Round One Preview: Anticipation for Super Rugby opener against Brumbies

Above: Nehe Milner Skudder in action against the Brumbies in last year's semi-final

UPDATE: Captain Dane Coles has been ruled out with a calf injury sustained at training on Wednesday morning, hours after he was named captain for the first game. Leni Apisai comes into hooker while Ricky Riccetelli is reserve rake. 

New players, new teams, new competition structure, new jerseys, new laws, new bonus point system. There’s a fresh feel to Super Rugby in 2016.

There’s also plenty for Hurricanes fans to look forward to ahead of the start of the 21st Super Rugby season that starts this Friday night against the Brumbies in Canberra, kick-off 9.45pm (NZT).

Will this be the year of the Hurricane? After making their second ever final last season but stumbling at the last hurdle, losing several big names and established players and having a topsy-turvy pre-season campaign, perhaps the best thing for supporters to do is ask this question again after the first two matches.

It’s a long season ahead - the final is not until Saturday 6 August - but in playing the Brumbies in Canberra and then the Highlanders in Dunedin in the opening fortnight, it’s straight into the fire for the Hurricanes.

The Highlanders are the defending champions and look super-strong again while the Brumbies are widely tipped to be the best of the Australians.

Australian website Fox Sports had this to say about the Brumbies earlier this week: “The Brumbies have all the bases covered and are a huge chance at winning the Canberra-based club’s first Super Rugby title since 2004. Stephen Larkham’s squad is well balanced, with quality internationals sprinkled throughout the backline and forward pack, spearheaded by arguably the world’s best player in David Pocock.”

Pocock won the most breakdown turnovers of anyone in last year’s competition and he looms large on Friday night. Brumbies co-captain Stephen Moore is also set to become just the second Australian (after Nathan Sharpe) to reach 150 Super Rugby games when he takes the field against the Dane Coles-led Hurricanes.

Should they play on Friday, other Brumbies players to look out for on Friday night include Christian Lealiifano, Matt Toomua and Tevita Kuridrani. They also have an international flavour in 45-Test Argentinian international Tomas Cubelli at halfback.

New season captain Coles said the overriding feeling in the camp heading into week one was excitement.
 
“We just can’t wait to get out on the field and play as a team. It’s been a great preseason and the boys have come together really well and worked hard. Now we need to put that out on the field.
 
“The Brumbies are about as tough a start as you can get, so we know we’ll need to be at the top of our game to get a result over there.”

Up to five players named in the opening team of the year are in line to make their Hurricanes debuts, should they take the field. These players are starting midfielders Ngani Laumape and Vince Aso and reserves, hooker Leni Apisai, prop Loni Uhila and former Blues player Jamison Gibson-Park.
 
In pre-season, the Brumbies lost 17-21 to the Waratahs in Wagga Wagga and then beat the Reds 31-18 in Brisbane. The Hurricanes had three trial matches, losing to the Force 0-28 in Gosford, losing to the Blues 12-40 in Eketahuna (7-7 at halftime) and beating the Crusaders 74-12 in Blenheim (scoring 12 tries).

The last time the Hurricanes and the Brumbies met was in July last year at Westpac Stadium in their major semi-final. The Brumbies had upset the third placed Stormers in their qualifying final before moving on to Wellington. The Hurricanes prevailed 29-9, scoring tries through centre Matt Proctor, left wing Julian Savea, openside flanker Ardie Savea and halfback TJ Perenara.

The Hurricanes and the Brumbies didn’t meet in round-robin play last year. Prior to the semi-final, the Brumbies had won their previous four meetings going back to 2011. The results of their last 10 encounters have been split at five apiece.

Friday’s encounter will be the 22nd encounter between the Canes and the ACT-based side, the most frequently played Australian team for the Hurricanes. To date, the Hurricanes have won nine and lost 12 of their matches.

The Hurricanes have a better record than many in Canberra, having won four times there in 10 raids. These wins were in 1998 (32-29), 2002 (20-13), 2008 (33-15) and 2010 (23-13).

The Brumbies won their most recent clash at Canberra in 2013, 30-23, with Lealiifano kicking a record six penalties.

Last year in Canberra the Brumbies won five from eight, suffering home losses to Australian rivals the Rebels (8-13) and the Waratahs (10-13) and the Crusaders (24-37).

The Hurricanes head into this fixture having scored 558 points and 64 tries in all matches against the Brumbies – the fourth most number of tries against any team behind the Highlanders (72 tries against), the Chiefs (71) and the Blues (68). The Brumbies have scored 537 points and 63 tries against the Hurricanes.

The Brumbies had the best defence of all teams last year. They conceded just 261 points and 21 tries in 16 regular season games. At the end of the round-robin, the Hurricanes had scored the second most points behind the Crusaders (458) and the most tries (58). The Hurricanes also kept the Brumbies tryless in last year’s semi-final.

The Hurricanes enter the 21st season of Super Rugby having played 263 matches overall, winning 138, losing 120 and drawing five.

Against Australian sides, the Hurricanes have won 43 and lost 30 of 73 Super Rugby matches.

The Hurricanes team to play the Brumbies in Round One is:

1. Reggie Goodes (Poneke)
2. Leni Apisai (Northern United) 
3. Jeff Toomaga-Allen (Marist St Pat’s)
4. Blade Thomson (Tukapa)
5. Mark Abbott (Napier Old Boys Marist)
6. Brad Shields (Petone)
7. Ardie Savea (Oriental-Rongotai)
8. Victor Vito (Marist St Pat’s)
9. TJ Perenara (Northern United)
10. Beauden Barrett (Coastal)
11. Julian Savea (Oriental-Rongotai)
12. Ngani Laumape (Kia Toa)
13. Vince Aso (Ponsonby)
14. Cory Jane (Upper Hutt Rams)
15. Nehe Milner-Skudder (Varsity)

Reserves:
16. Ricky Riccitelli (Club TBC)
17. Chris Eves (Kia Toa)
18. Loni Uhila (Hamilton Marist)
19. Vaea Fifita (Wellington Axemen)
20. Callum Gibbins (Varsity)
21. Jamison Gibson-Park (Tukapa)
22. Otere Black (College Old Boys)
23. Willis Halalolo (Poneke)