Roar Rookie
The Hurricanes blew away the Cheetahs 61-7 with a nine-try romp in Round 13 of Super Rugby at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night.
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Final score
Hurricanes 61
Cheetahs 7
The Hurricanes host the Cheetahs in Round 13 of Super Rugby. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match from 5:35pm AEST.
The Cheetahs have this year lived up to its anatomy – they can only growl, which is nowhere near enough to put their opposition away.
With the likes of Adriaan Strauss and Willie Le Roux gone, the struggling Bloemfontein-based Super Rugby side is fodder to just about any of the 18 teams in the competition.
If the 50-32 loss to the Blues last weekend was bad enough, the mismatch against Hurricanes on Saturday would be worse.
What should be frightening for Cheetahs is the fact the hosts will be licking their wounds after a disappointing loss to the Crusaders in Christchurch – a dogfight which either side could have won.
Yes the Cheetahs have the best defensive lineout in the competition but that sounds like the proverb: “One swallow does not a summer make”.
Playing New Zealand sides away from home is as bad as it gets.
Their nerveless control of the ball as if the smallest of errors could result in defeat is what sets them apart from the Australian and South African teams.
The Hurricanes have the best-attacking weapons in world rugby in Beauden Barrett and midfield back Ngani Laumape who has made a seamless transition from the Warriors.
By comparison, the Cheetahs can be menacing with their lineout maul and have a knack for starting and finishing strongly but nothing to show for in between.
It’s that period of fits and starts they must improve on going forward.
If the Cheetahs can make those improvements by Saturday, there’s no reason why they cannot run the Hurricanes ragged.
In 2012, they stunned the hosts 47-38 at Westpac Stadium which ended the Hurricanes’ chances of making the playoffs.
While that victory may not be replicated this weekend, a decent contest will suffice.
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match from 5:35pm AEST.