As the saying goes, there is a hurricane brewing down south and if the Super Rugby tournament has taught us anything, the Brumbies will have a hard time surviving it.
In the first semi-final of the 2015 campaign, the Hurricanes will play host to the Brumbies in Wellington, a luxury granted to them considering they finished top of the combined log.
Coach Chris Boyd has the ability to field a near perfect squad for their match. Flyhalf Beauden Barrett, who has been recovering from a knee injury for what seems like ages, is back to fitness and ready to return to the number 10 jersey.
The Hurricanes have been dealt a fairly big blow with Cory Jane remaining on the bench after aggravating a previous injury in the final game of the regular season. This will see newly named All Black Nehe Milner-Skudder move to the wing while utility back James Marshall will continue at fullback.
With Jane out of the team, the Canes will be missing just one of their All Blacks and as the Crusaders showed in their final game, fielding every international player one posses brings the results each and every time.
Brumbies Coach Stephen Larkham has yet to name his squad that will face this determined Hurricanes team, however, since returning from South Africa after their win against the Stormers, the Brumbies have had just one training session as well as seen their winger Henry Speight suspended for five weeks.
Prop Scott Sio is expected to ring up his 50th Super Rugby cap on Saturday but considering the Brumbies find themselves with the second lowest success rate in scrums and conceding the second most penalties, Sio might just have a game to forget.
Coach Larkam has been quick to voice his opinion about the rest week the Hurricanes will be coming from, claiming it can make them rusty and slightly out of tune with one another but with a win-loss record of 14-2, the Hurricanes have the numbers to silence him pretty effectively.
Apart from a game that is guaranteed to produce plenty of entertainment, there will be a special tribute before the game to legendary All Blacks and Hurricanes player, Jerry Collins. Reports suggest that amongst the tributes, there will be a no 6 jersey passed around the stadium to commemorate the tragic death of Collins and his wife.
Emotions will be running high for both players and spectators, as the Westpac stadium hosts their first semi-final since 2006, a time when Collins was patrolling the park himself.
When the team first learned of his death, they went on to demolish the Highlanders 56-20, a fate the Brumbies could be faced with if they fail to establish control early on in the game.
If I was a betting woman, I would put my money on the Canes. They have consistently performed throughout the tournament and with a team as strong as they are fielding, I struggle to see the Brumbies come out victorious.
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