HURRICANES

Tuesday 30th January 2007

With Jerry Collins, Jason Eaton, Andrew Hore, Chris Masoe and Rodney So'oialo all resting (on All Black conditioning duty), the Hurricanes find themselves without five key forwards for half of the tournament.

The 'Canes game plan is based around their mobile pack and dynamic ball carrying lose forwards, and as such they could find themselves battling to secure decent ball for the likes of Gopperth, Umaga, Nonu and Fa'atau.

These are undoubtedly wonderful players, but we believe they'll find themselves cut off from the source that allows them to display their brilliance - for the first seven weeks at least.

If they can survive the first half of the tournament without too many losses, they will be in great shape, but their pre-season form suggests they will struggle.

Strengths: Well, their strengths are their mobile pack and dynamic ball carrying lose forwards, and those will not be available for half of the tournament. They will have to fall back on the true grit that marked many of their games last year - as the Hurricanes developed the art of holding their nerve to close out the tight ones.

Weakness: Inconsistency! That and ill-discipline have been the besetting sins of the Hurricanes and the great hindrance to their greatness. The problem of inconsistency may be the inability of the tight forwards to impose - and they still do not look imposing.

Noteworthy signings: Chris Smylie (Otago), Blair Stewart (Southland), David Smith (Auckland, Brad Mika (Auckland) and Hayden Triggs (Manawatu)

Noteworthy losses: David Holwell (to the Blues), Joe McDonnell (to Newcastle Falcons), Isaia Toeava (to the Blues), Tane Tu'ipulotu (to the Chiefs)

Coach: Colin Cooper is a career coach, specialising in forward play. He migrated from Taranaki to Canterbury in 2001 in the place of Steve Hansen and then moved to the Hurricanes in 2003.

Captain: With Rodney So'oialo not available it was expected that Tana Umaga would get the job, but Conrad Smith and Paul Tito took charge of the pre-season games.

Player(s) to watch: Former All Black skipper Tana Umaga might not be the Hurricanes' regular on-field captain anymore, but his influence within camp 'Canes remains immense - and will be even more so during the first phase of this year's hostilities while the Hurricanes press on without their six conditioning All Blacks.

2006 Position: 2nd, beaten finalists
Best finish: 2nd (beaten finalists) in 2006; 3rd in Super 12 in 1997 and 2003
Worst finish: 11th in Super 12 in 2004
Home Venue: Westpac Stadium, Wellington (capacity 34,500)

2007 Prediction: They are likely to struggle in the early stages and may loose too much ground to make up. 6th

Hurricanes squad: Luke Andrews, Jerry Collins, Jason Eaton, Tamati Ellison, Lome Fa'atau, Tim Fairbrother, Hosea Gear, Jimmy Gopperth, Hayden Hopgood, Andrew Hore, Cory Jane, Tone Kopelani, Nili Latu, Serge Lilo, Chris Masoe, Alby Matthewson, Bradley Mika, Ma'a Nonu, Shannon Paku, Tony Penn, John Schwalger, Maharoni Schwalger, Conrad Smith, David Smith, Chris Smylie, Rodney So'oialo, Blair Stewart, Neemia Tialata, Paul Tito, Hayden Triggs, Bernie Upton, Tana Umaga, Thomas Waldrom, Piri Weepu.

Schedule:

3 February: v Reds, away
9 February: v Chiefs, away
17 February: v Blues, home
23 February: v Brumbies, home
3 March: v Stormers, home
9 March: v Western Force, away
17 March: v Sharks, away
24 March: v Lions, away
31 March: v Bulls, home
6/7/8 April: BYE
13 April: v Cheetahs, home
20 April: v Crusaders, away
27 April: v Highlanders, home
5 May: v Waratahs, home