Aisle be back: Hurricanes v Chiefs in Wellington

Above: Julian Savea will play his 100th match for the Hurricanes this Friday evening against the Chiefs.

The Lions sure were unimpressive in their first real outing. And I don't mean the match.

If Warren Gatland is going to be so easily baited, as he was with a Warrenball question earlier this week, then it's going to be a long, long tour.

I was surprised he got so feisty, so fast. It's the sort of question line equivalent of an up-and-under, You expect it, you train for it, you even look to turn it into a counterattacking opportunity.

It's what Hansen would have treated with disdain, maybe laughed off. He certainly would have toyed with the question and most probably used it to leave his audience wondering. Will I play SteveBall or won't I play SteveBall. You work it out, journos.

Hansen of course has been baiting Gatland remotely for a while on the playing style the Lions might adopt. It has the whiff of the famous head job done on England a few World Cups ago, where they eschewed their traditional game and tried to be expansive. They lost.

Gatland should know that. He's a Kiwi, and should be ready for the mind games. Instead his finishing note was a few expletives, not realising he was still on mic. His players' reaction would be interesting to hear.

After losing to the Blues in their second match last night in Auckland things are only going to get a whole lot more uncomfortable for him.

When two styles of rugby collide. The difference between the two styles was neatly illustrated when the Blues scored their match winning try near the end. Not one, but two offloads!

Warren then insuinating at the press conference that the Blues and other Super Rugby teams will be as strong as the All Blacks.

The mountain is now looming very steep.

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I like how it took less than 24 hours for the old cliches to kick in after the Barbarians staunch effort. The Lions were facing men who had come down off the mountains or at least the gentle foothills, met over a beer, and bonded instantly with the innate sense of how to play, injected into their DNA at birth.

Of which there is always some truth..

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Just like I predicted, the Canes still have a path to topping the New Zealand conference. We just need bonus point wins over the two sides we haven't beaten this year.

It doesn't come simpler.

First things first, you got to think we're a chance against the Chiefs, who just haven't felt right this year. Take a concussed Brodie Retallick out of the
equation, and we might even win up front.

I hope there's a great crowd on the night. This team has played some great attacking footie this year, and maybe it's putting together the defensive starch that was such a feature of last year.

Julian Savea's 100th match and Beauden Barrett on the cusp of becoming the first Hurricanes to reach 1,000 Super Rugby points (he's on 996 heading into this one).

There's also a women's international beforehand - New Zealand taking on Canada from 5.30pm.

Get behind them both!

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I won't hazard any guesses around who is in the All Blacks squad announced today, thanks to the injury toll.

But I will venture that the list will have more brackets than a hardware shop.

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?