Rugby: Canes ready to make the most of week off

Beauden Barrett. Photo / Getty

There will be more action off the field than on it for the Hurricanes this week.

Chris Boyd's side have the bye during the first round of the Super Rugby playoffs and won't know their semifinal opponents until early Sunday morning; they will host the lowest-ranked loser from this week's elimination finals at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday, June 27.

If the Brumbies were to upset the Stormers in Cape Town they would host the Australians but if the Stormers hold serve, the Hurricanes will play the winner of the Highlanders-Chiefs clash in Dunedin.

All sides come with their respective strengths and weaknesses but hosting the Brumbies in a semifinal following a tough battle with the Stormers, and the added travel, could be the best prospect - on paper - for the Hurricanes.

But the Canberra outfit also bring an element of the unknown as the Hurricanes didn't meet them during the regular season.

"The Brumbies are a bit of a dark horse to me," Boyd said. "They play a very un-Australian game in a lot of ways."

The Hurricanes have got Cory Jane (hamstring), Nehe Milner-Skudder (hamstring), Beauden Barrett (calf), Sam McNicol (concussion), Matt Proctor (concussion), James Broadhurst (back) and Blade Thomson (ankle) under medical watch this week.

Barrett performed a goalkicking session this morning and should be fine for the semifinals but the biggest question marks are around Jane and Thomson.

Jane played only 18 minutes during the Hurricanes' 21-13 win over the Chiefs on Saturday night before he left the field in New Plymouth; he will need to be diligent in his rehabilitation to be fit for the semis.

Thomson is also a fluid prospect, while Proctor still has concussion testing protocols to meet. McNicol, who made his Super Rugby debut on Saturday, passed his post-match testing and had shown no signs of ongoing symptoms.

Boyd also noted that despite being caught in a couple of heavy tackles during the weekend, skipper Conrad Smith was healthy.

Injury concerns aside, Boyd and his staff will also conduct a host of end-of-season player reviews this week. It seems odd given his side are still in the playoffs but the squad will head away on leave as soon as the finals are over, so this week shapes as the best window.

The side will also attend the public memorial Jerry Collins in Porirua on Wednesday.
Once they return to the training paddock later in the week, Boyd wants his team to improve their lineout. It's a facet of their play that has faltered in recent weeks after a consistent start to the season.

"There's no one isolated factor," Boyd said. "[Dane Coles] might miss a throw and then we might miss a call. So, collectively, the whole thing just hasn't quite been as well-oiled as other parts of our machine."

The Hurricanes struggled to produce convincing performances coming off a bye during the regular season but Boyd said that wouldn't be a concern in the semifinals.
"You'd be massively disappointed as an organisation if a team didn't get up for a semifinal at home. So I don't suspect that'll be a problem."