2025, but it’s no surprise that the team hasn’t looked like contenders since Fatialofa and Fifita were packing down in the second row. They have had some decent operators there who are certainly at SR level, but no one until now who is at test standard since those days. If he played for NZ they would have tried to make him a 6 by now and he would be a worse player so just as well he’s been in Japan.

Despite the big scoreline the Hurricanes did not look that great. They benefitted massively from The Brumbies delivering an unforced error whenever they had the opportunity to put some pressure on. They will be on the wrong end of the scoreline if they replicate that performance agains the Crusaders.

Dearns is proving he is not just getting a spot with Japan because there is no one else. He’s world class.

The question is, why did the Brumbies keep kicking the ball aimlessly to the Hurricanes in the first half. Over and over and over. The Hurricanes must have been killing themselves with laughter. Next to the Drua, the Hurricanes would be the last team you would encourage to run the ball back at you in open space.

I also felt the same about the repeated reverse-flip passes and the like that Love was doing towards the end of the game - none of them really paid off. However, the game was so far gone that it was pretty inconsequential. I think Love was reacting to some criticism last week that he needed to be more like Damien McKenzie and push the game more with risky play. For me, what he should really be focussing on is eliminating any error in his game so he is seen as a player that never makes mistakes.

Love is still finding his own identity as a 10, but I think he is the long term option for the ABs, and should be given opportunities this year to start at 10.

The Hurricanes run up to the playoffs…

Crusaders(H)…home advantage with a 6 day turn around it'll be close but should win…

Moana Pacifica(A)…they'll be tough with nothing to lose, “Canes need to be solid…

Blues(A)…Zarn and Ruben rematch??…Blues tough to beat at home, I'll be there…

Highlanders(H)…home advantage and the team with the least injuries wins it well…

Gearing up to book a flight from Auckland to Wellington for the SRPacific final…or not…Go the “Canes…you have the 110% plus support from a JAFFA fan…

Love did get a bit loose in the second half, but you can afford to chance your arm a bit when you are that far ahead. I'm sure if the game was tighter he wouldn't have done that. Agree that Dearns is the best signing years for the Canes. Hope we can get him back in a couple of years.

Another poorly judged comment about Love by a rugby "journalist" that leaves out crucial facts. Smith alludes to it, but all three decisions occurred in the last twenty minutes with the Hurricanes between 20 and 30 points ahead. A massive lead created primarily by Ruben Love. And two of those decisions were not mistakes by Love.

Of Love's three decisions, the backflip pass to Barrett was dropped by Barrett, not Love, like the backflip to Roigard dropped by Roigard. Those sort of passes are routine in the game, and Barrett should have taken it, as Roigard should have. I know Jordie Barrett, like Roigard, is one of the Chosen Ones, but blaming a newbie for a mistake by a Chosen One is pretty shabby.

Smith admits the crossfield pass was under penalty advantage. Love could have made more of it, but oh well. Coming up with some low percentage play in these moments is common. Primarily because the teams with advantage would prefer the penalty back at the mark. Which is what they got. To say it was "saved by advantage" when it was created by advantage is again pretty shabby.

Love’s handling of Corey Toole was silly, but again it was late in the game with it well won, and that margin because Love was easily the best back on the field. Astoundingly creative with a full range of options, he turned the Hurricanes forward dominance into a massacre of the Brumbies. How would someone as tactically constipated as Beauden Barrett have done in the same situation? Well, the Hurricanes wouldn't have lost...

The Hurricanes have easily the best backline in SRP precisely because of Ruben Love. Last year, when Laidlaw shunted him back to fullback after he had dragged the Hurricanes into the playoffs when he was put into 10 when the journeyman Brett Cameron got injured, the Hurricanes lost to the Brumbies in Canberra in that playoff. Hopefully for the Hurricanes Laidlaw won't make such a dismal decision again. Like he did with Roigard against the Chiefs.

Despite all the conjecture about which players should make the ABs only one opinion matters and that belongs to the AB selectors.. Suffice to say that the pool of available and deserving players seems to be increasing and the selectors have a happy headache in determining the best. Good luck and best wishes to them !!!

Too hard on Ruben. Yes the behind the back pass in front of his posts looked reckless, but he would have known they were playing under penalty advantage.

He did a lot of important things well. Some great touchfinders, real threat with ball in hand, and his passing is fast, long and accurate. Goal-kicking good too, and getting better.

Love’s looseness shocked me. He showed very little in the way a game should be controlled, that is not a good sign for All Black no.10 aspirations. So the hunt for our general is still up in the air.

Maybe Mr Smith should stick to Wallaby selection speculation and leave the Love critique to the New Zealand selectors

How on earth did Japan score Dearns? He’s Retallick reborn.

The Canes play a risky brand of rugby, why are we being so tough on Love for simply chancing his arm like he’s allowed to do? Club rugby is nothing like test footy, he’ll play more conservatively if a coach tells him to.

We’re very harsh on Love as soon as he makes even a small mistake… are we just as tough on Beauden Barrett? I see him make mistakes quite regularly…

I wonder whether Warner Deans simply isn’t the best lock in the world right now.

He plays for Japan at international level, so he’s much less visible than other players, especially since he loses a lot of matches with his national team. But you can see his exceptional level since joining the Hurricanes.

And to think he’s New Zealander… maybe he’ll want to switch national teams in 2031—he’s still young.

As for Fineanganofo, I’ll play devil’s advocate. NZR isn’t going to tear up his contract with Newcastle. There’s no point.

He’s a winger… and there are plenty of high-quality wingers. Wingers come and go at international level, and their careers there are often short. Caleb Clarke, Caleb Tangitau, Leroy Carter, Cody Vai, Taumoefolau… not really necessary in my opinion.

Besides, you shouldn’t automatically translate club performances to the international stage. Having rhythm, footwork, and speed is great, but it’s not enough.

You also need to be very strong in the air, be able to kick, defend…

It’s still a loss, but so be it—other players will step up.

Let’s remember the loss of one of the greatest generational talents on the wing… Charles Piutau. What a fantastic player he was. And yet, it didn’t stop the All Blacks from thriving without him…

Agree with both assertions that a) the Canes, not the Chiefs, are the benchmark now, and b) Love’s sloppiness could kill his AB career if unchecked

.. BUT since both both BB and DM haven’t claimed the #10 slot as their own despite many years of chances, Rennie might be able to polish the rough edges off. surely there’s no doubting the potential there.