Barrett back to put the wind in ’Canes sails
Flyhalf out to help avoid third loss on trot to the Chiefs
THE 2016 and 2017 World Player of the Year Beauden Barrett returns for the Wellington Hurricanes when they host the Waikato Chiefs today to kick off week nine of Super Rugby.
The Hurricanes have never conceded three wins in a row to the Chiefs and will be keen to prevent their North Island rivals gaining bragging rights at Westpac Stadium.
Added to that, the Hurricanes are defending a proud home record with 16 wins from their last 17 matches in the capital. Their only failure was a 17-14 loss to the Chiefs last June.
Offsetting Barrett’s comeback from a thigh strain is the loss of fullback TJ Perenara for six to eight weeks after rupturing his medial cruciate ligament in last week’s dramatic 38-37 win over Sharks, who must be feeling hard done by in a game they had every chance of winning.
However, the Chiefs have injury worries of their own, as star playmaker Damien McKenzie is in doubt due to a hip injury, with his brother Marty on standby as a possible replacement.
South African columnists have been slammed by fellow scribe Mark Keohane for calling the Sharks a “magnificent” team ahead of their derby against Bulls.
The praise came after the Durban outfit were edged 38-37 by the 2016 champions Wellington Hurricanes in New Zealand last weekend after a thriller, having led by nine points three minutes from time.
“How the hell can a team be magnificent when they lost?” asked Keohane, widely regarded as the hardest-hitting SA columnist.
Home games against Bulls, and offform Stormers next Saturday, offer Sharks a chance to close the 11-point gap the Lions have opened at the top of the South African standings.
Bulls, who lie fourth with only nine points from a possible 30, face a triple threat from the Du Preez family when they oppose Sharks at Kings Park stadium in Durban.
Father Robert du Preez is a former Springbok scrumhalf and, as head coach of Sharks, will be plotting the downfall of Bulls, who lost their previous three away matches this year.
Son Robert du Preez plays flyhalf and enters the fixture as the leading Super Rugby scorer this season with 100 points, having successfully converted his last 20 kicks at goal.
His brother, Jean-Luc du Preez, has been described by the Johannesburg Star daily as “comfortably the best loose-forward in South Africa”.
The New South Wales Waratahs are doing everything they can not to let the sideshow of Israel Folau’s anti-gay comments on social media to sidetrack them from tomorrow’s Super Rugby clash with the Queensland Reds.
The Wallabies star, a devout Christian, created a furore when he remarked on Instagram that God’s plan for gay people was “HELL”.
Folau, who is out of action with a hamstring injury, has been told by Rugby Australia “to think about” the impact of his comments amid pressure from sponsors and reports that some of his NSW teammates have conflicting views on his comments.
“Our focus now is on ensuring we get to this Reds game,” Waratahs assistant coach Chris Malone said.
“It’s a great opportunity for us after beating three Australian conference rivals in the last few weeks. It’s a really big game for us and really exciting at the Sydney Cricket Ground.”
The Melbourne Rebels are expecting plenty of emotion and “Latin blood” from Argentina’s Jaguares in their showdown in Melbourne tomorrow. Coming off a loss to the Hurricanes and a bye, the Rebels are looking to hold on to their lead in the Australian conference before a two-week South African road trip to meet the Bulls and the Stormers.
But the Rebels are first expecting a torrid struggle with the Jaguares.
“We expect them (Jaguares) to come with a lot of emotional, South American, Latin blood,” Rebels forwards coach Joe Barakat said.
“There are parts of their game we have to make sure we are able to control, and if we do that and play our football, the result will be pretty good.” —