Perenara: ‘Preparation is key’

Editor

Scrum-half TJ Perenara opened about about preparation and doubts ahead of their Super Rugby quarter-final against the Sharks.

The All Black revealed that preparation seems to be the key for the Hurricanes, who will be looking to make the semi-final stage for the eighth time in Super Rugby history this weekend.

"We know that preparation is a key for this team," the 24-year-old told Stuff.

"If we can prepare well, we tend to perform well, so doing the same things that we've been doing for a big part of this year [is the key]."

After a bonus point win over the Crusaders on the weekend, the Wellington-based franchise moved to the top of the table and thus find themselves in pole position to go all the way to the title, as home ground advantage is a factor.

Perenara added that despite this and being overwhelming favourites going into Saturday's clash, there are doubters out there.

"We'll continually get doubted," added Perenara, who earned a runners-up medal in 2015, the second time the Hurricanes have lost in the final.

"There are going to be people that support us and there are going to be people that don't support us.

"So we've got to make sure that we have belief within our team, belief within our structures and we know that the only opinions that matter are the people that are within our group, because that's the people that can affect the way we play on the weekend."

Perenara added that they will not be taking the Sharks for granted, given that they slipped up against them in Durban, losing 32-15 in Round 11.

"They counter-attack pretty well, they put us under pressure and we made a few errors," he added.

"I guess they lived off a lot of things we did poorly and they put us in positions where we made errors. We've got to take ownership of our skillset and make sure we don't give them those sort of opportunities."