Aisle be back: Hurricanes v Crusaders

Having successfully made the stupid call of predicting a Canes win on Saturday, I feel emboldened to make other stupid calls.

I'm not feeling any right now, but I am sure they will present themselves.But as they say in the White House, what a difference a day makes, and most particularly, what a difference a great win over the old foe makes.

Still only three games in, the NZ conference is going to be even more desperately close, especially if the Blues actually do kick on from their African miracle.

A good time to have a bye then, rather than like the  Crusaders, having to front up to another brutal derby this week. 

So remember that it's probably wise to not get all gung-ho. We'll come off the bye against the Highlanders, so there's much to be interested in this week.

I know the Chiefs and Saders have some justification in feeling dudded by their recent injury toll, whereas the Canes are sailing on comparatively although not totally unscathed.

But hey, this is a long comp and not only do you win it on the field, you win it off the field. Is it luck or better squad management when it comes to some of the toll?  The luck will even out over time, so let's see who is still standing in July.

What will be interesting by then is whether that single bonus point that we denied the Crusaders on Saturday will be decisive. Will that booming Jordie penalty be the difference between Wellington and Joburg? It's weird to think so but it will come down to things like that in the end.

Aren't you glad we took the three then?

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I cautioned last week that it was too early to write off England. And then they go and disprove that theory by meekly surrendering to the French. This remember was still the team numbered No 2 in the world until this week.

Lots of theories are swirling around for why England are now falling off the pace. It does seem they do not as players have a plan B once they get figured out. Perhaps plan A, which is the grind them to death approach, is still really the only way England is comfortable with playing, and if so, they should probably double-down on that.But the more interesting thing to see will be how Eddie Jones handles the blowtorch. He surely knew that one day it would come. It comes from the press and public, but the key will be whether his bosses keep their nerve.

If they lose it, then you can expect another shocker world cup.

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What the heck is the matter with Captain Hurricane? That new mascot looks like he’s on a meth bender.  Did the old guy get his lantern jaw broken in a scrap last year. Why weren’t the fans told, and asked their opinion on what to do next. It’s poor judgment like this that creates mascots like the Harbour Captain.

Kevin is a lifetime Hurricanes fan. He and his partner are on a two-year Volunteer Service Abroad posting to Vanuatu's Espiritu Santo island. He's working on a project to build a South Pacific World War 2 museum on the site of an enormous Allied base on the island. Check it out at www.southpacificwwiimuseum.com