Hurricanes lay down the biggest marker of the 2009 Super 14
Roar Pro
By James Mortimer, 26 Apr 2009 James Mortimer is a Roar Pro
Promise fulfilled and early title favouritism delivered. The Hurricanes blew away the Brumbies, who may have had injuries, but were still top four hopes and had in their team the two premier Australian Test players – Wallaby captain Stirling Mortlock and George Smith.
If indeed the Hurricanes were a tropical cyclone, they were blowing a category five.
Five times so far this season, the 50 point mark has been breached by various teams. Twice, when the Bulls and the Chiefs achieved it, they conceded four tries. The other three times, it has been against one of the bottom three teams.
Outside of these, there has been large margins inflicted, the biggest being a 38 point margin (Stormers 56-18 Lions). All of these margins – 25+ points – had either been against bottom three teams or the winning team themselves had conceded at least four tries.
Essentially, this was the biggest margin and the most emphatic victory so far this year.
While the Brumbies had injuries, they still had seven Wallabies in their playing 22, and a further six players who had Australia “A” caps. In Mortlock and Smith, they not only had two men who have worn the captaincy armband for the Australian Test team, but two players who had over 200 Brumbies caps and over 150 Wallaby appearances.
They were, and still are, in a position to make the semi-finals (but would need to beat the Reds, Blues and Chiefs in their final weeks).
Arguably, no side in the world could have halted the Hurricanes in this mood.
In the first five minutes, the Brumbies got the start they required in enemy territory. A converted try to initiate scoring, and even with a Willie Ripia penalty, it was 7-3 to the Brumbies after ten minutes.
It was here that the storm cells merged!
In the next 19 minutes, the Hurricanes scored four tries to register a bonus point, and effectively the victory. Coming into half time, the game was won with a 25-7 scoreboard.
In the second half, it was even more impressive. In the 60th minute, the Hurricanes scored their fifth try, to signal an 18 minute burst where they would score a further 28 points. Most notable this occurred while Coach Colin Cooper emptied his bench, even reserve players didn’t stop the storm.
Ironically, before the match, the Brumbies had spoken that they had spent the week enhancing their defensive systems.
For the Canes, there was not a bad player or a poor aspect of their game. Even their lineout and kicking game, the weaker aspects of their traditional play, looked the goods.
But their hallmark traits, their remarkable offensive style, looked truly impressive.
Their scrum pushed back a Brumbies pack with four Wallabies at will. At the ruck, the ACT side looked limited, even with one of the world’s great flankers in Smith contesting the ball. Ten times the visitors conceded turnover ball at the ruck.
It was though the running game of the Hurricanes that looked all powerful. Line breaks and offloads came at will. The most startling statistic is that every time the Wellington based team ran the ball, the game average was six metres made for every run.
While the other teams in the Super 14 have been put on notice, the only aspect that will now concern the Hurricanes faithful is their consistency.
But it would be hard not to get excited, on the evidence of their all consuming display at the Cake Tin. The victory moved the Hurricanes to the top of the table (notwithstanding the rest of the rounds results) and gave them 37 tries scored for championship and a +82 points difference; one point less than the Chiefs and nearly double better than any other side in the Super 14.
Considering 40 points pretty much guarantees a semi-final position, the Canes only need 6 tournament points from their remaining three matches where there are 15 up for grabs.
They play the Blues, Chiefs and Reds to close the season, the other three teams in the top four of running and attacking statistics for the season.
Hurricanes 56
Tries: Guildford (2), Jane, D Smith, Ellison, Levave, Vito, C Smith
Con: Ripia 5/8
Pen: Ripia 2/2
Brumbies 7
Tries: Alexander
Con: Mortlock 1/1
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ohtani's jacket said | April 26th 2009 @ 11:39am | Report comment
I dunno if they lay down a marker. We’ve seen a lot of sides hop each other on the table this year. They need to beat the Blues to consolidate this performance. I actually thought they benefited from some pretty liberal refereeing, but the conditions were surprisingly good and their back play was outstanding. The way they continued to attack when Cooper emptied the bench was a rariety in modern day rugby, but without being a stickler, they did lose a couple against the throw in the second half. The weaknesses are still there, should they miss out on a home semi and make the trip to South Africa.
True Tah said | April 26th 2009 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
OJ are you a Blues or a Canes fan?
IMO both sides have several weaknesses, the only reason the Blues are threatening for the semis is because they have been able to score 4 tries when they have been hammered (Bulls, Chiefs, Reds). It would be a tragedy if the Blues were able to get into the semis.
The Chiefs are NZ’s best side, and their best chance – I think its a safe bet that the Aussie sides wont be featuring in the semis, our hopes rested on the Brumbies, unless the Force can win all their next games.
I have had a look at the Sharks and the Bulls run into the semis, and they will both get home semis, who comes first will be decided in the final round. The run is not so easy for the Chiefs, Canes abd Blues.
ohtani's jacket said | April 26th 2009 @ 12:31pm | Report comment
I’m from North Harbour, so I should support the Blues, but I don’t feel an affinity to any Super 14 side. They’re all New Zealand sides, Australian sides and South African sides to me.
I don’t think anyone has an easy run-in to the finals, to be honest, and I don’t think there’s a guarantee that the Sharks and Bulls will both have home semis. The NZ sides are down to three and there’s a chance that two of them will get in. The draw has actually worked out so that the Hurricanes will play the Chiefs and Blues, which is a good thing, though other teams will no doubt play spoilers.
It basically comes down to whoever does well in their three remaining games and I don’t think the ability to score tries is a tragedy. The Crusaders and Waratahs inability to score tries is hopefully why they’ll be nowhere near the top four.
But, yes, the three remaining NZ sides all have set piece problems. This has been a reoccuring theme in NZ rugby in recent years and we’ve tried to compensate for it by dominating the ruck area.
Hemjay said | April 26th 2009 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
The Brumbies were totally awful, nothing else can be said. They were and have been pretenders this whole season. My criticism of this brumbies team the last few weeks has been totally justified.
Hemjay said | April 26th 2009 @ 2:46pm | Report comment
The Canes definately showed what the are capable of when the play a complete game of footy. In saying that they let the Brumbies in for the first 5 minutes. The Hurricanes were in a totally different class. And it was a far more convincing win than any other team that has posted a 50+ pts this year, as much as it irks me to say it the opposition in this match was slightly better.
Any team who has Stirlo is going to be hard to beat, the guy is a freak but one man cannot win against 15. Smith would have to be the most highly overrated player in the Australian franchises its the guys around him that make him look good. He was made to look very ordinary slightly school boyish last night. The Hurricanes forwards totally dominated the ACT pack and to be honesty the probably get a better work out from Wellington Colleges Girls 1st 15.
After been praised all week and having their Egos inflated to nearly cast a shadow over the entire West Island, the media suddenly turned on Saturday before the game when the peeble dropped that the Brumbies weren’t what everyone has cranked them up to be after 2 very average wins over poor opposition then a dubious lucky win over the Bulls.
Their inadequacies were taken advantage of at every oppurtunity from the Set piece through to broken field play, where it seemed the Canes would and could score at will.
I guess the have the games against the Reds and Blues to come where they could gain some redemtion but this too could be highly unlikely as it will take a lot of inner strength for a team to come back from a sound old fashioned whallooping like that taken on Saturday night in Wellington.
ohtani's jacket said | April 26th 2009 @ 4:08pm | Report comment
Hemjay, why do you loathe the Brumbies so much?
Matt said | April 26th 2009 @ 4:44pm | Report comment
Because he’s a Tahs supporter.
As for Smith, you can’t clean out at a breakdown by yourself. None of the pigs did the hard work.
I think the emotion of ‘playing for Macca’ has finally run out and they did not want to be there after the first 10 mins. Full credit to the Canes, they played with verve, and the bounce of the ball went their way all night. The ebb and flow of psychic energy as Mexted would say.
The Brumbies continue to be a maligned team beacuse they are from the ACT. Much in the same way the Raiders are treated in the NRL. Tipped as wooden sponners every year by the ‘experts’.
That a team of mis-fits from Canberra could be better than the traditional powerhouses of QLD and NSW has made them a big target, but at the end of the day they have been the trendsetters and championship winners of the Australian super rugby scene.
This year they have been ordinary at times, but that’s because (wait for it) they are in a rebuilding phase (like QLD has been for the last 10 years).
Pretenders…… Don’t get me wrong, any team is capable of winning on it’s day, and all teams in the Super 14 are professional outfits (well most of them are) so stop your sobbing.
Are the Crusaders also pretenders after their loss? What about the Chiefs? They’ll be back on the chain gang next week, don’t you worry about that.
MikeN said | April 26th 2009 @ 5:57pm | Report comment
The interesting thing for those critical of Tom Cater in the Waratah’s, is how well the Canes backline played with a powerful straight running inside centre who is not primarliy a ball distributor. Colin Cooper, who knows backline play, has got their backline playing exciting rugby.
katzilla said | April 26th 2009 @ 6:46pm | Report comment
Hoorah!
I knew you wouldn’t hold out this week James, that win was far too emphatic.
And the click has finally come at the pointy end which is great, but like you said, we will all wait out the consistency.
I think we’ll cruise past both the Reds and the Blues (both teams have defences about as effective as warships off the coast of Somalia), the Chiefs will prove tough but if their big guns don’t make it back we will pip them too.
Canes to host a Semi and Final – even though 2 weeks ago we didn’t deserve it.
Could this be the year?
OJ –
‘They’re all New Zealand sides, Australian sides and South African sides to me.’
Hmm i’d cheer for the Tahs before the Poosaders.
MikeN – I think your not giving credit to Nonu’s triple threat. This year especially, he has developed into a good long passer and has put both Ellison and Jane into wide gaps with good flat balls that you’d expect from the likes of Berrick Barnes.
He has also put in many attacking kicks for other players and the Canes have scored on a few Occasions from his kicking.
Tom Carter needs to add more dimensions to his game, the same thing that used to hold Nonu back.
He definately has potential, would help if he had at least one senior player inside or outside him.
Hemjay said | April 26th 2009 @ 6:55pm | Report comment
Because they are one of the most overrated teams ever.
Matt sorry to disappoint but if theres one team I hate more than the Brumbies its the Warratahs.
I am a Hurricanes supporter as Ballboy knows too well.
I have never tipped the Brumbies to be wooden spooners but neither have I rated them a finals contender this year. I actually never gave the Hurricanes a chance either but it looks like I’m getting proven wrong there. The Brumbies by far the most successful team out of Australia are not what the have been cranked up to be. Even before Maccas untimely death this team was underperforming big time. The Brumbies are like the Blues of NZ when they’re hot they are hot when they’re not they’re not. Also like the Blues they are touted as contenders and blown up to be bigger than what they really are. You may call my bluntness hating I just call it being real. The sad reality is the Brumbies have a excuse for their appalling performances now. Not to mention they weren’t doing so well prior to the event either. Two wins over crap teams and a very shady win over the bulls and everyone screams out they are contenders. Yeah right.