Hurricanes boosted by Ardie Savea’s return

David Skippers

All Blacks back-row Ardie Savea will return to Super Rugby via the replacements bench as the Hurricanes face the Blues at Eden Park on Sunday.

For the last four weeks, the Wellington-based side has been preparing for 10 rounds of domestic derbies in Super Rugby Aotearoa, after Covid-19 brought the sporting world to a halt.

Hurricanes head coach Jason Holland says his team is raring to go.

“It was the toughest selection for a long time, with very few injuries and most players desperate for an opportunity,” he said.

In the back-line, co-captain TJ Perenara forms a halfback partnership with Jackson Garden-Bachop while Ngani Laumape and Vince Aso are the centre combination. Chase Tiatia starts at full-back and is joined in the back three by wings Ben Lam and Wes Goosen.

Up front, veteran hooker and co-captain Dane Coles packs down alongside props Tyrel Lomax and Fraser Armstrong while former Blues player Scott Scrafton and James Blackwell start in the second-row.

Gareth Evans lines up at number eight with Du’Plessis Kirifi and Reed Prinsep completing the back-row as the starting flankers.

As for Savea, he has not played a game for the Hurricanes this year, after undergoing knee surgery at the end of 2019.

Whilst he starts on the bench, Holland says it’s great to have the flanker back in the mix.

“Ardie has progressed well and it’s awesome to see him excited about getting back out there,” he added.

Sunday could mean redemption for the Hurricanes, who went down to the Blues 24-15 in Wellington in March.

Holland says he’s expecting an extremely physical game.

“The team that wins the physical battle and is the most disciplined in the heat of the battle will go a long way to getting a result.”

Any fears of Super Rugby Aotearoa going ahead behind closed doors are all but a distant memory now, with 37,500 expected to flood through the gates at Eden Park.

Hurricanes: 15 Chase Tiatia, 14 Wes Goosen, 13 Vince Aso, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Ben Lam, 10 Jackson Garden-Bachop, 9 TJ Perenara (cc), 8 Gareth Evans, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 6 Reed Prinsep, 5 Scott Scrafton, 4 James Blackwell, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Dane Coles (cc), 1 Fraser Armstrong
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Tevita Mafileo, 18 Alex Fidow, 19 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 20 Vaea Fifita, 21 Ardie Savea, 22 Jamie Booth, 23 Billy Proctor

Date: Sunday, June 14
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 15:35 (04:35 BST, 03:35 GMT)
Referee: Mike Fraser
Assistant referees: Ben O’Keeffe, James Doleman
TMO: Brendon Pickerill

 

Hurricanes