Preview: Hurricanes vs. Crusaders
by RivalsDM
The bye has caused the Sharks to fall a full eight points behind the 'Saders by the virtue of Richie McCaw's men picking up all but one of their available bonus points.
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This indicates how very dominant they have been.
Their season has been dubbed the 13th crusade, and judging by their performances they look odds on to make it seven Super rugby titles come May 31.
However their focus will be on beating the Hurricanes on Friday.
Which 'Canes team runs out of the tunnel remains to be seen, but if they do manage to put 80 minutes of rugby together, they are very capable of causing an upset.
They have the personnel, lead by their All Black loose trio of So'oialo, Chris Masoe and Collins.
These three will have a monumental battle on their hands in trying to contain All Black skipper Richie McCaw. And that's exactly what they will need to do if they want to upset the apple cart.
The problem that the 'Canes have is that So'oialo, Chris Masoe and Collins are all dynamic ball carriers, but are not renowned for their ability at the breakdown. They cannot afford to give McCaw free-reign at the breakdown, or else they will be in for a long 80 minutes.
The great thing about the Crusaders is that you know what you will get from them - 80 minutes of composed, quality rugby.
To beat them, the 'Canes will need to knock them off their stride - targeting the in-form Andrew Ellis could be the way to do this.
Ellis has been in fine form this season, making it easy for the likes of Carter to dominate outside him.
The return of Leon MacDonald, who is playing some of his best rugby of his career, will be worrying for the 'Canes.
MacDonald and wing Scott Hamilton have worked extremely well at the back for the Crusaders, and have shown a liking for counter-attacking at every available opportunity.
The Hurricanes will need to make sure that their kicking out of hand is pinpoint, with flyhalf Jimmy Gopperth set to play a key role in this department.
The Crusaders set-pieces have been exemplary this season, and looking at the two tight fives on paper, they will see this as an area where they can dominate.
The lock pairing of Ali Williams and Brad Thorne have conquered all and sundry so far, and if the 'Canes are to have a shot at winning, they will need to nullify the threat of the two giant locks.
'Canes coach Colin Cooper has stressed all week about the need to hold onto the ball, an obvious assessment one might think. But the Hurricanes know all too well that they are often guilty of not looking after the ball well enough - do that against the Crusaders and you will pay!
The battle between the two No.13's could be an interesting sideshow to watch out for.
The Crusaders' Casey Laulala has shown his worth in 2008, and has thrown his hat into the All Black mix.
Conrad Smith, a All Black in his own right has been a shadow of his former self this year. He will want to prove to the All Black selectors that he still has plenty to offer - what better time to prove his worth than against the in-form Laulala.
Prediction: I can't see the log-leading Crusaders getting anything less than a win, with the bonus of Leon MacDonald's return to action. Crusaders to win by 15 points.
Recent results:
2007: Crusaders won 23-13, Christchurch
2006: Crusaders won 19-12, Christchurch (Final)
2006: Crusaders won 20-11, Wellington
Teams:
Hurricanes: 15 Cory Jane, 14 Shannon Paku, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Tamati Ellison, 11 Ma'a Nonu, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So'oialo (captain), 7 Chris Masoe, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 John Schwalger. Replacements: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 Tim Fairbrother, 18 Jeremy Thrush, 19 Scott Waldrom, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Tane Tu'ipulotu, 22 Hosea Gear.
Crusaders: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Scott Hamilton, 13 Casey Laulala, 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Kade Poki, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Andrew Ellis, 8 Mose Tuiali'i, 7 Richard McCaw (captain), 6 Kieran Read, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Ben Franks. Replacements: 16 Ti'i Paulo, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Michael Paterson, 19 Nasi Manu, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Caleb Ralph, 22 Sean Maitland.
Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Keith Brown (New Zealand), Josh Noonan (New Zealand)
Television match official: Kane McBride (New Zealand)
Assessor: Kim Eichmann (New Zealand)
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