Hurricanes starting from scratch
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Hurricanes head coach Chris Boyd said he is taking nothing from his team's two wins over the Highlanders this season ahead of their final with same opponents on Saturday.
The Hurricanes won their Round Six encounter 20-13 in Dunedin and then in dominant fashion thrashed the Otago side 56-20 in the return fixture in Round 17 in Napier. However, the latter win was against a considerably weaker Highlanders outfit than the one that they will be facing this Saturday.
"If you remember the last game in Napier they rested their three All Blacks [Aaron Smith, Ben Smith and Malakai Fekitoa]," Boyd told New Zealand media.
"Patrick Osborne and Nasi Manu also did not play. It was five key players for them – so we will take absolutely no energy from that performance at all."
Conditions for Saturday's final is expected to be wet, which might nullify the attacking threats of both teams who are the competition's leading try scorers. Boyd, on the other hand, feels that there will be running rugby regardless of the conditions.
"I noted that the weather forecast is not terribly good for Saturday. I think there will be some caution potentially but I still don't think it will be a 3-3 or 3-0 game. I think both teams will want to come and play. So it should be a good spectacle. It should be pretty hard and fast.
"I don't think the boys will have trouble getting up on Saturday. I don't think the Highlanders will either. We looking forward to a great contest," said Boyd.
The Wellington side has been the form team this season, losing only two games this season – a tournament record they share with the 2012 Stormers team. Boyd said the foundation of his team's success stemmed from their positive approach in the competition's opening rounds.
"There has been a steady improvement [from pre-season], but the fact that we had started well has given us the right to be here. What we earned at the very start of the season was our ability to be at home for a semi and a final.
"It is always tough with a group to persuade them that a game in Round One, Two or Three might make the difference at the backend of the competition, but it does," Boyd added.
When asked if he was pleased with his achievements in his first year in charge of the team, Boyd said he rather felt a sense of relief for the players.
"I am pleased obviously, but I am probably more pleased for the team that has been long suffering and probably felt that they deserved better over the last three or four years results wise.
"I think I have been more pleased for them than myself," said Boyd.
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