Where does this Hurricanes side rank among the franchise's all-time teams
The 2024 Hurricanes won’t become the first team in Super Rugby history to put forth an undefeated season, but they may just become the best Hurricanes team in franchise history.
There are three other vintages of the Canes that are in the conversation as best ever, the 2006, 2015 and 2016 teams.
The 2016 championship team had eight All Blacks starting in the run-on XV including Beauden Barrett and Ardie Savea, and two further internationals in Brad Shields (England) and Willis Halaholo (Wales).
They had future Irish international Jamison Gibson-Park on the bench, along with another All Black in Julian Savea.
After going 11-4 in the regular season to secure the number one seed, they ran through Sharks, Chiefs and Lions to claim the title.
However, there were three other New Zealand teams who also finished with an 11-4 record that season, the Highlanders, Crusaders, and Chiefs.
By a whisker the Hurricanes claimed the top spot on bonus points. Due to the deluded conference system, the other teams had to go on the road for the playoffs and the Hurricanes had a distinct advantage which proved vital.
The Hurricanes vintage of 2015 was arguably a better side. They went 14-2 in the regular season and were undisputedly the best side in the competition.
They had the all-time midfield combination of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith, while Nehe Milner-Skudder was on one wing in the form of his life and Julian Savea was still the starter on the left.
Nonu and Smith departed New Zealand after 2015 while in 2016 Milner-Skudder was injured down the stretch and Savea had dropped out of the starting team.
Of course, the 2015 side fell to the Highlanders at the final hurdle and didn’t get the job done, but finished with a 16-3 overall record compared to 14-4 held by the 2016 team.
The 2006 team coached by Colin Cooper is only other Hurricanes side to make the final.
They finished with a 10-3 record, enough for second place on the ladder behind the 11-1-1 Crusaders. The two teams would met in the ‘fog final’, one of Super Rugby’s biggest atrocities.
We were hardly able to see the action as the Crusaders secured the title by 19-12.
The Hurricanes backline was stacked with All Blacks, Isaia Toeava at fullback, Tana Umaga and Ma’a Nonu in the midfield, Piri Weepu at halfback. A young Tamati Ellison sat on the bench. Samoan international winger Lome Fa’atau bagged 10 tries to led the competition that year.
The late Jerry Collins and Rodney So’oialo led the backrow. They were the best ever Hurricanes side until 2015.
The 2024 Hurricanes currently are 9-1 and sit in pole position as we enter the final stretch of the season. They are one competition point ahead of the Blues and this week’s clash will prove decisive for the final standings.
This vintage of the Hurricanes doesn’t have as many established All Blacks as the great sides of the past, but that is expected to change over the coming years.
It’s no surprise that this Hurricanes side are proving to be strong after Wellington captured the NPC title in 2022 with many of these players.
The team that beat Canterbury in the final had TJ Perenara, Riley Higgins, Billy Proctor, Julian Savea and Ruben Love in the backline. Richard Judd and Aidan Morgan were on the bench.
Up front they had Peter Lakai, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Caleb Delany, Asafo Aumua and Xavier Numia wth James O’Reilly in the reserves.
The Hurricanes have the Wellington 2022 championship core scattered with many from both NPC finalists in 2023, Taranaki and Hawkes Bay.
The depth of the 2024 side is real weapon with the Hurricanes able to change up the entire team and still blow teams off the pitch, like the Melbourne Rebels game in round four.
They are one of the most prolific attacking sides in the competition ranking either first or second in points scored (35.8 pg), tries scored (5.1 pg), line breaks (8.1 pg), defenders beaten and offloads.
If they were to finish the season on top of the ladder with just one or two losses and go on to claim the title they would be in the debate with the 2016 team as the best ever team in club history.
If they were to stumble over the last month and lose the number one seed, but still go on to win the title, they would fall short of the 2016 side but enter Hurricanes folklore.
They could completely surpass the 2016 side if they were able to win back-to-back titles this year and next, which the club has never done. That’s obviously way too far ahead for now.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Average AB captain by recent standards. Speaks to the wider issue
7 Go to commentsWholesome lad, but no longer test level. At all
7 Go to commentsThis game was always going to be close, Canada have such a dominant pack and the Black Ferns have come unstuck in that area against teams like France and England in the past.
2 Go to commentsA distinct discomfort with the officiating they were probably selected from the local IRA narcos branch along with the commentators bloody fly tippers.
1 Go to commentsWow, never thought I would read that
2 Go to commentsExcellent match. Great to see Keenan and Ryan back for Leinster. Super result for Ulster. Season is turning around.
1 Go to comments“We need eight or nine new players, who are hard-wearing and durable and experienced Premiership performers”. So why are they scouting a retired fullback who himself admits that his “body is broken”?
1 Go to commentsBrumbies hand, knocked a Crusaders hand. Therefore, knock on in goal. Crusaders, goal line drop out should’ve been awarded. most likely after that 24 each at full time, so extra time would’ve been the right an entertaining outcome. Act Jim
1 Go to commentsSpeell cehck
1 Go to commentsColeman is gaawwwwnnn.
1 Go to commentsnext SA head coach?
3 Go to commentsGreat try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
8 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
8 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to comments