Canes hunt home semi
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The Hurricanes win over the Blues has secured a play-off spot for them regardless of what happens in the remaining three rounds of regular season.
This will be the first time since 2009 that the Hurricanes have reached the play-off stage of the competition.
Hurricane's coach Chris Boyd is now turning his attention to grab just three further points to sew up the New Zealand Conference and book a home semifinal in Wellington.
With that goal still to be achieved, Boyd is planning to send out his best available team to play the Crusaders on Saturday and confirmed that Conrad Smith, James Broadhurst and Ben Franks would return from injury, plus Reggie Goodes returning from a one-week suspension.
The flyhalf position is still unclear for Boyd as youngster Otere Black played well against the Blues in the absence of Beauden Barrett.
"I think Otere [Black] would be pretty happy with his performance," Boyd told the Dominion Post.
"We have a coaching performance group meeting on Monday and we'll decide on the course for selection this week."
The 20-year-old (Black) didn't overplay his hand, utilising the kicking games of scrumhalf TJ Perenara, inside centre Ma'a Nonu, and James Marshall to help the Hurricanes dominate territory, and wasn't afraid on occasion to challenge the line.
A late hamstring injury to Cory Jane resulted in Boyd having to make a shift in the backline with Nehe Milner-Skudder moving from fullback to wing and Marshall taking fullback duties.
Marshall was penciled in as the Hurricanes starting flyhalf until Barrett returned from a knee injury.
That comeback was hoped for Saturday's match against the Crusaders, but the All Black pivot was now targeting the following match against the Highlanders in Napier at the earliest.
"If CJ [Jane] is not fit, and he might not be, and Matt Proctor's [ankle] not fit, then the two choices we have are to play James Marshall at fullback again and Julian [Savea] and Nehe [Milner-Skudder] on the wings again, or we could put Marshall back at 10 and play Rey Lee-Lo on the wing," Boyd said.
The spanner in the works, is that Black is dues to be released for New Zealand Under-20 duty at the Junior World Championships after this week's match.
"If Beauden is not fit for the Highlanders game then we've got some discussion to have. Beauden [Barrett] has to be a hundred percent before we play him," Boyd said.
"So Otere's [Black] situation depends completely on Beauden [Barrett]."
It would be a tough call to deny Black a chance to join the U20 side, but if Barrett's knee doesn't fully heal, the young Manawatu Turbo could become crucial to the Hurricanes title hopes.
Whatever happens, Boyd suggested thoughts of using his remaining All Blacks rest weeks – Savea and Nonu are the final two requirements – would play second fiddle to securing a home play-off.
"Clearly we are going to do everything we can to get three more points and home advantage. I think only the Highlanders and Chiefs can still get first place and they play each other next week, so one of those two will be out of that race."
The Hurricanes would not want to head to New Plymouth to play the Chiefs in the final match of the round robin with the New Zealand Conference title up for grabs.
Source: The Dominion Post
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