Lomax keen to shine at dad’s happy place
Hurricanes coach Jason Holland expects All Blacks prop Tyrel Lomax ‘‘to be firing’’ on his return to a Canberra ground where his dad became a crowd cult hero.
The 26-year-old tighthead will bookend the Hurricanes scrum against a Brumbies side that prides itself on its set piece in tomorrow’s Super Rugby Pacific clash in Canberra.
The Brumbies play at GIO Stadium, the bush-fringed Canberra stadium where former Kiwis enforcer John Lomax played for the Raiders rugby league team from 1993 to 1996 and was part of their 1994 championship team.
‘‘I’m looking forward to Loey having a couple of hit-ups like his old man,’’ Holland said.
Tyrel Lomax – a two-try hero in the 30-17 comeback win over the Reds last week – was born in Canberra in 1996, his father’s last year with the Raiders.
He began his senior representative rugby career there with the Canberra Vikings in 2015 before joining the Rebels’ Super Rugby squad.
Lomax has since become an All Black – with 14 test caps since 2018 – after settling back in New Zealand where he played for the Highlanders before joining the Hurricanes, near the Lomax whānau heartland of Wainuiomata.
Now he returns to Canberra for a potential clash with two veteran Wallabies looseheads Scott Sio (starting) and James Slipper (bench).
Holland said Lomax looms as a key figure.
‘‘The set piece is a massive part of their game.
‘‘Defending mauls is big for us, the scrum is big for us, and the things I think Loey does better than any other prop around the country, his ability to get around the field and carry in tackles.
‘‘First and foremost, we need to have that scrum really solid, so we can hold the ball and put them under pressure.’’
Lomax – 1.92m and 127kg – had a week off when his partner had a baby a fortnight ago, but returned to start against the Reds.
He crashed over for a try just before halftime and grabbed another
What: Who: Where, when: Hurricanes:
Brumbies: soon after the restart and Holland believes he’ll be better against the Brumbies for that earlier outing.
He – and the rest of the Hurricanes – will have to crank it up against Dan McKellar’s men, the only Australian side to post a win in the Super Rugby Melbourne round.
Holland knows the Hurricanes must respond better after conceding 17 first-half points to the Reds in ‘‘probably the poorest 30 minutes we’ve had all year’’.
Poor discipline – a rash of avoidable penalties and yellow cards to centre Bailyn Sullivan (tip tackle) and prop Pouri Rakete-Stones (high tackle) – cost the Canes dearly.
‘‘When we don’t play well, or we find we are under pressure and don’t have the ball, we’re ill-disciplined,’’ said Holland, who vowed his players were determined to atone.
Jordie Barrett’s second successive game at fullback might not do much for his All Blacks second fiveeighth selection case, but it will bolster the Hurricanes’ goal-line defence against the predations of Brumbies ball-carriers Darcy Swain, Rob Valetini and Jahrome Brown, the former Waikato flanker.
There is also no rest this week for workaholic Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea.
With Du’Plessis Kirifi, Devan Flanders, Brayden Iose and Reed Prinsep crocked, Holland needs his All Blacks ace against the Brumbies’ handy back row of Valetini, Brown and Pete Samu.