Justin Marshall's Chalkboard: The Hurricanes' simple plan

Ma'a Nonu's strength almost ensures he is going to break the advantage line and will have forward momentum, so requires minimal assistance at the breakdown. Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

The most pivotal game of the round this week is in Wellington tomorrow, when the Hurricanes take on the Crusaders.

Let's be upfront about it, this game carries far more significance to the visitors. Not only do they need to win to make some progress up the ladder, but this team that is stacked with All Blacks also needs to make a statement that yes, they can win this tournament.

The only way the Crusaders are going to win the competition is if they travel to in-form teams and beat them. And the Hurricanes, despite a blip against the Waratahs a fortnight ago, are certainly in form.

One of the reasons they are in form is the pattern they play, which I have illustrated on the chalkboard. It is actually quite a simple gameplan, which is exactly what the Canes have needed for some time. They have always been an exciting team with talented gamebreakers but they're too often suspect on defence and have been let down by over-elaborate attack. Not this year.

What I have illustrated is they are quite happy to go straight from set-piece to a target move, more often than not using Ma'a Nonu. The All Black second-five can break the line direct from set-piece because he is such a hard man to tackle, but that is not what is primarily designed.

His strength almost ensures he is going to break the advantage line and will have forward momentum, so requires minimal assistance at the breakdown - here I have either Ardie Savea or Callum Gibbins, depending who is wearing the No 7 jersey, and Conrad Smith helping at the breakdown - to win quick clean ball.

Here's where the Hurricanes do things a bit differently. Rather than keep folding right, they will turn the ball back left and into traffic. On the face of it this doesn't make much sense. There's still about nine defenders that way and nine of attackers, so it is easily the most congested side of the field.

But they go back against the grain because they love the agility of the skillset of their forwards. They back themselves to create space and make the advantage line. When they've done that they will then go right again, back to the same regrouped set of players that was involved in the first phase.

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They will continue to do this right-left, right-left pattern, using just one portion of the field, until they see the space they want.

This differs from most teams who tend to fold, right, fold right and fold right, before then swinging back left to try to find overlaps or mismatches.

The Crusaders will need to put effort into countering this, because their forwards will be asked to make more tackles than usual and this can be sapping by the time the game enters its crucial last quarter.

It promises to be a brilliant match-up. The Crusaders are still finding their way whereas the Hurricanes have found their way and are a team in sync.

The visitors might need it more, but will that be enough.