Aisle be Back: Hurricanes v Brumbies Quarterfinal in Wellington

Du Plessis Kirifi and Peter Lakai are two players returning for this game as the Hurricanes are back to full strength and back in the saddle for their quarter-final encounter against the Brumbies. 

• By Kevin McCarthy 

The Classics, by which I mean the stuff written about times before the A.D. system was agreed on, is full of the reading of omens, often by sacrifices and reading of entrails.

We don’t strictly do that now, at least where I live. Can’t say for any rural life stylers reading this.

The thing was that the person reading the signs, well, could be guilty of telling people what they wanted to hear. Think AI, for example, if you are the Greeks and pondering invading Persia.

The most famous, the Oracle of Delphi, could deliver pronouncements with a twist, an ambiguity. Fail to spot the ambiguity, and the three green lights you’ve just received may not be at all that for which you hope. There wasn’t a lot of consumer guarantee law at the time.

Which is a long way of saying that, today, with fewer than 12 hours to the Hurricanes kicking off against the Brumbies in the first playoff match, it is wet and windy. It will probably be similar tonight, except with a southerly chiming in.

That comes after Mars, the God of loud Things, spent several hours sending through a post-midnight thunder and lightening show, with torrential downpours. Fortunately, it did not metastasize into worse, but if the Brumbies were ensconced in their hotel, they may have thought, this isn’t great.

What would the omens say? Well, in 2016, the Canes disposed of some South African outfit called the Sharks, 41-nil, in very similar conditions. They then disposed of the Chiefs, and finally, the Lions – in, wouldn’t you know it, wet and windy and cold conditions.

All good then. The Brumbies in better years have never been the same away from Canberra, their high veldt fortress, which no-one seeks out for its pleasant winters.

Theoretically, you could say they will find bad weather a levelling factor, bringing their forwards more into the match, and blunting the Canes blitzkrieg. It just never seems to work out that way for Aussie visitors here. Needless to say, they will seek to keep it tight and close and hope to turn up the pressure on the Canes.

In Delphic fashion, you may be told that losing isn’t the end of the world, of course. As the Hurricanes, top qualifier, they get a second-chance card. It’s a rubbish card, stripping away all home advantage in the semis or beyond. The crowd, and the conditions.

The Brumbies are not travelling well this season. They’ve lost three times at home, including to the Drua, and to – most amazingly – the departing Moana Pasifika. The Canes gave them a 45-12 drubbing in the Super round at Christchurch’s coddled indoor stadium.

I’ve got no doubt the Canes will win. The Crusaders and Chiefs will do the same this weekend, meaning a semi-final for the Hurricanes at home against the Blues. I like those odds.

The omens agree. As long as they aren’t Delphic ones and we’re misreading them horribly. Like I say, they don’t come with consumer guarantees.

See you at the game tonight.

+++++

A number of new players return to the Hurricanes line-up to host the the sixth-placed Brumbies in Wellington.

Included among the new figures in the starting lineup are hooker Asafo Aumua and tighthead prop Pasilio Tosi. They join loosehead prop Xavier Numia in the front row.

Caleb Delany and Warner Dearns reprise their second row partnership, while co-captain Du’Plessis Kirifi returns from a shoulder injury to start at openside flanker. He forms a loose forward trio that also features Brad Shields at blindside flanker and Peter Lakai at No 8.

In the backline, Cam Roigard resumes his halves pairing with first-five Ruben Love, and co-captain Jordie Barrett has overcome a hamstring injury to start at second-five alongside centre Billy Proctor.

Kini Naholo is kept on the left wing, while a positional reshuffle sees Josh Moorby move to the right wing and Callum Harkin selected at fullback.

Several changes have also been made on the bench.

Kick-off against the Brumbies is scheduled for 7:05pm, with gates open from 5:30pm.

HURRICANES TEAM TO PLAY BRUMBIES (Hurricanes caps in brackets)

1. Xavier Numia (89)
2. Asafo Aumua (87)
3. Pasilio Tosi (50)
4. Caleb Delany (50)
5. Warner Dearns (12)
6. Brad Shields (140)
7. Du’Plessis Kirifi (103) – co-captain
8. Peter Lakai (48)
9. Cam Roigard (58)
10. Ruben Love (52)
11. Kini Naholo (36)
12. Jordie Barrett (122) – co-captain
13. Billy Proctor (80)
14. Josh Moorby (51)
15. Callum Harkin (22)
16. Raymond Tuputupu (23)
17. Pouri Rakete-Stones (60)
18. Tyrel Lomax (72)
19. Isaia Walker-Leawere (90)
20. Brayden Iose (64)
21. Ereatara Enari (24)
22. Jone Rova (13)
23. Ngane Punivai (17)

UNAVAILABLE FOR SELECTION

Siale Lauaki (hamstring): 1 week
Devan Flanders (concussion): 1 week
Jai Tamati (knee): TBC
Brett Cameron (knee): Season
Harry Godfrey (knee): Expected to miss season
Riley Higgins (shoulder): Season
Fehi Fineanganofo (hamstring): 1 week
Drew Wild (shoulder): 1 week

Brumbies Player Watch

Ollie Sapsford is on the bench to play in his former one-time hometown.

Hailing from Mid Canterbury, Sapsford was in Wellington between 2017-18 and played 30 Wellington Premier club rugby battles for the Wellington Axemen in those two years, mostly at centre but also some games on the wing.

He also played for the Hurricanes Hunters Development side in that period. He moved to Hawke’s Bay and played over 50 matches for the Magpies 2019-23 and has played over 60 times for the Brumbies since 2022.

Below he helps set up this try with the final draw and pass wearing the #13 jersey as the Axemen run back a kick and score against Norths: