The Hurricanes are, by any standard, enjoying a magnificent season in Super 15. At the same point in last year’s competition, The Sharks were top (it’s basically been all downhill since then…) with 40 points having played 12 games. The Hurricanes currently stand on 48 points having played a game less, they have scored four tries or more in seven out of eleven games and lead the competition in points differential while being one of only two team to score over 300 points and one of only three to concede less than 200. They lead the overall standings by 10 points from The Chiefs and their current point total would have been good enough for a fourth place finish last year; they have five games remaining. All that is to say that despite having missed out on the playoffs last year, this is the best team in this year’s tournament and at the moment it isn’t even close.
Their remaining fixtures do look difficult; they play the aforementioned Chiefs twice as well as The Crusaders, Highlanders and Blues. However, given how well they’ve played this year, going 4-1 or even 5-0 in that run of games is a distinct possibility. Of course, going on this brilliant run has required their star players (and there are quite a few of them) to perform at a consistently high level, providing the team with the hints of stardust that have helped them through close games, while also being able to take the handbrake off and morph into rugby’s answer to The Avengers to leave teams floundering in their wake.
These are the players that have garnered the most attention of course, with Beauden Barrett’s rise, Ma’a Nonu’s resurgence and Julian Savea’s weekly Jonah Lomu impersonations rightly grabbing the headlines. Nonetheless, a team this good isn’t just a group of six or seven stars surrounded by a bunch of also-rans and try-hards. Around their stars, The Hurricanes management has gathered a group of young, hungry, talented players that provide the platform from which their more illustrious teammates can express themselves, here we take a closer look at a few of those individuals.
James Broadhurst: Perhaps the most noticeable of The Hurricanes unheralded contributors, Broadhurst, along with Ardie Savea and Victor Vito, is one of the team’s main ball carriers, a role he ably fills with his two metre, 120kg frame. Always a willing runner, there have been numerous times this year where he has got the team on the front foot with a bulldozing run or by drawing players toward him before showing off his surprisingly subtle offloading skills (he’s the joint leader on the team in that department with 14). He is equally physical and mobile in defence, with his ability to make tackles when in space out wide especially impressive. More than anything else though, with Vito, Dane Coles and Jeremy Thrush all missing games through injury recently, Broadhurst has provided much needed leadership and stability to The Canes forward pack in their absence.
Brad Shields: Another player who was called upon to take a bigger role when The Hurricanes experienced some injuries in the forwards was Brad Shields, who started the season at blindside flanker before moving over to number eight when Vito went down. While Shields isn’t the athlete or ball carrier Vito is, he is perhaps an even more effective linkman between forwards and backs, with his excellent support play, hands and decision making meaning he has been key in many of The Hurricanes more expansive moves. The same high work rate that makes him such a valuable asset in attack also means that he can cover a lot of ground in defence, where he is joint leader in the team with 113 tackles. However, last week against The Sharks, Shields started on the bench with Blade Thomson at six and Vito back healthy at eight. This could be a sign of things to come for the versatile back rower, with Vito guaranteed to start big games when healthy and Thomson providing more dynamism and running ability in attack. Even if he is consigned mostly to a bench role for the rest of the season though, Shields will never let the side down in crucial situations.
Reggie Goodes: Like Shields, Goodes started every game until last weekend, when he came off the bench after 50 minutes to replace Chris Eves. He provides a good complement to seasoned veteran Ben Franks, who, at 32 isn’t able to provide the same steady work rate Goodes can at just 23. In the scrum Goodes can hold his own with most in the competition as well, and has shown growth in that area since a slightly rocky start to the season. Close to the line he is also a very effective carrier, as he is able either get very low and burrow his was over or simply power over the top of defenders, as he did against The Crusaders in round 12.
Blade Thomson: Already mentioned as the man who seems to be in a straight shootout with Shields for the blindside flanker role. Having missed four games through injury in the middle of the season Thomson announced his return in emphatic style against The Crusaders, with has first touch of the ball being a scything line break off the back of a lineout. A few minutes later he was also on the end of a sweeping counterattack, showing great acceleration to beat the covering defence and score in the corner. That is where he adds an element Shields can’t compete with, he has excellent balance and quick feet for a player his size, at times looking more like a centre out wide than his more heavy-footed captain Conrad Smith. Defensively he is similarly active; however, in attack, when The Hurricanes play Savea, Vito and Thomson in the back row, with Coles at hooker, they have four forwards who really do look like backs at times in attack which, given the quality of actual backs they combine with, makes them almost impossible to defend.
Matt Proctor: It’s harder to come up with a back who fits the description of unheralded. Firstly, by their very nature backs are flashier and get more attention than their more workmanlike team mates. Secondly, in this Hurricanes side, there are also very few who haven’t been picked for New Zealand, and while I do think Cory Jane is under-appreciated (when playing on the opposite sideto the best winger of his generation who wouldn’t be?), but to call someone with over 50 caps for one of the best teams in sports unheralded is a bit of a stretch. Equally the one back who regularly starts without an international cap to his name is Nehe Milner-Skudder and he’s garnered more attention than just about anyone else in the squad with his phenomenal play. So instead I’ve gone with James Marshall, The Hurricanes utility back who, when the side is at full strength, will usually only play 10-20 minutes, although due to a mixture of a few injuries and resting players, Marshall has started five games, and played in the other six. He’s a beautifully balanced player, with a good step off both feet and the ability to breeze past arm tackles despite his lack of stature. He has recently been filling in admirably for Barrett at fly half, however, he is probably better at full back or winger, where his vision and agility are especially evident when counterattacking. When Barrett returns, he will likely be forced into a bit part role for the rest of the season, but given his natural talent and willingness to link up with teammates, he could still have a telling impact even in limited minutes.
Honorable mentions: Motu Matu’u, Matt Proctor, Callum Gibbins, Mark Abbott
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