Aisle be back: Hurricanes v Rebels

It's stating the obvious that you don't win Super Rugby in round one, or round two.

I mean, you can even lose your first two games and wind up 2016 champions.

But you can certainly dig yourself a nice little hole by dropping a game early. It always feels like you're in a bit of a catch-up after that, like your team's muffed a Formula One start and got itself stuck in the pack.

Especially if it's against a weak side, and you're in the NZ conference, because clawing games back off them won't ever be easy.

So I was a little queasy to see descriptions this week in media that the Rebels were a team we should put 50 points on this Saturday. I just think of a banana skin when I see that - or more accurately, that time we blew a 20-plus lead at home against the Cheetahs.

I guess when you see the Rebels squad, it's a fair call. I recognised perhaps three names - and two of those were Kiwis (and yep, one of them is our Lions first-five Jackson Garden-Bachop).

But I'll just be happy with a good win - nothing too flash. Just a nice exit from the first curve.

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Offsidegate or whatever it's called was hugely amusing.

We now know a few new things (well I do).

Eddie Jones is even funnier when he's been royally baited.

The English rugby press will turn on you even when you are on a 17-test match winning streak.

And apparently the All Blacks and Chiefs have been playing this malarkey for ages.

Personally I've always understood the offside rule to be this: If your team is struggling to clear the ball, then the other side is clearly offside.

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Nice to see the Hurricanes match poster this year has them goofing off majorly, rather than looking like they've just been told they're doing designated driver duties in Paris for the Racing 92 team.

In fact the only one not goofing off is the team regular jokester, Mr Cory Jane. Very droll.

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6.45pm, Wednesday, watching TV news sport.  At our place. Where we've just done up the front room, for Air BnB. Prompted by that Lions tour coming.

My partner: "They're talking about some rugby thing that happens every 12 years. Should we be doing something about that?"

It takes about two minutes to unpick the confusion. Oh, that's the Lions! They mean the Lions.

Yep, proof positive that the entire country is counting down to the great tour. Well, sort of.

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The Hurricanes have named an exciting team to face the Rebels, with Dane Coles, Beauden Barrett and Nehe Milner-Skudder all been named to start.

The team is:

1 Chris Eves
2 Dane Coles (c)
3. Jeff Toomaga-Allen
4. James Blackwell
5. Michael Fatialofa
6. Brad Shields
7. Ardie Savea
8. Reed Prinsep
9. TJ Peranara
10. Beauden Barrett
11. Julian Savea
12. Ngani Laumape
13. Matt Proctor
14. Vince Aso
15. Nehe Milner-Scudder
RESERVES
16. Ricky Riccitelli
17. Ben May
18. Mike Kainga
19. Mark Abbott
20. Callum Gibbins
21. Chris Smylie
22. Otere Black
23. Jordie Barrett

Lifelong All Blacks supporter Kev has followed the Hurricanes since they began. Last year his faith in them was rewarded when they won the title – can they do it again?