Ardie Savea will be kept on ice when the Hurricanes kick off their Super Rugby season in Durban on Sunday.
The dynamic All Blacks openside apprentice is missing from coach Mark Hammett's squad to play the Sharks with size rather than speed appearing to be the decisive factor in the loose forward mix.
No 8 Blade Thomson is one of four new Hurricanes in the starting side along with lock Mark Abbott, second five-eighth Hadleigh Parkes and fullback Marty Banks.
At 1.98m, Thomson adds lineout height in the absence of injured pair Victor Vito and Brad Shields, while the experienced Jack Lam and Faifili Levave predictably complete the loose trio.
Hammett has said Savea is still maturing physically and remains a raw product at just 20 but his absence from the reserves is revealing.
Workmanlike wider training group flanker Adam Hill provides the cover in his Super Rugby debut from a bench that also includes mobile rookie prop Chris Eves, no-nonsense lock Mark Reddish and big boppers Motu Matu'u and John Schwalger.
Hammett is clearly expecting the match to be a war of attrition up front rather than a free flowing affair that might suit Savea's athletic abilities.
To be fair, an expansive approach is unlikely to be possible in what are likely to be greasy conditions with temperatures soaring to more than 30 degrees Celsius when the Hurricanes trained on Tuesday at Northwood School.
"It's the time of year here where, whether it rains or not, it can be like playing in the rain with a wet ball. So we have to take those factors into consideration," Hammett said.
There is also the fact the Sharks are sure to target the Hurricanes' tight five a week after touching up the Bulls during their 31-16 first-up win.
"They will probably have a different plan against us than they had against the Bulls but one thing we can be sure of is they will be extremely physical," Hammett said.
"That's what they want, that's their mentality and those are the exchanges where they get their drive on."
The Hurricanes' senior players might also recall they made the mistake of trying to play like the Harlem Globetrotters against the Bulls in Pretoria and got a 48-14 hiding for their efforts.
A year later, Hammett is adamant his side are better prepared in every way.
"We've got here a day earlier than normal, so we've got a good chance to nail a plan and how we want to implement it and put it in place. We've already walked through it so, from a planning perspective, we're in pretty good shape," he said.
"It is a tough [place to start] but both teams are early season. No teams are going to be firing at their best from the start, so its about taking your opportunities and playing to the conditions."
The Hurricanes have arguably the toughest start of any side in Super Rugby this season in drawing the Sharks and Stormers in their first two games.
But Hammett believes it's the best thing that could have happened for a team that's spent the summer working relentlessly on their ability to absorb pressure.
"A major thing we're keen on doing and focusing on during this trip is getting comfortable with pressure situations," he said.
"In other words, the times when we don't have the ball we need to maintain our discipline through that."
The Hurricanes' efforts to build their resilience extended to a Longest Day army-style 24-hour training camp and purposely handing possession back to the Blues during their opening pre-season match.
Injuries have raised early doubts about the Hurricanes depth but, despite some untried talent, Hammett has named a stellar backline and has some quality in reserve.
Utility Alapati Leiua is a potential match winner if the Hurricanes can keep the score close going into final quarte, but they will need the pack to front regardless of their loose forward mix or the star power they possess out wide.
- © Fairfax NZ News
