Hurricanes rejects will be revved up

MASTER of motivation Jamie Joseph won’t have to say a lot to get his side going ahead of tonight’s Super Rugby match against the Hurricanes.

Sitting in the visitors’ changing room under Westpac Stadium will be hooker Andrew Hore, a man who gave 10 years and 106 gritty appearances to his opponents’ cause before being ushered out the door last year.

Nearby will be former Hurricanes Hosea Gear, Tamati Ellison and Nick Crosswell who, along with Manawatu team-mates Ma’afu Fia and Aaron Smith and Wellington wing Buxton Popoalii, might feel they have a point to prove in the capital.

Joseph dismisses any spite but doesn’t doubt the aforementioned will be keen to put in a good showing for obvious reasons.

‘‘I don’t talk to the team about that stuff but definitely it’s going to be there going through their heads,’’ Joseph said after arriving in Wellington yesterday.

‘‘Especially, for Horey, Hosea and Tams [Ellison] I guess. Horey has played 100 games for the Canes, so how can he not be motivated.’’

The same could be said for halfback Jimmy Cowan, who gets a start after playing second fiddle to up-and-comer Smith for the past two matches.

But Joseph

doesn’t

believe

it takes any special potions to get his players up for big matches saying it is the physical side of the game, rather than the mental, that must be carefully monitored.

To that end he’s made a couple of changes to his starting XV including resting tighthead prop Chris King, who is struggling with a sore groin, and handing Fia his first Super Rugby start.

In other changes, Colin Slade has predictably come in for the injured Lima Sopoaga at first fiveeighth with Ben Smith slotting in at fullback after recovering from a head knock.

Chris Noakes, a hero of the opening round win over the Chiefs, returns from an ankle injury to sit on the bench.