Canes use 9 hookers as roster hits 50mark

The Hurricanes reached a unique milestone when Riley Higgins took the field in the second half of their 67-5 win over the Fijian Drua on Sunday, and it had nothing to do with the score.

The 19-year-old midfielder became the 50th different player to feature for the Hurricanes in the first 11 games of the Super Rugby Pacific season when he made his debut in the franchise’s third-biggest win.

That is 12 players more than were originally named in the 38-man squad with Covid-19 related illness, injuries, suspensions and All Blacks rest policies testing the Hurricanes’ depthmore than ever before.

‘‘I think it’s the state of the world a little bit with Covid,’’ coach Jason Holland said. ‘‘Covid gives a lot of guys opportunities and it’s ripped through all the teams and teams have been scrambling to get people in during the week.’’

There is one position where the Hurricanes have felt the pinch the most. Nine of the 50 players to have taken the field for the Hurricanes this season have been hookers.

Dane Coles added his name to a long list that also includes Asafo Aumua, James O’Reilly, Jacob Devery, Siua Maile, Raymond Tuputupu, Kianu Kereru-Symes, Bruce Kauika-Peterson and Leni Apisai when he made his comeback from a long-terminjury in the 11 tries to one rout of the Drua.

‘‘He was the ninth. I haven’t come across that in my coaching career but that’s the story of the season, isn’t it?’’

Holland has continually said that some of the fill-ins will have cool stories to share about their debuts for the Hurricanes, but it will be hard to top Tuputupu, who played in the round five win over the Highlanders.

The 18-year-old had never even played provincial rugby and had to drive down from Palmerston North on game day after Aumua tested positive for Covid-19, and various other hookers were unavailable through injury. Tuputupu ended up coming on in the second half.

‘‘They have to stay by their phones, these boys,’’ he said.