Star Hurricanes duo to start season from the bench
It was December when the relevant parties decided All Blacks Dane Coles and Beauden Barrett would begin the Hurricanes’ season from the bench.
Ricky Riccitelli and Otere Black will start in their place, as part of Coles and Barrett’s return-to-play protocols. Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd says he’s under no obligation to spell the team’s All Blacks during the defence of their Super Rugby title, but will do where possible.
Barrett, along with TJ Perenara, Julian Savea and Ardie Savea, played 40 minutes of the Hurricanes’ pre-season, with Coles excused from the lot. Perenara will captain the team in tomorrow’s season-opener against the Sunwolves, with the Saveas also named to start.
At this stage there’s no suggestion they’ll see limited gametime in Tokyo, the more likely scenario being that they’ll be rested as the campaign wears on.
Had the Hurricanes’ other contracted halfbacks Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Kylem O’Donnell been fit to play this week, for instance, Perenara might have joined Barrett and Coles on the bench.
‘‘We’ll give him some time [off] somewhere else, if it fits,’’ Boyd said of Perenara.
‘‘There’s no concrete rules here from NZR. We liaise there and talk and have a broad outline on how we want to deal with guys depending on the minutes that they had with the All Blacks.
‘‘If it it happens, great. But it’s just everybody being aware that it’s a big year for the All Blacks. It’s a big load anyway, but it’s a bigger load this year and if we can help out and it fits in with the structure that suits the Hurricanes then we’re happy to be involved.’’
Everyone’s aware the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour is important and appreciates the desire of the All Blacks’ players and coaches to perform well in that series. But at what cost to Super Rugby season ticketholders, pay TV subscribers and the like?
In the case of Coles and Barrett, Boyd said it ‘‘was probably before Christmas’’ when everyone agreed the pair wouldn’t start against the Sunwolves. Perhaps it would have been worth informing Hurricanes fans at that point?
To the game itself, where Black has the unenviable task of replacing the greatest one-man show in world rugby.
‘‘Any opportunity I get, either off the bench or in the starting lineup, I’ve just got to make sure that I do my role the best that I can,’’ Black said of starting ahead of Barrett.
That means not trying to copy what Barrett does, but playing his own game and trusting that’s good enough. It was in last Friday’s 33-27 win over the Crusaders, in which Black engineered a fine second-half comeback.
While some Hurricanes are being rested, others can’t get on the paddock. Already without locks Geoff Cridge (for the season), James Broadhurst (probably for the season), Vaea Fifita and Sam Lousi, the Hurricanes are also minus Mark Abbott this week. He’s unavailable for personal reasons.
Elsewhere, Jordie Barrett will make his debut at fullback, in place of the injured Nehe MilnerSkudder. Boyd said they would be releasing the younger Barrett to the New Zealand under-20 team later this season.