The two Kiwi teams ‘under the pump’ to stay alive in Super Rugby

The Blues and Hurricanes stand on the brink of disaster just one month into the Super Rugby Pacific season, with well-known commentator Ken Laban warning both teams will need “a miracle run” to make the playoffs if their form doesn’t improve.

When the round-robin finished last season, the Hurricanes sat above the rest in first place on the standings, with the Blues one point back in second. The Blues went on to win a drought-breaking title at Eden Park, having beaten the Chiefs in a one-sided Grand Final.

With Beauden Barrett returning to the Blues and a fully fit Cam Roigard headlining an exciting Hurricanes squad, both teams were tipped to push on in 2025 as title contenders once again. With that in mind, the last month of rugby has been anything but predictable.

After four rounds, the Canes occupy last place while the Blues aren’t much better off as one of the other three sides with a 1-3 record. With both sides facing New Zealand rivals in round five, this seems like a crucial clash in a bid to save their seasons

“It’s only a short season,” Laban said on Sport Nation’s Beaver and Guy. “Super Rugby, basically you take out the pre-season, it’s a sprint, not a marathon.

“If you lose three of your first four games, well if you lose five games, you’re just about done aren’t you? You need a miracle run to go six or seven unbeaten at the end, I don’t think anyone’s done that in recent times.

“The Hurricanes and the Blues, they’re both under the pump unless they start winning consistently this week.”

On Friday night, Barrett delivered a first-half masterclass at Eden Park as the hosts took control of their match against the ACT Brumbies. But it was a game of two halves, with Barrett leaving the match at half-time with a hand injury, and the Brums clawed their way back.

Ryan Lonergan was the hero for the visitors, with the scrum-half slotting a 79th-minute penalty to deliver the Brumbies’ first win at the Auckland venue in 12 years. That’s the latest loss for the Blues who have also been bested by the Chiefs and Highlanders this season.

Then there’s the Hurricanes who suffered a shock 40-31 loss to Moana Pasifika, who didn’t have star All Black Ardie Savea on the field in the second half. That was Moana’s first win of the season too, and they certainly captured that result in style.

“If we were having this conversation a month ago when we’re talking about who was going to be in the top four, the Blues and Hurricanes are in every conversation,” Laban explained.

“Here we are a month into the comp and at the moment, if you were to talk to the coaches, they’d be just happy to win next week, wouldn’t they, let alone worry about where they’ll finish at the end of the regular season.

“I think that’s great. Last year, some of us mocked the fact you could lose more games than you win and still make the post-season; now we’re getting to a situation where anybody can beat anybody and I think that’s terrific for the competition from an integrity point of view, from an interest point of view.”