‘Not necessarily a bad thing’: Canes flyhalf responds to ‘underdogs’ claim

Earlier this week, former All Blacks backrower Steven Bates pinned the “underdogs” tag on the Hurricanes ahead of their top-of-the table clash with the undefeated Chiefs on Saturday.

The Hurricanes have only lost one match this season, and it was a thriller against the Blues at Sky Stadium in round three.

But that one defeat is a minor blip on what has been an otherwise sensational start to this year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign from the Canes.

Coach Jason Holland has named a star-studded side ahead of their crunch clash with the Chiefs in Wellington, which includes an exciting halves pairing of Cam Roigard and Aidan Morgan.

Morgan was handed the playmaking reins last weekend after one-Test All Black Brett Cameron sustained an injury during the round six win over the Western Force in Palmerston North.

At just 21 years of age, Morgan is just a couple of days away from arguably the biggest match of his young career so far.

When asked about Steven Bates’ view on the Hurricanes’ status going into this highly anticipated clash, Morgan said “flying under the radar is not necessarily a bad thing.”

“The Chiefs are the in-form side at the momenta and their line-up is stacked with lots of talent,” Morgan told RugbyPass.

“We’re really driving what we can control in our systems, making sure we’re executing our plays, nailing our roles defensively and offensively, and make sure we’re playing in the right end of the park.

“I can’t speak for the whole team but for me personally, I think flying under the radar is not necessarily a bad thing.

“But by no stretch can we think of ourselves as a lesser team.

“I think (with) the players we’ve got, (we have) the talent and the skills we need to be able to put a good performance and get a good win.

“We certainly believe in the quality of this group and the quality that we have, that we can go all the way in this competition and that’s what we try to do each week that we get out there.”

Morgan has started a number of matches in the Hurricanes’ No. 10 jersey before, but will bring up an exciting milestone against the Chiefs.

Last weekend’s thriller against the Highlanders was the first-fives first start against New Zealand opposition at Super Rugby Pacific level.

But this weekend, Morgan will look to lead the Hurricanes’ attack against Kiwi opposition at home for the first time – and it doesn’t much tougher than the Chiefs at the moment.

“I had a lot of runs at the end of last season against the Australian sides,” he added.

“That was my first New Zealand derby match that I started in last week so another milestone ticked off (this week)

“But for me, it’s just whatever opposition or whatever game, it’s (about) turning up and making sure that I get this team firing and I put out a performance that I’m proud of.”

Morgan has plenty of attacking weapons outside him, including the likes of Jordie Barrett and in-form winger Salesi Rayasi.

For a young playmaker, it makes his “philosophy” quite simple: get them the ball.

“It makes my job a lot easier and sort of my philosophy on how I try to get this attack going is to get the ball into the right people’s hands at the right time.

“Having those attacking weapons outside (me), the likes of Jordie (Barrett) and Sass (Salesi Rayasi), and even Billy Proctor, Peter Umaga-Jensen, those sort of players that have game breaking ability.

“Making sure that the ball is in their hands at the right time and giving them the best opportunities to use their talents, so that’s what I try to do in terms of driving this attack, especially in phase play.”

The Hurricanes’ top-of-the-table clash against the undefeated Chiefs is set to kick-off at 2.35pm at Sky Stadium, Wellington, on Saturday.