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'Underdogs': Why the Hurricanes aren't the real deal ahead of Chiefs clash
By Ben Smith
The Hurricanes are top of the Super Rugby Pacific table but former All Black No 8 Steven Bates does not think they are the real deal yet ahead of a crunch match with the Chiefs.
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They moved to 6-1 after the first seven rounds after beating the Highlanders in Dunedin 29-14 off the back of another impressive performance by halfback Cam Roigard.
But the undefeated Chiefs, who have a game in hand after their bye round, deserve to be considered Super Rugby’s best team according to Bates after a stronger schedule.
The Waikato-based franchise has knocked off the Crusaders, Blues and Highlanders already and are looking for a clean sweep of the four other Kiwi sides.
“I do believe they’ve got a hell of a challenge this week in the Chiefs,” Steven Bates told Sky Sport NZ’s The Breakdown.
“The Chiefs are the form team, I reckon the Brumbies are there or thereabouts, but what I will say about the Canes is I believe they will quite like that.
“They’ll go into the game this weekend as underdogs even though they are top of the table.
“I think they like that edge about what they are doing, that little chip on the shoulder.”
The former All Black loose forward said that the Hurricanes have benefitted from an easier schedule which has seen wins over four Aussie sides; the Melbourne Rebels, Waratahs, the Western Force, and the Queensland Reds.
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They beat the Highlanders over the weekend, who are New Zealand’s worst franchise by some distance this season, but lost at home 25-13 to the Blues in their toughest encounter.
“But if I was a betting person I would go the Chiefs way, but what they’ve [Hurricanes] have done is pretty impressive,” Bates said.
“Through no fault of their own, they’ve had a nice run into the season. Well done to them, they can only beat the teams in front of them.”
Former All Black Carlos Spencer, who was an assistant coach with the Hurricanes for two seasons until 2020, said that the side has improved in an area which has typically been an Achilles heel for the club.
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Spencer rated the current form of their midfield while he was impressed with the playmaking ability of left winger Salesi Rayasi.
“I think they are a much more rounded team now,” Spencer said.
“Up front around their set-piece, I think their tight five are now standing up but in the past they probably lacked that up front.
“Couple of guys in the midfield playing very well. We know what Jordie [Barrett] can do, Billy Proctor has been playing really well.
“Also Salesi [Rayasi] on the wing, with the stuff he’s creating.
“I just think all-round they’ve become a better side.”
Ex-All Black and Highlanders winger Jeff Wilson wasn’t sold on the Hurricanes after a beating a seriously undermanned Highlanders outfit who were missing their two key playmakers.
“There was no Aaron Smith and there was no Mitch Hunt, who was a late scratching for the Highlanders,” he said.
“The reality was, in this game [Highlanders vs Hurricanes], they were missing two players that they need to play well in every game.
“When they’ve played well, they’ve won. Those were two significant losses.
“The Highlanders hung in there but in the end they weren’t polished enough against a team that was playing well.”
The Chiefs have managed to beat the Hurricanes on home turf regularly, beating them eight times out of 22 clashes played in Hurricanes territory.
Clayton McMillan’s team picked up a one-point win in 2022 with a 30-29 victory at Sky Stadium extending their winning streak to three games over the Hurricanes.
The last Hurricanes win over the Chiefs came in 2020, a year in which they won all three clashes between the two sides.
