Late developer is switched on
Loosehead prop, tighthead prop; what’s the difference? It’s just a few burly blokes pushing. Anyone could switch between the two.
Chris Eves does and quite successfully too. A tighthead by trade, the 29-year-old will start at loosehead for the Hurricanes against the Reds in Brisbane tonight, in what’s his 50th appearance for the franchise.
He’s aware that people might not appreciate the complexities of scrummaging, so he’s got a simple comparison. Switching between tighthead and loosehead, Eves says, is the same as playing one hole of golf right-handed, then doing it left-handed the next.
‘‘It’s pretty hard to do both. It’s not easy,’’ Eves said.
‘‘I haven’t mastered both. If I could master both of them, it would be pretty good but I’m still learning every week.’’
That’s not just a throwaway line where Eves is concerned.
The typical pathway to Super Rugby these days is to be signed straight from school. Those who don’t get contracts at that tender age don’t have to wait long, often getting their chance after short stints in the New Zealand under-20 side and provincial rugby.
Eves ended up at Wellington’s Wests Roosters via club rugby in North Harbour and Portugal. He was 24 and working as a security guard when Hurricanes assistant coach, and Wests stalwart, Alama Ieremia helped coax him to the capital.
Eves was soon loaned to Manawatu, but not before impressing a few good Wellington and Hurricanes front row judges, after being drafted in to make up some live scrummaging numbers.
Come 2014, Eves had done enough to make his way into the Hurricanes’ wider training group and the rest is history.
‘‘My first day at the Hurricanes, when I saw Conrad Smith and TJ Perenara and Dane Coles I was overwhelmed. I was like ‘wow, all these guys with big names and now I’m here next to them,’’ said Eves.
‘‘They’re all just pretty cool, pretty casual guys.’’
Eves’ durability and versatility mean he’s rarely been out of the Hurricanes’ match-day 23 in recent seasons and now he’s about to join their prestigious 50-club.
‘‘He’s been a good footballer for us,’’ Hurricanes head coach Chris Boyd said.
‘‘It would’ve taken a lot of people by surprise that he’s played 50 games. Probably a late developer, by his own admission, didn’t start in the traditional route but a
very important machine.’’
Eves counts fellow prop Jeff To’omaga-allen as the man who made him most welcome in the early days and the pair will join Ricky Riccitelli in the Hurricanes’ front row at Suncorp Stadium. Captain Dane Coles is sitting out with a knee niggle but Riccitelli has proved an able replacement at hooker in the last year or so.
Beyond that there are no changes to the starting side that beat the Highlanders 41-15 last time out. There’s been a bye since and it wouldn’t be a shock if things weren’t too fluid against the Reds.
But you would expect the first five-eighth and halfback pairing of Beauden Barrett and Perenara to make sure the Hurricanes get the job done in the end.
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