Hurricanes feeling the Love for opener
Last September, Ruben Love and Luke Campbell were bench men for Wellington and Bay of Plenty in their Mitre 10 Cup clash at Sky Stadium, neither with Super Rugby contracts.
How quickly things change in high octane, high attrition top level rugby. Tonight at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the young halves pair will combine in the driver’s seat for a fourth straight match, and first overseas as the Hurricanes launch their trans-tasman campaign against the Waratahs.
The yellow nine and 10 jerseys attracted scrutiny this year as the Hurricanes dealt with TJ Perenara’s absence in Japan, with backup Jamie Booth sidelined with a broken leg. Two other season-enders to new recruit Simon Hickey and Jackson Garden-bachop threw first fiveeighth wide open, too.
Campbell was fizzing as he boarded his first Australian flight with the Canes. Particularly, his union with the 20-year-old pivot who scored a try on Wellington debut as outside back cover in that September match, and his potential to damage the Tahs who went 0-8 in the Australian competition.
‘‘I like Ruben’s style of play, he’s got a good calm voice and then he’s got that real fire, that real spark to him, when he wants to take the line on he’s got some real power and speed,’’ Campbell said.
‘‘He can break a game open when he backs himself. He’s been growing that in the last few weeks as each game goes on he’s getting more confident.’’
Campbell dons No 9 for a seventh successive match but that pecking order will change, with Perenara confirming a move home and Booth likely to return, leaving Campbell and Jonathan Taumateiene duelling for the third halfback’s spot next year.
Perenara will be back at Hurricanes training in a fortnight, but without being an official member of this year’s squad will only play if injury hits.
Coach Jason Holland, Campbell and team-mates wore broad grins and itchy feet at Wellington Airport on Wednesday for their first overseas flight since January last year in round one in Cape Town.
They farewelled a 2-6 Aotearoa season which ended with narrow losses to finalists the Crusaders and Chiefs, then a 41-22 win over the Highlanders. It was the first time they’d finished lowest of the New Zealand sides since 2004.
With Ardie Savea sidelined with a knee injury and Francebound Ngani Laumape rested, captain Dane Coles and Jordie Barrett carry the Hurricanes’ leadership burden. Holland put faith in his youngsters, with props Xavier Numia and Alex Fidow starting, and Campbell and Love pulling the strings again.
‘‘We want to do the simple things well and not get carried away with trying to overplay or think there’s opportunities that may not be there,’’ Holland said.
‘‘It’s a different dynamic and we’ve had to do a bit of homework as coaches the last two weeks, because there are subtle differences around the way the Aussie sides defend and we’ve had to tweak a little bit that we do.
‘‘All we know is, we’re treating it as a tough game. I know the Tahs have been a little bit like us and lost a lot of close games. Their last three or four, they should have drawn with the Brumbies and got pipped by the Force and Rebels. I wouldn’t be having a punt on any of the games this weekend.’’