Can Ardie’s absence be overcome?
If you’re a Hurricanes rugby fan, youmight want to avert your eyes. The news today is decidedly bleak for followers of Super Rugby’s great entertainers.
A group who have become accustomed to a diet of Super Rugby at the pointy end of proceedings might just have to reset their expectations for 2020. Theway things are shaping, a sixth straight playoff appearance shapes as some challenge for John Plumtree’smen.
Things took a decided turn for theworse on the back of the news that outstanding loose forward Ardie Savea could miss a serious chunk of the campaign while he recovers from knee surgery forced by an injury sustained in that ill-fated World Cup semifinal against England.
This comes on top of the departure of talismanic playmaker Beauden Barrett to the Blues and leaves the Canes with the exceedingly difficult prospect of having to replace their two most influential performers for 2020.
As one-two punches go, this was one of Andy Ruiz-like devastation.
Maybe, justmaybe, they could have found a way forward without the mercurial talents of Barrett in the pivot. They certainly have plenty of other game-breakers in their backline to potentially step up and assume the responsibilities, including another bloke named Barrett who justmight thrive on that challenge.
But Savea? There is, simply, no replacing the irreplaceable. The 26-year-old is coming off a signature season with both the Hurricanes and All Blacks. He is in the form of his life, playing rugby that not only takes the breath away for those of us lucky to watch it, but that clearly inspires his team-mates alongside.
He is perpetualmotion, leg drive, workrate, athleticism, speed, strength and exquisite timing all rolled into one near perfect specimen of a loose forward.
And one heck of a decent bloke with it.
Now the Canes face having to negotiate a big segment of this campaign (with a recovery time of between three and six months) without their driving force, spiritual difference-maker and best forward. For a team not exactly renowned for the quality of its work up front, it’s a daunting prospect indeed.
All is not lost, of course. Savea is just one player. And in rugby good teams find away to overcome the defections of a key figure or two. The group is always mightier than its moving parts, as it were.
And maybe, given his remarkable qualities, he heals at twice the speed of usmere mortals. It wouldn’t surprise.
There is still some quality there too. Gareth Evans and Vaea Fifita now become vital figureswith their experience and Du’plessis Kirifi, if he’s smart, will recognise this as a gilt-edged opportunity to make his big move in the professional ranks.
But the Canes are likely to be hugely tested. As it was they were going to have to figure a few things out around an attack without Barrett in the vanguard.
Now theymust also conjure a way forwardwithout the premier loosie in the game.
The question also looms: will they have Plumtree to mastermind this assault in 2020?
We’re told he’s part of Ian Foster’s pitch to be next All Blacks head coach and that the impressive group the incumbent assistant has put together is also at very short odds to win the nomination.
So does Plumtree depart immediately? Or is he allowed to oversee one last Super Rugby campaign before he steps into the All Blacks fold? You would think the latter, butwewill know soon enough with December 12 being suggested as the day all is revealed.
Whoever is in charge, they will be doing very, very well to mastermind a sixth straight appearance in Super Rugby’s finals. The Hurricanes were runners-up in 2015, champs the next year and have been beatem semifinalists the last three campaigns. They know there or thereabouts very well indeed.
Now comes maybe their greatest challenge. Let’s see if it’s one that brings the best out in a franchise thatmust now find resilience to match their brilliance.