Life with Beauden starts for fresh-look Hurricanes squad
Highly rated prop Tyrel Lomax and lock Scott Scrafton are two big additions to the Hurricanes squad for the 2020 Investec Super Rugby season.
One test All Black Lomax has moved to the club on a four-year deal as he looks to become the cornerstone of the Hurricanes scrum while Scrafton will add to his two-metre frame to the tight five.
“We think Tyrel and Scott are going to be great assets for us and really compliment a forward pack that will work really hard to achieve what we want,” Hurricanes head coach John Plumtree said.
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The 2020 squad also includes 27-year-old South African Kobus van Wyk, who can play in the midfield or on the wing, and has plenty of Super Rugby experience having previously played for the Stormers and Sharks.
“He’s a big, strong player who will add plenty to our squad on attack and defence and we’re confident he will fit in really well with the group we have selected,” Plumtree added.
“I think we have assembled one of the most exciting and dynamic backlines in the competition and one our fans will be looking forward to see in action.”
As well as van Wyk, Plumtree has added a further seven new players to the Hurricanes squad.
Hawke’s Bay prop Pouri Rakete-Stones has been included and replaces Toby Smith along with young loose forward Devan Flanders who is joined by provincial team-mate Danny Toala who has already represented the Hurricanes after making his debut against the Blues in 2019.
Counties Manukau halfback Jonathan Taumateine comes to the Hurricanes via the Chiefs and is joined by Jamie Booth who spent the 2019 Super Rugby season with the Sunwolves after previously representing the club.
The Hurricanes did not sign a high-profile first five to replace All Blacks‘ star Beauden Barrett who signed with the Blues. James Marshall, who returned to the club last year but was sidelined for most of the season, joins Jackson Garden-Bachop and Fletcher Smith.
The midfield presents one of the strongest areas for the Hurricanes with the presence of Ngani Laumape and young talents in Peter Umaga-Jensen, Danny Toala and Billy Proctor. Proctor fills the shoes of his older brother in the squad who departed for the Northampton Saints this year. Utility Jordie Barrett has also spent considerable time in midfield when required for the club.
Plumtree was thrilled with the depth of the squad as he looked to improve on the semi-final appearance the previous season.
There is plenty of experience to call on with Dane Coles, Ben May, Ricky Riccitelli, Vaea Fifita, Ardie Savea, James Marshall, Ngani Laumape and Vince Aso former Super Rugby champions with the Hurricanes.
“We have got a large number of players who have performed really well for us in recent seasons and a number of them have been in excellent form for the All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup,” he said.
“All the players we have brought in will add an extra dimension to the squad next season and it’s going to be great to get everyone together when we get back to work.”
2020 Hurricanes squad is:
Backs (17):
Outside backs: Jordie Barrett (Taranaki), Ben Lam (Wellington), Jonah Lowe (Hawke’s Bay), Kobus van Wyk*, Vince Aso (Wellington), Wes Goosen (Wellington), Chase Tiatia (Bay of Plenty)
Midfield backs: Ngani Laumape (Manawatu), Billy Proctor (Wellington), Danny Toala (Hawke’s Bay)*, Peter Umaga-Jensen (Wellington).
First fives: Jackson Garden-Bachop (Wellington), Fletcher Smith (Waikato), James Marshall.
Halfbacks: TJ Perenara (Wellington), Jonathan Taumateine (Counties Manukau), Jamie Booth (Manawatu).
Forwards (21)
Loose forwards: Gareth Evans (Hawke’s Bay), Vaea Fifita (Wellington), Du’Plessis Kirifi (Wellington), Reed Prinsep (Canterbury), Ardie Savea (Wellington), Devan Flanders (Hawke’s Bay)*, Murphy Taramai (North Harbour)*.
Locks: James Blackwell (Wellington), Liam Mitchell (Manawatu), Isaia Walker-Leawere (Wellington), Scott Scrafton (Auckland)*, Kane Leaupepe (Bay of Plenty).
Props: Fraser Armstrong (Manawatu), Alex Fidow (Wellington), Ben May (Hawke’s Bay), Xavier Numia (Wellington), Pouri Rakete-Stones (Hawke’s Bay)*, Tyrel Lomax (Tasman)*.
Hookers: Asafo Aumua (Wellington), Dane Coles (Wellington), Ricky Riccitelli (Taranaki).
New Hurricanes’ signings
Pouri Rakete-Stones
Age: 22
Province: Hawke’s Bay
A player who is adept to cover loosehead and tighthead prop, Rakete-Stones has been in excellent form for Hawke’s Bay in the Mitre 10 Cup. The former world champion New Zealand Under-20 representative, Rakete-Stones made his provincial debut in 2018, starting eight of Hawke’s Bay matches. A strong scrummager, he has also shown to be a strong ball carrier.
Tyrel Lomax
Age: 23
Province: Tasman
Rising young All Blacks prop Tyrel Lomax signed a four-year deal with the Hurricanes through until at least 2023. Lomax, who has strong ties to Wellington with extended family living in Wainuiomata, will join the Hurricanes ahead of the 2020 Investec Super Rugby competition. After making his Super Rugby debut for the Melbourne Rebels in 2017, the 23-year-old joined Tasman in the 2017 Mitre 10 Cup and quickly established himself as first-choice tighthead which earned selection in the Highlanders Super Rugby squad in 2018. He was selected in the All Blacks in November, 2018 where he made his debut against Japan after a number of strong performances in Super Rugby.
Scott Scrafton
Age: 26
Province: Auckland
A former New Zealand Schools and Under-20 representative, Scrafton made his provincial debut for Auckland in 2014 before being named in the Blues for the 2016 season when he made his debut against the Waratahs. The 2-metre second-rower impressed with his development over the next two seasons and looked on track to become a regular fixture in 2018 before a serious knee injury left him sidelined for close to 12 months. He returned to the starting line-up in May for the Blues and impressed with his performances. His good form continued with Auckland in the 2019 Mitre 10 Cup when he helped the side into the semi-finals.
Devan Flanders
Age: 20
Province: Hawke’s Bay
Flanders was a member of the Hastings Boys’ High School first XV which won the national title in 2017. He went on to be awarded the Jerry Collins Bronze Boot for his performances for the New Zealand Schools team the same year. The loose forward was also a member of the New Zealand Under 20 in 2018 and made his provincial debut for Hawke’s Bay.
Jonathan Taumateine
Age: 23
Province: Counties Manukau
Taumateine has taken the opportunity to move south after previously representing the Chiefs. The former Samoa and New Zealand Under-20 representative has impressed in recent seasons with Counties Manukau. His strong passing game is complimented by his ability with ball in hand.
Danny Toala
Age: 20
Province: Hawke’s Bay
Toala made his Hurricanes debut against the Blues in 2019 after earlier in the season being named in the reserves against the Stormers without making it on to the field. Toala has impressed with the Hurricanes Hunters, scoring a hat trick of tries against the Blues Development side.
Kobus van Wyk
Age: 27
A powerful utility back who can cover the midfield as well as the wing, van Wyk will head to Wellington after featuring for the Sharks for the last three Super Rugby seasons. The former South Africa Under 20 representative has also played for the Stormers while he had a short stint in the French Top 14 competition with Bordeaux.
Murphy Taramai
Age: 27
Province: North Harbour
North Harbour loose forward Murphy Taramai will be returning home to Wellington after he signed with the Hurricanes for the 2020 Investec Super Rugby season. The 27-year-old grew up in the capital and attended Upper Hutt College where his sporting prowess was widely recognised. He shifted across the Tasman to take up a contract with the Penrith Panthers but returned to New Zealand where he played for Wellington before shifting to play for North Harbour.
Comments on RugbyPass
This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?
34 Go to commentsWow, didn’t realise there was such apathy to URC in SA, or by Champions Cup teams. Just read Nick’s article on Crusaders, are Sharks a similar circumstance? I think SA rugby has been far more balanced than NZs, no?
2 Go to commentsBut here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.
15 Go to commentsIt could be coincidental or prescient that the All Blacks most dominant period under Steve Hansen was when the Crusaders had their least successful period under Todd Blackadder and then the positions reversed when Razor took over the Crusaders.
15 Go to commentsDefinitely sound read everybodyexpects immediate results these days, I don't think any team would travel well at all having lost three of the most important game changers in the game,compiled with the massive injury list they are now carrying, good to see a different more in depth perspective of a coaches history.
3 Go to commentsSinckler is a really big loss for English rugby.
1 Go to commentsThanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause
15 Go to commentsNo way. If you are trying to picture New Zealand rugby with an All Blacks mindset, there have been two factors instrumental to the decline of NZ rugby to date. Those are the horror that the Blues have become and, probably more so, the fixture that the Crusaders became. I don’t think it was healthy to have one team so dominant for so long, both for lack of proper representation of players from outside that environment and on the over reliance on players from within it. If you are another international side, like Ireland for example, sure. You can copy paste something succinct from one level to the next and experience a huge increase in standards, but ultimately you will not be maximizing it, which is what you need to perform to the level the ABs do. Added to that is the apathy that develops in the whole game as a result of one sides dominance. NZ, Super, and Championship rugby should all experience a boom as a result of things balancing out. That said, there is a lot of bad news happening in NZ rugby recently, and I’m not sure the game can be handled well enough here to postpone the always-there feeling of inevitable decline of rugby.
15 Go to commentsNo SA supporter miss Super Rugby - a product that is experiencing significant head wind in ANZ - the competition from rival codes are intense, match attendance figures are at a historical low and the negativity of commentators such as Kirwan and Wilson have accelerated the downward spiral in NZ. After the next RWC in 2027 sponsors will follow Qantas and start leaving in droves.
2 Go to commentsLike others, I am not seeing the connection between this edition of the Crusaders and the All Blacks future prospects under Razor. I think the analysis of the Crusaders attack recently is helpful because Razor and his coaching team used to be able to slot new guys in to their systems and see them succeed. Several of Razor’s coaches are still there so it would be surprising if the current attack and set piece has been overhauled to a great extent - but based on that analysis, it may have been. Whether it is too many new guys due to injuries or retirement or a failure of current Crusaders systems is the main question to be answered imo. It doesn’t seem relevant for the ABs.
15 Go to commentsharry potter is set in stone. he creates stability and finishes well. exactly what schmidt likes. he’s the ben smith of australian rugby. i think it could quite easily be potter toole and kellaway for the foreseeable future.
5 Go to commentsThis is short sighted from Clayton if you ask me, smacks of too much preseason planning and no adaptability. What if DMac is out for a must win match, are they still only going to bring their best first five and playmaker on late in the game? Trusting the game to someone who wasn’t even part of planning (they would have had Trask pinned in as Jacomb preseason). Perhaps if the Crusaders were better they would not have done this, but either way imo you take this opportunity to play a guy you might need starting in a final rather than having their 12th game getting comfortable coming off the bench.
1 Go to commentsThanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.
21 Go to commentsWhat a load of bollocks. The author has forgotten to mention the fact that the Crusaders have a huge injury toll with top world class players out. Not to mention the fact that they are obviously in a transition period. No this will not spark a slow death for NZ rugby, but it does mean there will be a new Super Rugby champion. Anyone who knows anything about NZ rugby knows that there is some serious talent here, it just isn’t all at the Crusaders.
15 Go to commentsI wouldn’t spend the time on Nawaqanitawase! No point in having him filling in a jersey when he’s committed to leave Union. Give the jersey to a young prospect who will be here in the future.
5 Go to commentsIt was a pleasure to watch those guys playing with such confidence. That trio can all be infuriating for different reasons and I can see why Jones might have decided against them. No way to justify leaving Ikitau out though. Jorgensen and him were both scheduled to return at the same time. Only one of them plays for Randwick and has a dad who is great mates with the national coach though.
53 Go to commentsBrayden Iose and Peter Lakai are very exciting Super Rugby players but are too short and too light to ever be a Test 8 vs South Africa, France, Ireland, and England, Lakai could potentially be a Test player at 7 if he is allowed to focus on 7 for Hurricanes.
7 Go to commentsPencils “Thomas du Toit” into possible 2027 Bok squad.
1 Go to commentsDon’t see why Harrison makes the bench. Jones can play at 10 if needed, and there is a good case for starting her there to begin with if testing combinations. That would leave room for Sing on the bench
1 Go to commentsWhat a load of old bull!
1 Go to comments