Hurricanes leave out their stars
No surprises there, then.
As expected Brad Shields and Beauden Barrett won’t play for the Hurricanes against the Brumbies tomorrow, nor Vaea Fifita. The omissions were well sign-posted, along with those of Ardie Savea (ankle) and Matt Proctor (sternum).
Shields and Barrett were never in contention to play, with their respective bouts of gastroenteritis and concussion only cementing decisions that were made some weeks back. Skipper
Shields arrived back from England duty in South
Africa early on Tuesday morning, having sat the third test of that series out with illness.
‘‘He lost seven kilos in three days. He was quite sick, got hospitalised with dehydration,’’ Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd said yesterday.
Reed Prinsep takes Shields’ spot on the blindside flank, with halfback TJ Perenara assuming the captaincy. Jackson GardenBachop will start at first fiveeighth, to allow Barrett his final week of All Blacks-prescribed rest. Barrett, along with Fifita, has also been recovering from a head knock sustained in the All Blacks’ 26-13 win over France at Westpac Stadium on June 16.
‘‘Both finish their concussion protocols today. In Vaea’s case he’s had two concussions in reasonably short succession, so we’re being really cautious around him, and Beaudy’s fine really,’’ Boyd said.
Fifita trained in a red vest yesterday, indicating no-one should make contact with him, while Barrett joined in without one.