It was so hot at Bruce Stadium for the trial match between the ACT Brumbies and the Hurricanes that you’d be mistaken for thinking that we were watching the Super Sauna championships rather than a Super 14 trial.
The heat and the trial nature of the contest, with both sides mixing and matching their players and never really playing the number one side, meant that hard and fast conclusions could not be made from the 28 -14 victory to the Brumbies.
This applies to the other trial matches that have been played in Australia and New Zealand.
One season, some years ago, the Auckland Blues won their trial matches by 50 and more and then collapsed when the real tournament play started.
Still it seemed to me watching the trial match at Canberra there were some statements that could be made.
First, Josh Holmes looked to be in tremendous form, passing crisply, running strongly and generally marshalling the Brumbies attack extremely effectively.
Regular readers of The Roar will know that I have advocated Holmes as the successor to George Gregan as the next long-term Wallaby halfback (and potentially one of the best) throughout 2007 and 2008.
If Holmes plays well, the Brumbies could be the surprise team of the tournament.
Against the Hurricanes they showed off a strong lineout (snaffling a couple of Hurricanes throw); they have Stephen Moore to add some expertise and mongrel for the front rowl and there is plenty of pace and skill in the backs, with Clyde Rathbone, for instance, making one dazzling break that reminded us all how good he was before his injury crisis started.
Mark Gerrard and Christian Lealifano, Stephen Larkham’s successor (although no one can succeed Larkham totally) were clever and decisive in their running, kicking and passing.
The Hurricanes, rather like most of the spectators, seemed to be affected by the intense heat. There was a marked increase in the quality of their play when Ma’a Nonu and Corey Jane came on to immediately set up a try.
On paper, the Hurricanes should be a contender this season for the Super 14 title.
They haven’t really developed a Hurricanes system of play, unlike teams like the Brumbies and the Canterbury Crusaders.
This lack of a system means that the Hurricanes often lose to inferior sides, as they did last season to the Queensland Reds, and then disconcertingly for their supporters, put away much stronger sides.
Perhaps they need a cooler temperature to play their fizzing, expansive and fast-moving game, something they didn’t have at Canberra where they came, sauna-ed and were conquered.
The final result was 4-1 for the Kiwi sides but some of the results could easily have been different with a bit more maturity from the Aussies.
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