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Aisle be back: Hurricanes v Chiefs in Hamilton

Representative Rugby | 08 March 2017 | Kevin McCarthy

Aisle be back: Hurricanes v Chiefs in Hamilton

As Wellington's Russell Crowe almost tells his cavalry squadron in Gladiator, "If you find yourself alone, watching daytime rugby with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are already dead".

So after 24 tries in two games. Are you riding in Elysium? Or curmudgeoning that the season hasn't started yet.

I'm with the sun on the face crowd. The Canes can only play what they face, and somewhere down the track, that whopping points differential (and 10 points) will be money in the bank.

Of course we won't be the only team to feast out on sunwolf, and rebel roast, but we might as well be first to the banquet.

The flipside of course is whether there's any tempering of the steel, of the sort shown in those early derbies by other New Zealand teams.

We'll find out won't we, soon enough. But just ask the Highlanders which draw they might have preferred, and I doubt they'd design the one they have.

And as Russell would say: "Are you not entertained?! Is this not why you are here?!!"

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Whose afraid of the Chiefs? Yes, they look good. They've looked good every season for the past few, even last year when they got banged up pretty bad with injury.

RLM

But the Canes should be chomping at the bit. The teams are largely cut from the same cloth, and we all know how the playoff match went.

I'm not picking we'll win in Waikato necessarily but it would be a cracking scalp to pick up early and a marker that this team is serious about winning the title again in 2017.

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Fair contest or fear contest. You'd have to wonder if the high ball battle will be worth the candle if it risks red cards.

I can see the rationale for trying to take the danger out of the contest. Those head knocks are pretty sickening.

On the other hand, are we going to see the high ball and its defence taken out of the game as an effective tactic?

No code should be contemplating limiting itself by clipping away at its own diversity.

One of the strengths of rugby after all is that mix of stroke and counterstroke.

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If you read this column last year, you'll remember I didn't get too excited about the All Blacks' test match streak record. I mean, you don't even get a trophy.

Of course, my real motivation was that now that England stands on the brink of equalling and then surpassing that mark, I couldn't give a rodent's rear padding.

It's called taking out insurance.

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Loose head prop Loni Uhila and lock Mark Abbott have been ushered into the tight five for the Hurricanes Investec Super Rugby New Zealand derby match against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday.

The Hurricanes team is:

Nehe Milner-Skudder, Vince Aso, Matt Proctor, Ngani Laumape, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara, Reed Prinsep, Ardie Savea, Brad Shields, Michael Fatialofa, Mark Abbott, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Dane Coles (c), Loni Uhila. Reserves: Ricky Riccitelli, Chris Eves, Ben May, James Blackwell, Callum Gibbins, Chris Smylie, Otere Black, 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?

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