THE HUNTED HURRICANES

Can you make out that large shadow cast over Super Rugby for 2017? Its presence is sort of familiar - through it's been a good dozen years since we viewed it last in these parts - and its shape decidedly feline.

Squint your eyes just right and you might even call it a Lion. Of the British and Irish variety.

Yes, the looming tour in June and July of Warren Gatland's British and Irish Lions, for their once-every-12 years visit to Godzone, shapes as a mighty influence on the New Zealand Super Rugby challenge this year.

But which way does it go as the Hurricanes defend their inaugural title, and the Highlanders, Chiefs, Crusaders and Blues continue their pursuit?

Massive motivating force or destabilising distraction? That's the million dollar question in a competition last year dominated by New Zealand teams to an unprecedented degree (four of the five best records came from the Land of the Long White Cloud, with the five Kiwi franchises winning 82 percent of their games against off-shore opposition).

The Kiwi optimist's view is that nothing changes. That the Lions tour, and once-ina-career opportunity it affords our premier players, will have them fit, focused and firmly on top of their games as they look to secure their spots in the national pecking order.

And that, by extension, the Kiwi Super Rugby teams will continue to set the standard because their top ball-winners, tackle-busters and game-changers will all be performing at a high level.

The pessimists' outlook is that leading All Blacks will pace themselves to peak for the three tests against the Lions, and that deep down they'll regard Super Rugby as an unwelcome distraction. Standards will drop.

Even worse, that the 10-game Lions tour, featuring all five franchises, will leave Kiwi teams bruised, battered, mentally shot and generally ill-equipped to deal with the resumption of Super Rugby just seven days after the final test.

Fear not. If history is any guide, the Kiwi challenge should not be overtly curtailed. For three of the previous four Lions tours, the Super Rugby champion has come from the country that hosted a Lions visit - the Bulls in 2009, Crusaders in ‘05 and Brumbies in ‘01.

Even in 2013 (Australia), the Brumbies were runnersup (to the Chiefs) and the Reds toppled in a qualifying final - a fair result by their standards.

So what does 2017 have in store? More New Zealand dominance, it would seem.

All five of the Kiwi franchises have enough continuity and development to suggest the New Zealand conference is again going to be a brute,

with Last the year championthe Canes likely nosedto comeout the from within. Highlanders, Chiefs and Crusaders in a blanket finish, with all four on the same record (11-4), with just three points separating them.

This year Chris Boyd's team will again take the cue of their All Black stars, Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara and Dane Coles. Throw a refocused Julian Savea and a fit-again Nehe Milner-Skudder into that mix and they have the top-end quality to defend.

But it won't be easy. The Highlanders have all their big guns back, Tevita Li to add some back-three depth and a new coach (Tony Brown) who carries a reputation as an innovator. They'll be tough.

So too will the Crusaders, under rookie head coach Scott Robertson, who have just enough freshness to energise their experienced core, and the Chiefs as master coach Dave Rennie looks to conjure one final flourish from his bag of tricks before departing off-shore.

Then there are the Blues. The great under-achievers. Add Sonny Bill Williams and Augustine Pulu to their talent stockpile and Tana Umaga might just have himself a contender. At last.

Also we have the men on a mission, with Super Rugby their proving ground. Think a refreshed Aaron Smith battling TJ Perenara for the top halfback's job, Israel Dagg, Milner Skudder and Waisake Naholo chasing one back-three spot and Sam Cane and Ardie Savea duelling for No 7.

Then throw in the midfield contest (Anton Lienert-Brown, Ryan Crotty, SBW, George Moala, Rieko Ioane, Malakai Fekitoa et al) and mighty tussles among the backup men in the loose forwards, at hooker, lock and No 10 and you have plenty to salivate over.

What Lions shadow?