Super 12 a World Cup trial for Kiwis
In the first semi-final in Christchurch today, the defending champions Canterbury Crusaders face the erratic Wellington Hurricanes, who are still without New Zealand superstar Jonah Lomu.
Tomorrow, the youthful Auckland Blues, top of the points table, meet Australia’s battered ACT Brumbies, who only just scraped into the last four under the leadership of Wallaby scrum-half George Gregan.
Bookmakers are betting on a Blues v Crusaders final but there are enough variables to produce reasonable uncertainty as players jostle to catch the eye of New Zealand selectors.
The Blues, who have an unbeaten home record, began the season playing some scintillating rugby, with Fijians Joe Rokocoko and Rupeni Caucaunibuca and fly-half Carlos Spencer in sparkling form.
The team finished the round robin nine points clear of second-placed Crusaders, scoring more points and tries and conceding fewer points than any other side.
Caucau is out with a stress fracture but Spencer seems to be getting better with each game and has marshalled his backline with lethal effectiveness.
Blues coach Peter Sloane said his young side have not been fazed by the demands of a tough series and have acquired their share of possession and then relied on systems for attack and defence.
“You don’t want to get hurt but we are not the sort of side which grinds away, grinds away and grinds away,” Sloane said.
Brumbies coach David Nucifora goes into the game having lost, through injury, Wallabies backs Stephen Larkham, Andrew Walker and Stirling Mortlock, forcing the team to play their most inexperienced backline of the season.
Brumbies full-back Joe Roff said their match would be the toughest they had faced. “It’s a big task ahead, but one we are looking forward to.”
Gregan is relieved Caucau, who scored twice when the Blues defeated the Brumbies, will not line up against him. “He ran through about six or seven blokes, including me a couple of times,” Gregan said. “He made a lot of us look silly.”
Meanwhile, Canterbury have recalled All Black lock Norm Maxwell in a sign they will target the Hurricanes’ dreadful lineout. Maxwell replaces Brad Thorn, who has been in superb form in his past two starts and who scored the match-clinching try in last week’s 28-21 win over the Brumbies.
“It’s obviously not a form issue,” Crusaders coach Robbie Deans said. “We are looking for Maxy to put some pressure on early, and you’ll obviously get to see Brad in the game.”
The Hurricanes’ lineout struggled against the Blues last week, losing 50% of their own throws.
Justin Marshall has returned to the Crusaders’ line-up, while Deans has made another change to the backline with vice-captain Aaron Mauger getting the nod at fly-half over All Blacks colleague Andrew Mehrtens.
Marshall said he was not happy to find the Hurricanes as their semi-final rivals. “There are a lot of sides you can prepare quite well for, but the Hurricanes are too unpredictable,” he said. “They’ve got so much talent and they can create things from anywhere.”
Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper said their training stressed avoiding mistakes, revealing that in their game against the Blues last week they turned possession over to the Blues 43 times and lost half their lineouts.
“When you turn the ball over 43 times through pressure situations you have to try and put the team under that pressure situation at training,” Cooper said.
“If we turn over that much ball against the Crusaders, we won’t be there at the end. We have to be more accurate and show more control with the ball. At this level the pressure is on you to make the right decision, you don’t get the same space and time we had in earlier games.”
Cooper, the Crusaders forwards coach last year, has modelled the Hurricanes on his old team. “The Crusaders have great structure and build that around their X-factor players. They are also very patient and we’re still learning that part of the game,” he said.
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