Hurricanes declare war

Blues captain Keven Mealamu practises his lineout throw yesterday. Picture / Kenny Rodger

It almost provoked a double-take when Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper declared his side had to front in the Super 14.

While New Zealand has the strongest squads in the series, the coaches are usually reserved when they assess their teams' chances. "Long competition" and "No team can be taken lightly" are stock-standard responses.

However, the softly-spoken Cooper had some menace about his forecast when he weighed up the Hurricanes' prospects against the Blues in tonight's Super 14 opening.

"It is time we took some responsibility," Cooper said.

It was unacceptable for the Hurricanes to be satisfied that they had beaten the Blues for the first time last season. That victory had to be repeated.

"We have built this team over three years and while we have only got two starting All Blacks in the pack, we have been together for some time," Cooper said.

The squad had built a harder edge, now they had to produce.

With the Blues also self-assured about their resources and progress under new coach David Nucifora, there is a tasty sting about the beginning of the Super 14.

All Blacks and test players litter the match and offer some compelling comparisons.

But the telling contest will be the work of two players who have yet to smell the international arena - first five-eighths Jimmy Gopperth and Tasesa Lavea.

Gopperth had an extra-useful debut season after attempts to persuade Daniel Carter, Andrew Mehrtens or Luke McAlister to join the Hurricanes, while Lavea eventually ousted the erratic Carlos Spencer.

The Blues will fancy a set piece attack on the Hurricanes even though the visitors have shored up those areas of the game.

If they are to spike the strength of the Hurricanes' backrow and backline, the Blues must disrupt their initial possession from the scrum and lineout areas of the game.

When the Hurricanes look at how they will disturb the Blues, they will look at the Blues' loose trio, halfback and first five-eighths.

Angus Macdonald is still learning the nuances of No 8 play, Nick Williams is adjusting to his new Blues role as a ball-carrying blindsider and Daniel Braid is pitted against the muscularly abrasive Chris Masoe.

There will also be serious heat on new halfback John Senio's distribution and his defence will also need to be solid against the dynamism which can be generated by Piri Weepu, Jerry Collins and Rodney So'oialo.

If the Blues struggle around that fulcrum, they will need some individual inspiration to find a victory. But if their pack settles, as it did against a decent inspection from the Force forwards last week, the Blues' backline is well organised to benefit.