Boyd confident his band doesn’t need ‘rock stars’
Loosehead prop, second five-eighth and back-up halfback will have merited some discussion at Hurricanes HQ, the last few days.
Reggie Goodes’ latest head knock and a calf strain for Loni Uhila meant Ben May donned the No.1 jumper for the first time in three years, during the opening 40 minutes of Friday’s preseason clash with the Crusaders in Waverley.
May met a Crusaders tight five boasting All Blacks props Owen Franks and Joe Moody, with Sam Whitelock and Scott Barrett pushing hard from the second row. The results were predictable as May and the rest of the Hurricanes’ second or third-string tight forwards were regularly shunted backwards in the first half of an eventual 33-27 win.
Nevertheless, Hurricanes head coach Chris Boyd was happy with May’s contribution after shifting over from his usual spot on the tighthead side of the scrum.
The team flies to Tokyo this week, where they’ll meet the Sunwolves in round one of the Super Rugby season. Uhila’s rated a ‘‘50-50’’ chance to be on the plane, meaning May’s right in contention to be the starting loosehead at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium.
Jeff To’omaga-Allen is the preferred starting tighthead and then you’ve got May and Chris Eves who can do a job on either side, with Mike Kainga and Uhila the other props who’ll presumably travel to Japan.
Midfield is interesting. Matt Proctor appears as if he’ll start at centre more often than not, after doing a fine job in concert with second five-eighth Willis Halaholo. Halaholo plies his trade in Wales these days, which leaves Vince Aso, Ngani Laumape and Pita Ahki as options to take his place.
Aso did well last year, before losing his spot to Halaholo, while Laumape’s powerful, direct running is a real weapon and Ahki is rated by Boyd but only just back after a long injury layoff.
‘‘I have confidence in all of those guys. You add Jordie [Barrett] into that mix and whilst we don’t have any rock stars in that space, I’m really comfortable that we’ve got a group of players that will deliver for us when we need [them] to,’’ said Boyd.
Jordie Barrett sounds as if he’ll be in the match-day 23 against the Sunwolves and ‘‘might end up covering midfield, but he certainly won’t start there,’’ Boyd added.
The 20-year-old started at fullback in Waverley and - given it was the first time they’d played together - formed a useful combination with first fiveeighth Beauden Barrett.
The younger Barrett’s utility value make him a useful bench option, with Nehe Milner-Skudder the likely firstchoice fullback.
TJ Perenara will start at halfback in Tokyo but the Hurricanes are uncertain who his understudy will be. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Kylem O’Donnell are the other No.9s in the squad but aren’t 100 per cent fit and veteran Chris Smylie was drafted in to play the Crusaders.
Only he tweaked a hamstring and Kemara Hauiti-Parapara started instead, with Perenara replacing the youngster at halftime.
Boyd said he and his staff ‘‘still have a decision to make’’ about who’ll back up Perenara.
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