'We'll not get too greedy': Hurricanes' grocery list of positives after recod win

Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw says he’s delighted with his team’s performance in Friday’s qualifying final win over the Brumbies, with only some minor work-ons detected in his initial analysis of the game.

The coach was most pleased with his side’s “sharp” transition play, ability to generate front-foot ball, and ability to play on top of the defence consistently, while the scrum also won some praise.

With the 66-12 win in the bag, the Hurricanes will now host all remaining playoff fixtures that come their way, and will face the lucky loser from Saturday night’s remaining two qualifying finals. But Liadlaw wasn’t looking that far ahead just yet, saying his team will enjoy their result for now.

“We’re delighted with that. We prepared all week with the intensity a quarter-final deserves,” the coach said to begin his postmatch press conference. “The opposition, the Brumbies, we’ve got a whole heap of respect for with what they have done to us in the last few years at this stage of the competition.

“So to start the way we did and get on top of the scoreboard early, in those conditions, I thought was really important. And once we got to 17-nil, it felt like we didn’t look back from there, particularly the first half. I thought there were periods in the second half we could play better, but we’ll not get too greedy around what that looks like tonight. We’ll enjoy the win.”

Laidlaw went on to add to what impressed him about his team’s performance, while highlighting some areas where things didn’t always go exactly to plan.

“I thought we scrummed particularly well, the work at the breakdown on both sides of the ball, we carried well in particular, we got in the front foot, and then conversely, I thought we defended well at the breakdown, and you know, put them behind the gain line at times and produced slow ball for them,” he added.

“They definitely kicked well initially, and then put us under pressure. There were some good adjustments from the boys around that in the backfield, so we enjoyed that part.

“But I just think those transitions, we stayed optimistic, we wanted to use the ball. Sometimes the conditions can get you narrow in your decision-making; it’s not that bad of conditions that you can’t move it two or three passes… yeah, it was wet and windy, but it’s good underfoot.

“Amazing stadium, it’s not that hard to play two or three passes initially, and then if you want to kick after that — Cam kicked particularly well at times, didn’t he?

“We certainly want to play the ball fast, obviously, and if the conditions allow us, we will. But I thought we mixed the game up. I thought we probably got a little bit pessimistic with play in the second half and kicked way more. Will be interesting to see why that was, and just sort of dig into that a wee bit.”

Captain Du’Plessis Kirifi agreed that “in a couple of moments we could be better”, but was overall very positive about the team’s performance.

“We are where we need to be, but we’re also aware that we need to improve,” he said, before highlighting the benefit of earning the No.1 seed in the regular season.

“You can’t beat consistency and knowing what your next week looks like, from a player’s point of view and the coach’s point of view. To wake up in our own homes each day for the next couple of weeks, and just go about our work.

“They’re a quality side. They’re quality at home, and they’re quality over here. We just played well.”

Speaking on the scrum, Kirifi had high praise for his front row, who charged the Brumbies backwards early in the match, sending a clear message.

“They’re no mugs, they’re a quality forward pack,” Kirifi added. “But man, the amount of work that our front row and Jamie Mackintosh do throughout the week to get their detail right, get their relationships and their connections right, is phenomenal. So our job as the back five is just to push, because that’s how they put food on the table, is scrum time, and we care about them.”

Laidlaw said All Blacks prop Tyrel Lomax was still dealing with a “bit of a niggle” but was pleased to see him out there getting minutes, even if he was “definitely short of a gallop.” With Siale Lauaki expected to return from injury next week, the coach expected front row selections to be tight.

The same can be said for the loose forwards, with Devan Flanders on track to return while Brad Shields was a standout in Flanders’ usual No.6 jersey.