On stopping Canes
Time for Beauden to resume with tee
They effectively lost the game in the next 30 minutes, with the Crusaders running in five tries for a 36-3 halftime lead.
The brutal defence was completely legal but also highly intimidating and it sent the message to the Stormers players that they should be wary about where they chose to ran.
A loss for either the Crusaders or Hurricanes wouldn’t be disastrous, as both will make the playoffs, but it would disrupt both teams’ winning streaks, and both are fighting for top spot in order to qualify for home advantage through the finals series.
The Crusaders, unbeaten this season, are on 10 in a row, while the Hurricanes have won all six of their matches since that Chiefs loss.
Both teams are missing their regular captains. The Crusaders will be without lock Whitelock, while hooker Dane Coles remains out with concussion. How effectively both teams handle those absences could play a key part in the result.
The Chiefs have become the Crusaders’ traditional rivals in recent years, but the Hurricanes could have claims here, too.
The Hurricanes have won four out of the last five games between the teams.
Neither side likes the other and they will have the opportunity to settle their differences in the return game in Wellington on July 15, their last round-robin match of the season.
Metaphorical fireworks are likely, and could come from the first whistle. Time is running short until the Lions tour, so the question is whether Beauden Barrett will pull rank on his younger sibling to reclaim the goalkicking duties in tomorrow night’s Crusaders-Hurricanes clash in Christchurch.
Barrett senior handed the responsibility to his brother last month due to a niggling rib injury. It has clearly had no ill effect on the rest of his game, which has sparkled, and he has been using the kick-pass as a productive tactical weapon. Jordie, too, has shown top general form of late, though he goaled just three of seven conversions against the Stormers last weekend. Still, he is at a useful 72 per cent for the season.
With five Hurricanes games to go before the Lions series, now would seem the logical time for Beauden to resume with the tee. There are few penalty goals attempts by the Hurricanes, but they score enough tries, around seven a match, to keep the kickers busy. Barrett will need to kick a few penalties against the Lions, so best start now.
“I’m sure that the brothers and TJ [Perenara] will have a discussion around it. There were four or five of them practising their goalkicking together, so we will see,” says Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd, giving a rare less-than-straight answer.
Prop Loni Uhila returns to the bench for the Hurricanes and Boyd pointed out “The Tongan Bear” made his name in the Hurricanes’ 35-10 thrashing of the Crusaders in the corresponding fixture last year.
Callum Gibbins’ shoulder injury sees another loose forward reshuffle, with Reed Prinsep taking the No 6 jersey against his old franchise, for whom he played one game in 2016.
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has made four changes, including returning Ryan Crotty to the starting line-up in the midfield. Matt Todd will play his 102nd game and will be presented with a greenstone mere.