Hurricanes go 'retro' for Lions
Their next opponents, the Hurricanes, have called in additional help ahead of the arrival of the erratic Lions – who still at the top of the South African conference, despite their 22-27 loss to Reds at the weekend.
The 2006 Hurricanes side, which made it all the way to the infamous 'foggy Final', will be remembered as part of Saturday's Retro match.
The Hurricanes will host the Lions in the Super Rugby match, a repeat of the 2016 Final and last year's semifinal, in what promises to be an action-packed match on the field with two of the competition's most lethal attacking teams going head-to-head.
The action will hopefully help invoke memories from 2006 – when players like Isaia Toeava, Ma'a Nonu, Tana Umaga, Piri Weepu, Rodney So'oialo, Chris Masoe and Jerry Collins were helping the Hurricanes almost obtain a maiden Super Rugby title.
Former Hurricanes captain Norm Hewitt, whose son Alexander will run the match ball out, will add to the occasion when he appears at halftime to fire out T-shirts.
The Hurricanes, who are second in the New Zealand conference behind the competition pace-setting Crusaders, beat the Sunwolves 43-15 in Wellington last Friday.
Captain Brad Shields and coach Chris Boyd admitted after the match that the performance was frustrating at times.
One positive out of the match was the return of wing Nehe Milner-Skudder, his first time on the field since a major shoulder injury in October.
