Aisle be Back: The Hurricanes in Wellington to play the Blues

• By Kevin McCarthy 

It seems a bit early, but here we are at the saloon already. Not the last chance saloon, but clearly the Canes won’t want to lose this Saturday’s blockbuster – and most definitely, neither will the Blues.

It’s only round three, but neither side can afford to allow the traditional powerhouses – such as the Force, and the Highlanders, to start clearing a margin at the top of the table. Yes, I actually just wrote that for the first, possibly last, time. It kind of fits with the world right now when every day seems to be April the 1^st.

The Blues CEO Andrew Hore was recently quoted as saying they only turned a profit last season because of hosting the final. The accountants are probably the most nervous of all from a 2-zip losing start.

Admittedly one of those losses was to the Chiefs, currently manifesting as the Incredible Hulk, spitting out body parts along the way. The Hurricanes will be thankful they don’t meet until round 12.

While we all love a feel-good snatch in the last minute win over Fijian Drua, it suggests the Canes are still building slowly – as you might expect with a new first-five and reworked backline, and a few injuries still to resolve.

There’s no reliable yardstick other than the Chiefs, I’d venture to say at this early stage. Are for example the Drua a much better side this year? Or the Force? And is that real alchemy happening under Jamie Joseph in Highlanders territory.

I’ve still got a suspicion that games where both sides crack 40 points are actually signs that neither is that good – at least defensively! But heck, it’s great entertainment, and helping lift the mood around Super Rugby to the degree that even the Herald newspaper has become optimistic.

I also suspect the Blues will start to reassert themselves. But please, please – only from round 4 onwards.

The Hurricanes team to play the Blues is:

1. Xavier Numia
2. Raymond Tuputupu
3. Pasilio Tosi
4. Caleb Delany
5. Isaia Walker-Leawere
6. Brad Shields
7. Du Plessis Kirifi
8. Peter Lakai
9. Cameron Roigard
10. Harold Godfrey
11. Kini Naholo
12. Peter Umaga-Jensen
13. Bailyn Sullivan
14. Fatefehi Fineanganofo
15. Kade Banks

RESERVES

16. Jacob Devery
17. Pouri Rakete-Stones
18. Tevita Mafileo
19. Hugo Plummer
20. Brayden Iose
21. Ere Enari
22. Riley Hohepa
23. Ngani Punivai

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Some impressive moves by me in fantasy rugby this week. I’ve cracked the sub-30000 barrier at a national level, so will soon be in nose-bleed territory.

Even more significant in my local league, I’ve now cruised into fourth – with third looking nervously over their shoulder.

I think I’ve corrected some of the knuckle head mistakes from round one, and now it’s a case of just refining that. One of the good things in the stats is the percentage picking your particular player. Are you the first to find the diamond in the rough or are you just an eccentric outlier.

Quite clearly the ability to score tries outweighs everything, to the point where the old strategy of finding a goal-kicking outside back to give you two goalkickers isn’t that rewarding.

Interestingly – only 12 per cent of people have picked young sensation Finn Hurley. Clearly 88 per cent including me are not convinced we are seeing the second coming of the Golden One.  So, on that basis, expect him to be on fire this weekend.