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The path to the Hurricanes' second title does not go through Christchurch - Super Rugby 2019 Preview
Last year, for the fourth season in a row, the Hurricanes featured in a Super Rugby semi-final but for the second straight season that’s where they exited.
The Hurricanes’ second loss in Christchurch at the hands of the Crusaders signified the end of the Chris Boyd-era, the most successful in franchise history, but also well and truly put beyond doubt who the best side in New Zealand conference is.
Since featuring in the final in 2015 with a 14-2 record and then capturing a maiden title in 2016, the Hurricanes have quickly found a new adversary, one that has since overtaken them, playing second fiddle to the new Crusaders dynasty.
New head coach John Plumtree will look to change the balance of power by winning back the conference, after a 10-game winning streak last year the Hurricanes fell off down the stretch, conceding home-ground advantage by losing four of their last five.
If they are to capture a second title, home-field advantage in the playoffs is a must. In both seasons they reached the final under Boyd, they were the New Zealand conference winner.
The Crusaders have only lost three times in the last two years and two of those losses have been to the Hurricanes at the Caketin.
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How Plumtree uses his All Blacks, who have missed the whole pre-season, will be critical to planning the season. However, it is a question facing all the coaches of New Zealand franchises, a curveball that adds another challenge to overcome in the 2019 Super Rugby season.
Having been an assistant for the last four years under Boyd, Plumtree will be very familiar with the systems in place at the Hurricanes. Perhaps more important than this stability will be the need for the Hurricanes to continue to find ways to evolve to keep pace with the Crusaders.
The addition of assistant Carlos Spencer, one of the most creative attacking players of all time, may have just the ideas to do so.
The Hurricanes will be bolstered by the re-signing of captain Dane Coles and will be hoping the injury struggles of the last two years are behind him. The 32-year-old missed all of last year with an ACL injury, but returned for the All Blacks end-of-year tour to play international rugby.
The halves pair of All Blacks TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett combines two great rugby players who have positional flaws, it must be said. Perenara is a smart, dynamic running halfback who has an inaccurate pass at times, whilst Barrett is an explosive, instinctual playmaker with his own accuracy issues as a passer.
The two leaders have been the backbone of the Hurricanes success for the best part of a decade, but as their athletic abilities lose a step with age, so will their impact as playmakers.
Their games need to continue to mature to find the level of control the Crusaders pair of Richie Mo’unga and Bryn Hall already have. In tight fixtures against the superpowers of the competition, this is critical. No more was this apparent than the away trip to Christchurch in the wet, where the execution and decision-making wasn’t where it needed to be.
The emergence of Ben Lam as a record-setting try-scorer in 2018 meant that the Hurricanes were able to say goodbye to prolific All Black wing Julian Savea. ‘The Bus’ notched his 50th Super Rugby try, becoming the ninth player to do so in Super Rugby before seeking an early release to join Toulon.
Savea’s absence this year opens up the chance for Wellington-product Salesi Rayesi to make a case for the right wing, which will also be contested by Wes Goosen, Jonah Lowe, and Nehe Milner-Skudder, also in his last season before moving to Toulon.
Savea’s younger brother Ardie shapes as a key leader in the forward pack, now entering into his sixth year with Hurricanes with 73 Super caps. His end of year tour playing as a No. 8 and openside with the All Blacks showed just how valuable he can be, as the 25-year-old has reached a new level physically.
With long-time blindside flanker Brad Shields moving to Wasps, Savea is now one of the more experienced forwards and will need to lead the way in 2019.
Jordie Barrett moves into his third Super Rugby season and will be looking to re-find his supernatural combination with brother Beauden that took the competition by storm in his debut season in 2017.
The Barrett brothers control the backfield like no others, and their ability to read each other is irreplaceable. The Hurricanes 2017 attack might have been the best not to win a Super Rugby title, with the cross-field kicks coming in vogue as tries rained down from the air. After somewhat of a sophomore slump last year, the 21-year-old Barrett will be looking to continue his trajectory as one of the game’s premier young talents.
The Wellington front-row pair of Alex Fidow and Asafo Aumua have been promising prospects for a long time, and 2019 may just be the year they hit their straps in Super Rugby and earn regular game time. Gisborne-raised lock Isaia Walker-Leaware is another young forward with tremendous skill that is part of the next Hurricanes generation looking to break through this year.
There is no shortage of explosive athletes across the park with the likes of Ngani Laumape, Vince Aso, Vaea Fifita all proving big playmaking ability, making the Hurricanes a formidable opponent for anyone.
We know the Hurricanes will put together a competitive team of the highest calibre in Super Rugby, but with the Blues shaping as an improved force in the New Zealand conference, there will be little room for slip-ups if they hold championship aspirations.
To secure home-field advantage, losing games away to the likes of the Bulls and the Brumbies has to be avoided, and losing at home to any New Zealand side is a major setback with road wins so hard to earn in the conference.
The path to a second title does not go through Christchurch, so if the Hurricanes can force the Crusaders to come north in the playoffs, it’s on the table for the taking.
In other news:
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Comments on RugbyPass
RugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
8 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
17 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
61 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
17 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
61 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
6 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
8 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
221 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
8 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
8 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
8 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to comments