Aisle be Back: Hurricanes v Fijian Drua

Callum Harkin – big fantasy competition points last week and starts his first game for the Hurricanes on Saturday against the Fijian Drua. Photo: Caroline Lewis.

• By Kevin McCarthy

I’m sure the Crusaders can’t wait to get their new stadium open – and they can say farewell to their temporary home, which then became a near permanent base.

The place has always had a prefab feel, so a testimony to the regeneration every season of the Crusaders that they’ve made it a fortress.

Whether they’ll still be in the running by the time they get to their new forever home is probably moot for a lot of folks.

I know we give the Saders a lot of stick, but if a city and province ever needed to anchor its post-earthquake reconstruction with some final pieces, the new stadium will be it.

No doubting however the Brumbies are looking as formidable as ever, and winning on New Zealand soil is the gold standard for the Aussies. That it’s taken just over a quarter of a century tells you a lot.

A bit further north and not watching too closely at the capital’s Cook Strait skid marks, the Hurricanes first outing at the Cake Tin was another reminder of how a firing footie side can lift the mood. The trademark sight over 90 per cent of the crowd clustering on the players’ tunnel side to catch the last rays of a summer’s day tells you this is Wellington on a good day.

52 points later, and some razzle dazzle along the way, and you just know we’re going to lift a second title. In fact, I am convinced the city’s noticeable bustle last week flowed from the result. That, or a string of sunny days.

I jest of course, but wouldn’t it be nice if the Hurricanes can get on a decent roll, which means sweating out a win against the Drua this weekend.

Whether we will have a first-five standing is a week-to-week proposition. This jinx is getting to be 2011 World Cup all over – still that had a happy ending. Now Callum Harkin gets his chance.

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Speaking of Harkin, I didn’t have him in my Fantasy team last week and was non-plussed how he managed to run in a 100 plus points under the tweaked scoring system – without actually scoring a try. But he did so much enabling work with offloads, try assists, metres carried and line breaks, the points kept clocking up.

To ease the pain, I jumped on the Charlie Cane train a little earlier than some.  Watch this guy at No. 8 for the Brumbies.

The competition this year has dynamic player values – so a bit like a share market, players’ value fluctuates depending on how they’re going. I’m not sure it makes a huge difference so far – but it’s nice to see an early pick appreciating – while a hotshot starts plunging into penny dreadful territory.

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The Hurricanes departed Wellington on Thursday for a nine-day round trip to Fiji and Sydney.

First stop is to play the Fijian Drua at Churchill Park in Lautoka on Saturday, kick-off 4.35pm.

A fresh halves partnership sees All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard promoted to the starting team alongside the aforementioned first-five Callum Harkin, who shifts to the No. 10 jersey from fullback.

It will be the first time Harkin has started at first-five for the Hurricanes, and comes a week after starring there throughout much of the Moana Pasifika match following a first half injury to starting playmaker Brett Cameron.

Harkin’s place at fullback is filled by last week’s hat-trick hero Josh Moorby as part of a backline reshuffle that sees Bailyn Sullivan moved from centre to right wing to accommodate All Blacks midfielder Billy Proctor, who starts alongside captain and second-five Jordie Barrett.

Sullivan and Moorby are joined in the outside backs by left wing Fehi Fineanganofo.

The reserves are headlined by first-five Lucas Cashmore, who is in line to make his Hurricanes debut.

HURRICANES TEAM TO PLAY FIJIAN DRUA (Hurricanes caps in brackets)

1. Pouri Rakete-Stones (53)
2. Asafo Aumua (76 – vice-captain)
3. Tevita Mafileo (58)
4. Hugo Plummer (9)
5. Warner Dearns (1)
6. Devan Flanders (57)
7. Peter Lakai (38)
8. Brayden Iose (52)
9. Cam Roigard (48)
10. Callum Harkin (11)
11. Fehi Fineanganofo (13)
12. Jordie Barrett (112 – captain)
13. Billy Proctor (69)
14. Bailyn Sullivan (41)
15. Josh Moorby (39)
16. Jacob Devery (18)
17. Xavier Numia (77)
18. Siale Lauaki (5)
19. Isaia Walker-Leawere (79)
20. Brad Shields (129)
21. Ereatara Enari (13)
22. Lucas Cashmore (debut)
23. Ngane Punivai (15)

UNAVAILABLE DUE TO INJURY

Caleb Delany (calf): 1 week
Du’Plessis Kirifi (calf): 1 week
Jai Tamati (ankle): 8-10 weeks
Brett Cameron (knee): TBC – awaiting specialist review
Harry Godfrey (knee): Expected to miss season
Ruben Love (ankle): 3-5 weeks
Josh Timu (foot): 6-8 weeks
Kini Naholo (knee): 1-3 weeks