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Recap: Super Rugby Aotearoa | Hurricanes vs Chiefs

By RugbyPass
(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Super Rugby Aotearoa clash between the Hurricanes and Chiefs at Sky Stadium in Wellington.

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Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).

In team news, Wes Goosen will bring up 50 games for the Hurricanes in what will also be the final home match for departing duo Kobus van Wyk and Ben May.

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Aaron Mauger speaks to media

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Aaron Mauger speaks to media

Goosen has been with the Wellington-based side since 2016, when he debuted against the Reds in Wellington.

Since then, the 24-year-old has gone onto score 22 tries for the side, two of which were during the 34 – 32 win against the Crusaders in Christchurch two weeks ago.

Dane Coles returns to the number 2 jersey having recovered from a minor back twinge, with the powerful Asafo Aumua on the bench. Tyrel Lomax also returns to action after he too sat the last game out with an injury.

Vince Aso starts at second-five, with Ngani Laumape forced to sit the rest of the competition out with a broken arm.

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Kobus Van Wyk gets the nod for a spot on the wing, following Ben Lam’s departure for France whilst Peter Umaga-Jensen gets his fourth start this year in the midfield after his superb performance against the Crusaders two weeks ago.

There’s plenty of depth on the bench, with halfback Jamie Booth set to provide impact along with Devan Flanders, Pouri Rakete-Stones and Billy Proctor to name a few. Kane Le’aupepe returns to the 23 for the first time in 2020 after a long break through injury.

As for the Chiefs, Ollie Norris set to start for the first time at loosehead, while Samisoni Taukei’aho earns the starting role shifting Bradley Slater to the reserves bench.

All Blacks prop Nepo Laulala will again start at tighthead, and locking duo of Naitoa Ah Kuoi and Mitchell Brown will complete the tight five.

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All Black Luke Jacobson returns after breaking his hand to start at No. 6, joining captain Sam Cane at seven and the powerful Pita Gus Sowakula at No. 8.

First five-eighth Kaleb Trask will steer the ship at ten in the only change to the starting backline.

The re-enforcements off the bench include Waikato prop Rob Cobb, who will be hoping to make his Super Rugby debut, alongside Taranaki back Kini Naholo who has been named in jersey No 23.

Other changes to the bench include lock Tupou Vaa’i and loose forward Mitchell Karpik joining the twenty-three.

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J
Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

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”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But 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.

44 Go to comments
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FEATURE Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby? Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?
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