On the road again: Johannesburg next stop for Hurricanes
Lions shouldn’t scare Hurricanes in semifinal
Can the Lions play any worse than that? Can the Hurricanes, for that matter?
The complete absence of New Zealand exposure in 2017 makes the Lions hard to read. But the assumption is that their 14-1 Super Rugby record this season flatters them enormously.
Yesterday’s come-from-behind 23-21 quarterfinal win over the Sharks was unimpressive and the charitable will claim they won’t be that bad again. Others might suggest that’s the Lions’ level.
We’ll know for sure come Sunday morning (NZT), once the Hurricanes have made their semifinal appearance at Ellis Park. Until then, the 50-17 win the Hurricanes enjoyed in Johannesburg last year is probably the most reliable yardstick.
Friday’s 35-16 quarterfinal win over the Brumbies was a good outcome for the Hurricanes.
By head coach Chris Boyd’s own admission, the performance was poor. People were impatient and inaccurate and allowed the Brumbies to impose themselves physically, Boyd said.
There are any number of reasons why the Hurricanes will want to play well in South Africa; not least because their coach has basically challenged them to.
It’s classic light the fuse and stand well back-type stuff.
One thing the Hurricanes can’t do is lament the fact they’re in Johannesburg and not Wellington, which is where they would have ended up had the Sharks hung on.
‘‘To play the Lions in a packed Ellis Park, I think we’d be pretty stimulated by that,’’ said Boyd.
The team left Sydney for Africa yesterday, with a full complement of players to pick from.
That includes centre Vince Aso, who passed a Saturday morning fitness test and immediately flew out to join the team in Sydney.
Hooker Ricky Riccitelli was the only potential injury concern out of the Brumbies game but, so far at least, has shown no ill-effects of a first-half hit that required a concussion test.
Dane Coles made a brief appearance while Riccitelli was up the tunnel, before replacing him for good after 50 minutes.
‘‘I’m happy to play off the bench or start. I’ll do what’s best for the team. I don’t mind coming off the bench for a bit of impact,’’ Coles said.
Starting Coles, particularly in a potentially hostile environment, will be a huge temptation for Boyd.
Beyond the fact it takes New Zealand teams a long time to get to Johannesburg, the Lions’ greatest strength is arguably their venue and its aura.
The Hurricanes are making a habit of slow starts, but won’t be able to rely on a good second 40 forever. Having Coles out there from the get-go would probably get things going better, sooner.
Tempering that view will be what happened in Canberra. The performance of bench forwards Coles, Chris Eves, Loni Uhila, Reed Prinsep and, especially, Callum Gibbins was about the only thing Boyd praised afterwards.
It will depend upon the degree to which Boyd rates the injection of Coles as a potential boost.
The other interesting selection will be on the right wing. Wes Goosen didn’t begin the season as a first-choice option, but he’s increasingly likely to finish it that way.
The 21-year-old scored two tries against the Brumbies, but it’s his workrate off the ball and on defence that makes him valuable. Aso’s return makes things intriguing.
Jordie Barrett has deputised well at centre in Aso’s absence, with Nehe Milner-Skudder impressing in Barrett’s fullback spot too.
Do you leave Goosen or Julian Savea out to accommodate Aso’s return - pushing Milner-Skudder back to the wing - or keep things as they’ve been for the last two games and limit Aso to the bench?
Beat the Lions and the Hurricanes would be in a third successive final; either away to the Crusaders or at home against the Chiefs. If the Lions win this semifinal instead, it won’t be because the occasion got to the visitors.
‘‘We’ve got a good experienced group so we know what to do,’’ Boyd said.