Can the Canes be ruthless?

game-breakers.

Eight or nine times out of 10 you ought to beat them. The eternal worry is that you strike them on a day when they’re in the mood.

So, having worked so hard to get to this point, it would be a terrible shame to see the Hurricanes throw away a title tilt by not doing a clinical job on the Blues.

Most of us can understand basic for-and-against. By that measure, the Hurricanes boast the stingy-est defence in the competition, having coughed up just 164 points.

The bottom line is that it’ll be defence that determines if the Hurricanes can beat Rieko Ioane, Akira Ioane, Sonny Bill Williams, Augustine Pulu and company.

‘‘They’ve got guys who can get [over the] gainline easily if the defence is passive. They’ve got guys who can offload, so if we don’t shut down that second option they’re going to be breaking the line quite often,’’ Hurricanes captain Brad Shields said.

‘‘They’ve got a lot of firepower, but whether they can break our system is going to be the key for us.’’

On attack, it was interesting to see Jordie Barrett have a gallop at second five-eighth, during yesterday’s Captain’s Run. TJ Perenara also looked full of running, having recovered from his knee injury.

Nehe Milner-skudder, Julian Savea, Matt Proctor, Ngani Laumape, Ben Lam, Beauden Barrett, Finlay Christie, Gareth Evans, Ardie Savea, Brad Shields (c), Sam Lousi, Vaea Fifita, Jeff To’omaga-allen, Ricky Riccitelli, Toby Smith. Reserves: James O’reilly, Chris Eves, Ben May, Michael Fatialofa, Blade Thomson, TJ Perenara, Ihaia West, Jordie Barrett.

Matt Duffie, Rieko Ioane, Orbyn Leger, Sonny Bill Williams, Caleb Clarke, Stephen Perofeta, Augustine Pulu (c), Akira Ioane, Murphy Taramai, Jerome Kaino, Gerard Cowley-tuioti, Patrick Tuipulotu,

Ofa Tu’ungafasi, James Parsons, Ross Wright. Reserves: Matt Moulds, Pauliasi Manu, Sione Mafileo, Ben Nee-nee/lyndon Dunshea, Kara Pryor, Jonathan Ruru/sam Nock, Dan Kirkpatrick, Melani Nanai.