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Friday night will see a new chapter written in one of Super Rugby’s greatest rivalries as the Hurricanes and Chiefs jostle for pole position in the New Zealand conference.
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There is no doubt that the Hurricanes and Chiefs will leave it all on the field when they put their respective five-game winning streaks on the line, and if history is anything to go by, we could be in for another tight contest.
The last seven times the Super Rugby powerhouses have met, an average margin of just 6.5 points has separated them. Three of the seven fixtures, dating back to July 2014, have been decided by three points or less.
Breaking down the last ten meetings for the Hurricanes and Chiefs is like splitting hairs, with the Chiefs edging the Hurricanes six to four in the win column, winning three times on the road and three times at home.
However, it is the Hurricanes who have fronted when it matters most, dispatching the Chiefs 25-9 in the 2016 semi-final – their only playoff meeting this decade – en route to winning their maiden Super Rugby title.
But it’s not just the numbers that makes these sides tough to separate. It’s the personnel.
New Chiefs head coach Colin Cooper knows the opposing side well, as he spent seven years as head coach of the Hurricanes from 2003 to 2010, leading the side to a grand final appearance in 2006.
After Cooper’s departure from the Hurricanes he returned to his provincial roots in Taranaki, where he coached the Mitre 10 Cup side for a further seven years.
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And it’s in Taranaki where the rivalry takes another turn. The Chiefs and Hurricanes have been so close of late, even their regional catchment area has been tough to split – the Hurricanes recently apologised after using the phrase “Taranaki Land War” to promote the upcoming fixture.
The Chiefs inherited Cooper’s Taranaki in 2013, after they had been aligned with the Hurricanes since Super Rugby’s inception nearly two decades ago, and they have reaped the benefits.
Cooper’s starting side for Friday’s clash features six (potentially seven) Taranaki players in Angus Ta’avao, Lachlan Boshier, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Johnny Fa’auli, Sean Wainui and Charlie Ngatai, with Marty McKenzie bracketed at flyhalf.
How a combination of these players and Cooper’s experience with the side impacts the outcome of the game remains to be seen, but fans can be assured that there will be no sympathy upon Cooper’s Cake Tin return.
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CHIEFS
1. Aidan Ross, 2. Nathan Harris, 3. Angus Ta’avao, 4. Tyler Ardron/Michael Allardice, 5. Brodie Retallick, 6. Lachlan Boshier, 7. Sam Cane (C), 8. Taleni Seu, 9. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 10. Damian McKenzie/Marty McKenzie, 11. Solomon Alaimalo, 12. Johnny Fa’auli, 13. Anton Lienert-Brown, 14. Sean Wainui, 15. Charlie Ngatai (C).
Reserves: 16. Liam Polwart, 17. Karl Tu’unukuafe, 18. Jeff Thwaites, 19. Luke Jacobson, 20. Liam Messam, 21. Jonathan Taumateine, 22. Tiaan Falcon/Marty McKenzie, 23. Alex Nankivell.
HURRICANES
1. Toby Smith, 2. Ricky Riccitelli, 3. Jeff Toomaga-Allen, 4. Vaea Fifita, 5. Sam Lousi, 6. Brad Shields, 7. Sam Henwood, 8. Gareth Evans, 9. Jamie Booth, 10. Beauden Barrett, 11. Ben Lam, 12. Ngani Laumape, 13. Matt Proctor, 14. Vince Aso, 15. Jordie Barrett.
Reserves: 16. James O’Reilly, 17. Chris Eves, 18. Ben May, 19. Michael Fatialofa, 20. Reed Prinsep, 21. Richard Judd, 22. Ihaia West, 23. Wes Goosen.
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