Preview: Brumbies v Hurricanes

Editor

The Brumbies will have to deliver their best performance of the season if they want to beat the Hurricanes in their quarter-final in Canberra on Friday.

Beating the defending champions is no mean feat and a Brumbies victory would be a momentous one as it would be the first triumph by an Australian side against New Zealand opposition in the 2017 competition.

This, after teams from the Land of the Long White Cloud won 25 matches on the trot against their Tasman rivals this year.

The Brumbies finished the 2017 regular season as the Australian Conference champions with a record of six wins and nine losses including a 56-21 loss to the Hurricanes in Napier in Round 9.

Overall the Hurricanes have played the Brumbies 23 times with the men from Canberra holding a 13-10 overall win-loss advantage. The Brumbies hold an 8-4 advantage at GIO Stadium.

The two clubs have faced each other twice before in play-off matches with the Brumbies winning 33-20 in Canberra in 1997 and the Hurricanes winning 29-9 in Wellington in 2015.

The Brumbies have won five of their last seven games against the Hurricanes (L2), although their two defeats in that run came in their last three meetings; they also conceded their equal most ever points against the Wellington side in their most recent clash (56).

Although his side scored a half century of points in a one-sided win against the Brumbies earlier this year, Hurricanes head coach Chris Boyd said his squad are preparing for a tough battle in Canberra.

"The Brumbies are a quality side and we're not reading anything into their results this season," he said.

"They have a proven record in Super Rugby over a long period and will be hard to beat at home."

Despite playing at home, Brumbies skipper Sam Carter concedes that his side are the underdogs but said that does not faze them.

“We’re more than happy to take the underdog tag,” he said.

“That’s historically what the Brumbies have been over the past 20-odd years and we really enjoy that side of the game.”

Carter expects a tough assignment but said his side are ready for the challenge.

“They’re dangerous as we learnt earlier in the year in Napier,” he added. 

“We were up 21-14 at halftime and playing some good footy. But in the second half we played too much in our end of the field and gave them too many opportunities.

“If you do that against a team like the Hurricanes then they can really capitalise and hurt you. I think we need to play smart football and sticking to our strengths such as the set-piece and breakdown.”

The last time the teams met: The Hurricanes were in a rampant mood and beat the Brumbies 56-21 in Napier on April 21. They outscored their visitors eight tries to three with Vince Aso leading the way with a hat-trick of tries and Callum Gibbins crossing the whitewash twice. Their other tries were scored by Cory Jane and Ngani Laumape and Mark Abbott while Tevita Kuridrani, Sam Carter and Joe Powell dotted down for the Brumbies.

Players to watch: Wallaby blindside flanker Scott Fardy has been a vital cog in the Brumbies set-up for several seasons now. The veteran is strong in the set-phases, especially the lineouts and will be keen to deliver a dominant display in this facet of play in a bid to help his side win the battle up front. He is also strong on attack and will be hoping to give his side momentum with some strong carries up front.

Although his younger brother Jordie has been stealing the limelight of late, World Rugby's reigning player of the year, Beauden Barrett, remains a class act and his return will be a big boost for the champions. Barrett is a potent attacker who will be expected to unlock the Brumbies defence with his brilliant skill-set and if he manages to free up his dangerous outside backs, it could be a long day at the office for the home side.

Team news: Christian Lealiifano will make his long-awaited return for the Brumbies after being named on the replacements bench for this encounter. Lealiifano has been out of Super Rugby since being diagnosed with leukaemia 10 months ago. Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has reverted to most of the side that played against the Reds in Brisbane a fortnight ago with two enforced changes from that starting XV. Season ending injuries to Kyle Godwin at inside centre and Aidan Toua on the left wing, mean a start for James Dargaville out wide and Andrew Smith. Smith showed some good form in the away game against the Chiefs last weekend and will partner Tevita Kuridrani with the back-line offering plenty of pace and movement. Outside backs Tom Banks and Henry Speight are deadly strike-runners, of which the Hurricanes will be all too aware. Up front, Sam Carter is back to lead the side in a pack that contains six Wallaby internationals with only dynamic back-rowers Chris Alcock and Jordan Smiler having not pulled on the Gold jersey. Carter is partnered by Rory Arnold in the second row with Scott Fardy named alongside Alcock and Smiler in the back-row. Scott Sio, Josh Mann-Rea and Allan Alaalatoa line up in the Brumbies front row. On the bench, alongside Lealiifano, there is a spot for utility back Jordan Jackson-Hope, who made his first start of the season at full-back in Hamilton. Larkham has opted for a 5-3 split with Tomas Cubelli back to the replacements bench and youngster Joe Powell continuing in the half-back role he has grown into throughout the campaign.

The Hurricanes have been boosted by the return of All Blacks duo Beauden Barrett and Dane Coles for Friday's quarter-final with the Brumbies in Canberra. Barrett will wear the number 10 jersey after missing the final match of the regular season against the Crusaders due to a sinus infection in the only change to the starting fifteen. Barrett's replacement against the Crusaders, Otere Black, moves to the reserves, but the rest of the Hurricanes backline remains unchanged. Jordie Barrett will again start at outside centre with Vince Aso ruled out for the second match in a row due to a groin strain. Coles will play his first match in four months via the reserves bench. The Hurricanes hooker has not played since he suffered concussion against the Highlanders on March 18. In Coles' absence Ricky Riccitelli has been the preferred hooker with scrum-half TJ Perenara leading the side out and they will continue those roles against the Brumbies. Coles takes James O'Reilly's place in the reserves, while Black bumps wing Ben Lam out of the matchday 23. 

Form: The Brumbies finished their regular season campaign on a low with a narrow defeat against the Brumbies in Brisbane last weekend. Prior to that, they registered back-to-back away victories against the Kings and Jaguares. 

The Hurricanes handed the Crusaders their first defeat of the season when they beat the eight-time champions in Wellington last weekend. That result followed a narrow loss to the Chiefs in Round 16 but before that they claimed impressive wins over the Cheetahs, Bulls and Western Force.

Prediction: The Brumbies might be in their own backyard but that won't faze the champions who will prove too strong for their hosts. Hurricanes to win by 12 points.

Previous results:

2017: Hurricanes won 56-21 in Napier 
2016: Brumbies won 52-10 in Canberra
2015: Hurricanes won 29-9 in Wellington
2014: Brumbies won 29-21 in Wellington
2013: Brumbies won 30-23 in Canberra
2012: Brumbies won 37-25 in Wellington
2011: Brumbies won 17-16 in Canberra
2010: Hurricanes won 23-13 in Canberra
2009: Hurricanes won 56-7 in Wellington

The teams:

Brumbies: 15 Tom Banks, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Andrew Smith, 11 James Dargaville, 10 Wharenui Hawera, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Jordan Smiler, 7 Chris Alcock, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Sam Carter (c), 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Josh Mann-Rea, 1 Scott Sio
Replacements: 16 Robbie Abel, 17 Ben Alexander, 18 Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin, 19 Blake Enever, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Tomas Cubelli, 22 Jordan Jackson-Hope, 23 Christian Lealiifano

Hurricanes: 15 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 14 Wes Goosen, 13 Jordie Barrett, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara (c), 8 Brad Shields, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Vaea Fifita, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Mark Abbott,3  Jeff To'omaga-Allen, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Ben May 
Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Loni Uhila, 19 Reed Prinsep, 20 Callum Gibbins, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Otere Black, 23 Cory Jane

Date: Friday, July 21
Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra
Kick-off: 19:35 local (09:35 GMT)
Referee: Glen Jackson
Assistant Referees: Nic Berry, Will Houston
TMO: Ian Smith