Wynne Gray: Wind goes out of Canes

The pacy skills of Beauden Barrett are up against the snappy rabbit Brad Weber and Chiefs pivot Damian McKenzie's enterprise tonight. Photo / Photosport

Sports psychology has been working overtime in Wellington this week as the Hurricanes look for some way out of their recent rugby funk.

They battled through games running into the June interval and have not been able to find a strong mojo since. Since mid-May they've had scruffy wins against the Reds and Blues, lost to the Crusaders, Highlanders, Brumbies and Chiefs and shed some of their most influential players through injury.

Big wing Ben Lam boomed through the competition and looked a certainty to break the season record for tries but like his side, that run has stalled in the last two months. With every week that flat spell adds a nip of uncertainty.

All that trauma has to be replaced by the Hurricanes' big-name players with the influential guidance coming from the coaching plans Chris Boyd and John Plumtree have laid down for this sudden death quarter-final at the Cake Tin in the capital tonight.

The Chiefs are coming with all the momentum after last week's victory and a side boosted by the return of half a dozen All Blacks while the Canes have had those resources trimmed a touch.

The swagger and hope which rode with the Canes through their 2016 triumph and strong campaign last year, has dipped in mid-winter.

Those troubles have added to the long-held theory that no matter the classy customers in the backfield for the Canes, indifferent possession drives risky decisions and they can't always find the rescue remedy if those up front don't produce.

That is a tough read about the Hurricanes pack but they don't have a regular All Black in tonight's lineup while the Chiefs have three who were involved in the June series against France along with the refreshed work of test star Brodie Retallick.

Momentum is with the visitors but that was a week ago with a different team and unusual circumstances.

Coach Colin Cooper has been able to increase the quality in his selections and that will give the side a lift but does not automatically equate to improvement.

His messages, like those from Boyd in the other camp, will be about concentration and individuals completing their roles so the overall plan has more chance of success.

The field commanders are the fascinating characters in this contest with the rugged warrior TJ Perenara paired with the pacy skills of Beauden Barrett against the snappy rabbit Brad Weber and pivot Damian McKenzie's enterprise.

There is abundant magic in all four allied with the usual struggles when the game is not running their way or they overplay their hand.

On experience the Hurricanes pair have the advantage but Weber's game is rising and McKenzie has brought a different pizzazz in his first full season in the five-eighths role.

Barrett's brilliance has broken many sides' resistance at Super Rugby and international level and with more than 60 tests he has endured more scenarios than McKenzie. But the Chiefs' playmaker is a mercurial talent, a tough cookie and improving goal-kicker who takes the side up several levels.

There's no off-button in his repertoire, he's always looking to conjure some special play for his side and brings the sort of chicanery Carlos Spencer produced at his mercurial best.

That was high-class and D-Mac and the Chiefs have to plug into that sort of quality if they are to unhinge the Canes in successive weeks.