The 2015 Super Rugby final pits the two most entertaining and, quite frankly, deserving teams against each other in what should be a mouth-watering encounter in Wellington. The highlights reel for these two sides this season makes for sensational viewing, and while last year’s final was a rollercoaster, if there are two teams that can outdo it, it is these two.
Hurricanes
The men from Wellington have topped the table all season and are 80 minutes away from their first ever Super Rugby trophy. They have set the standards for the entire campaign, thrilling with their fast brand of rugby that encompasses not only the backs but also the forwards.
Dane Coles typifies this; he is a hooker, but has the pace and sidestep that many a back would be proud of. The likes of Ardie Savea and Brad Shields in the back-row are insatiably mobile, and have had a hand in some of their best tries this season.
TJ Perenara is joint top scorer for the season, which tells you everything about how intelligent his support lines are. In Nehe Milner-Skudder they have one of the more bizarrely named breakthrough players, and with Julian Savea on the other wing they have arch-poachers in abundance. Tellingly, they are the first team for many a year to finally coax Ma’a Nonu’s best form out on the club stage, replicating the player that has been so dominant for New Zealand down the years.
Key Player: Dane Coles
Coles is the most dynamic hooker in the world right now, with pace, power and a sidestep to boot. He will, at some stage in the game, make a back look silly. But the reason he is truly important is that he must get the line-out firing. It has been the one area of relative weakness for the Canes this season, and in a grand final it is vital that you make the most of territory and possession; that means not losing your own ball at the set piece.
Highlanders
In the entertainment stakes, the Highlanders have been the Canes’ only equal this season. They are a joy to watch, although they perhaps haven’t quite managed to marry that to consistency quite as well as the table-toppers.
Like their hosts this weekend, they name an unchanged side from the one that breezed through the semi-final last week. Their giant but deceptively quick duo of wingers Patrick Osborne and Waisake Naholo continue, with the latter looking to make his mark opposite Julian Savea, with whom he will battle for an All Black berth during the upcoming Rugby Championship.
In the midfield Lima Sopoaga’s fine form has been rewarded with an All Black call-up, while the attention that defences inevitably must pay Malakai Fekitoa means the less-heralded but equally dangerous Richard ‘Baracuda’ Buckman is often the one to reap the benefits.
The pack is hugely underrated (not one of them made it into the All Black squad for the Rugby Championship) but has been going toe to toe with the best in the competition all season – see their performance against the much-fancied Waratahs outfit last weekend for evidence. Nasi Manu, the co-captain, will lead from the front and would love to go out with a bang and a trohpy for the province to which he has dedicated so much.
Key player: Aaron Smith
Smith has probably been the best player in Super Rugby this year, and is the form scrum-half – perhaps player in general – in world rugby. His relationship with all of his backs (not just fly-half Lima Sopoaga) is telepathic and he is so often the catalyst for their moments of brilliance with a darting break or quickly-tapped penalty. His battle with fellow livewire TJ Perenara will be one that is keenly followed not only by the fans, but also the New Zealand selection committee.
PREDICTION
The Hurricanes won on both occasions when these two met in the regular season, including a 36 point humbling in Napier (although the Landers did rest all their big names for that game). The margin of victory this weekend will be no where near that, but the quality of rugby on show should be exactly the same – both of these sides have proved themselves to be committed to the “we win if we score more than you” mantra throughout the season, rather than relying on defence and kicking. The magnitude of the occasion (whatever the result, we will have a new name on the trophy come the final whistle) could lead to a few nervy errors early on, but once they settle into the game expect it to be another vintage Kiwi derby.
Given the way they breezed through the regular season, and that they are at home (where they have lost just once all season), it would be madness not to back the hosts to pick up their maiden title. Hurricanes by 5.
By Jamie Hosie
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Well Jamie this is exactly my pick for this week end. I would also suggest that both sides will score 3 to 4 tries,possibly more,in a very high scoring game!
Is it only me that hates the idea of any forward being heralded for his speed and side step? Surely the focus should be on the fact that his set piece is pretty poor? I know it’s been mentioned, but for me it’s a serious issue.
I appreciate that the AB’s insist every player should be comfortable with the ball in hand, something I completely agree with; but surely they first have to do their primary job?
NZ have gone with Mealamu fairly recently because of Coles deficiencies in this area – I still think it’s a big problem for him, particularly at test level.
It’s different in NZ where the front & 2nd rows are expected to run & handle like backs. If Coles has a perceived weakness @ line out, then it’ll be/has been worked on. The AB’s tend not to have players with too many flaws in their basics.
Besides, it didn’t seem that apparent in the S15 semi I thought?