Canes mean business

PRIME BEEF: Hurricanes front rowers Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen (left), Brayden Mitchell and Ben Franks prepare to do battle.

Maybe, just maybe, 2015 is going to be the Hurricanes year.

Having promised much and delivered little since the start of the Super rugby competitions it would take a brave punter to gamble heavily on the Canes challenging hard for the title this time round.

But there were enough positive signs from the 41-31 win over the Crusaders in the pre-season fixture at sunny Eketahuna on Saturday to give hope they will at least be one of the leading contenders when the real deal kicks off for them on Friday, March 13 with a game against the Blues in Palmerston North.

It is, of course, courting danger to read too much into matches of the Eketahuna kind. After all, nothing was at stake, both teams were without several of their All Blacks and combinations were changed on a regular basis.

But it was hard not to admire the way in which the Canes ripped into their work from the start, raced out to a 24-0 lead in about as many minutes and still held a commanding 31-12 advantage at the halftime break.

Nothing impressed more over that period of play than the clinical efficiency of the Hurricanes loose trio, skipper Brad Shields, Ardie Savea and Blade Thomson. Whether it being taking the ball up on attack, aggressively dominating the breakdowns or tackling stoutly around the fringes of the ruck and mauls they were hugely impressive. Thomson would have to be the prime contender for any player of the match award so often was he at the centre of the action. Prop Ben Franks and lock Mark Abbot also took the eye.

Impressive, too, was the slickness of the Canes backs with space often created out wide with the quick transfer of the ball.

Winger Vince Aso often asked questions of the Crusaders defence with his mix of pace and clever footwork, Melbourne Rebels recruit Jason Woodward was similarly lively and fullback Nehe Milner-Skudder showed just why he is rated one of the most dangerous counter attackers in the country.

The Crusaders, by contrast, took all of the first 40 minutes to really get any continuity into their play. They suffered from numerous handling and passing errors and their defence was not up to scratch.

So deficient were they in so many areas that a right old drubbing looked on the cards going into the last two quarters before they managed to lift their effort several notches, and actually outscore the Canes in that period of play.

It was no coincidence that this improvement came after a certain Dan Carter was introduced to the action. It was not that the All Blacks great who, by his own admission, struggled for form through much of last season, did anything special, it was just that his calmness and tactical nous gave the Crusaders the direction they so badly needed. Suddenly other backs like big centre Robbie Fruean and Johnny McNicholl looked full of running with Fruean scoring two late tries which saw the Canes lead reduced to 38-31 before their replacement first-five Otere Black kicked the penalty which sealed the win.

Brad Shields, Jason Woodward, Ben Franks, Geoff Cridge, Reggie Goodes and Matt Practor scored tries for the Hurricanes with Woodward kicking four conversions and Otere Black a penalty goal. Robbie Fruean (2), Matt Todd, Johnny McNicholl and David Havilli scored tries for the Crusaders. Dan Carter kicked two conversions and Richie Mo'unga one.

- Match day pics page 21