Full strength Hurricanes brace for semi

Tana Umaga in training today. Marty Melville / Getty Images

It was all rosy in Hurricanes-land today: the sun shone, the stadium sold out in a few hours and the team sheet read "full strength" for the biggest match in their history.

Coach Colin Cooper, pending a final fitness test on All Blacks lock Jason Eaton's ankle tomorrow, named his strongest side for their first home semifinal against the Waratahs here on Friday.

Back in the starting 15 after missing Saturday's 19-14 win against the same opponents in Sydney are first five-eighth David Holwell and lock Paul Tito, while Eaton was bracketed with Luke Andrews.

"He got through pretty well today, it's just how he recovers from tomorrow's training," Cooper said of Eaton, whom he still rated a 95 per cent chance of running on to Westpac Stadium.

The steadying influence of veteran Holwell, recovered from an infected knee, was preferred to Jimmy Gopperth, while Tito got the all-clear on his ankle problem which sidelined him for two matches.

"He (Holwell) was brought to help bring on Jimmy and Tamati (Ellison), and he's done that and even more," Cooper said.

"The old master's moved ahead of them. We select our team on performance and he's been performing."

Assuming Eaton comes through tomorrow's training safely, it reunites the Hurricanes' two main ballwinners in a tough lineout joust with Waratahs' giants Dan Vickerman and Al Kanaar.

Cooper acknowledged his lineout had taken a "backward step" with the changing combinations in recent weeks.

Eaton, 23 and in his first season with the Hurricanes, has been one of the form forwards of the Super 14 and ensured himself many more All Blacks jerseys.

Outside his three tests on last year's Grand Slam tour, this will be the biggest match of his career.

"The ankle's coming along nicely. I'm confident at this stage but I won't know until tomorrow," Eaton said.

"I'm keen, definitely. I haven't played too much finals football -- I played a club semifinal a few years ago and lost it."

Despite the bruising second half defensive effort against the Waratahs, Hurricanes hardman Jerry Collins rated the team "in the best nick we've been in for a last couple of weeks."

The occasion will be the biggest in the Hurricanes' 11-year history as their first home semifinal.

All but 800 of the final 16,000 tickets had been snapped up by 11am, and just a handful were left late today.

The Hurricanes trained with the warm sun on their backs and hoped for more of the same on Friday, when early drizzle is forecast to give way to fine weather.

The Hurricanes have comfortably lost all three of their previous semifinals, against the Crusaders in 2003 and 2005, and the Brumbies in 1997.

But Holwell said lessons had been learned.

"You've got to have a lot of belief in the side. We know all the characters in this team have big hearts and can defend our line.

"Just playing smart and playing in the right areas of the field, and put the opposition under pressure and see which team can handle it the best."

Hurricanes:

Isaia Toeava, Lome Fa'atau, Ma'a Nonu, Tana Umaga, Shannon Paku, David Holwell, Piri Weepu, Rodney So'oialo (captain), Chris Masoe, Jerry Collins, Jason Eaton/Luke Andrews, Paul Tito, Neemia Tialata, Andrew Hore, John Schwalger.

Reserves:

Tamati Ellison, Jimmy Gopperth, Brendan Haami, Thomas Waldrom, Luke Andrews/Ross Kennedy, Joe McDonnell, Luke Mahoney.

- NZPA