'Massive war up front': Why Hurricanes forwards feel they're ready for final

The Hurricanes’ forwards are preparing for a “massive war up front” in this weekend’s Super Rugby Pacific final against their northern neighbours, the Chiefs.

Both forward packs boasted a bevy of All Blacks in their respective blowout semi-final wins, with the Hurricanes fielding five in addition to England-capped Brad Shiels and Japan captain Warner Dearns, while seven of the eight Chiefs starters were All Blacks and there was one more on the bench.

All that firepower coming down State Highway 1 certainly has fans excited, with the 34,000-seat Hnry Stadium selling out within 15 minutes of tickets going on sale on Tuesday morning.

It’s the first time the ‘Cake Tin’ has sold out for a Hurricanes game since the 2016 final, and the players are feeling the energy.

“There’s definitely a vibe within the team and the city. The boys are excited,” prop Xavier Numia told reporters on Tuesday.

Numia has been a key cog in the Hurricanes’ growth over the decade to date, and has been at the forefront of the team’s emergence this season. The Hurricanes staff and players have consistently highlighted that the bulk of this squad has come through the ranks together and built cohesion over an extended period when asked what to attribute their powerful form to.

Numia says “it would mean everything” to win the title at home, and credited the coaches, especially forwards coach Jamie Mackintosh, for getting the pack humming in 2026.

“He’s been unreal. He’s a character and definitely brings the best out of the boys,” the 27-year-old said of Mackintosh, a two-time All Blacks prop. “That’s what you want as a player, a coach who believes in you and believes in the team, the pack, and what we’re capable of. Just having the balance of culture and coaching, that’s something that’s been unreal for the boys.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

3

Draws

0

Wins

2

Average Points scored

25

22

First try wins

60%

Home team wins

60%

Mackintosh himself says the depth up front has been a massive attribute for the club and key to the team’s success, although it does make life difficult for him as a selector.

“We’ve been blessed all year with massive depth in that front row,” the forwards coach said. “I’ve had to have some heartbreaking conversations with all of the looseheads, all of the tightheads and all of the hookers all year, so it’s no different this week. The boys have got to earn their spot, so I’m sure we’ve picked the right team.”

While the Kiwi capital has witnessed nothing but dominant wins from its home team since the playoffs began, Mackintosh says there have been plenty of takeaways from the qualifying and semi-final wins, and praised the team’s leaders for the tone they’ve set and the timely messages they’ve delivered when called upon.

“We’ve learnt a lot from the quarter-final and the semi-final, particularly that first half against the Blues. You play finals footy, and everyone’s pretty desperate, and we had to find a way to find our game. I thought the boys at halftime were really calm and connected. Our leaders, in particular, spoke well. We managed to get up after halftime and put our game on the Blues, holding onto the ball and putting them under pressure.

“The team seems really settled, we’ve talked around reinforcement, not looking for things to do differently, and there’s going to be no magic recipe; what we’ve done all year has got us here, and the start of the week has been pretty cool.”

He expanded on that note of the team’s headspace, endorsing his side’s readiness for the moment.

“I do feel really calm, and I do think the team does, because we’ve worked really hard on our game over the last three years, and particularly this season, where we’ve added where we think we need to be in big games around control and momentum – you’re not always going to have momentum, you’re not always going to have control. What does it look like? How do we get it back? I think the work that some of our coaches have done, particularly with our decision-making, has been awesome.

“I haven’t really thought about pressure; I just genuinely feel grateful for the week, and I feel like if we’re at our best, we’ll be hard to stop. Same with the Chiefs, probably.

“My role, as the coach, is making sure the details, the planning, are in a good spot, and spiking emotionally at the right time. The forwards have got a big job to do this week. It’s going to be a massive war up front, and I think we’re in a good spot.”