Hurricanes name nine All Blacks for Tahs/Hurricanes backrow 'to target Beale'
Hurricanes name nine All Blacks for Tahs
14th February 2008, 14:00 WST
The Hurricanes have named nine All Blacks and Super 14 rugby debutant Jeremy Thrush in their starting line-up to face the NSW Waratahs at Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday.
Thrush, a 1.98m lock who impressed for Wellington in last year's NPC, will partner Jason Eaton who returns to first-class rugby after missing the Tri-Nations and World Cup due to a serious knee injury.
The starting forward pack includes six All Blacks: Eaton, captain Rodney So'oialo, Jerry Collins, Chris Masoe, Andrew Hore and John Schwalger, while another Test prop Neemia Tialata is on the bench as he recovers from elbow and ankle surgery.
In the backs, Conrad Smith will partner Tamati Ellison in the midfield, with destructive attacker Ma'a Nonu on the left wing.
Hurricanes: Cory Jane, Hosea Gear, Conrad Smith, Tamati Ellison, Ma'a Nonu, Jimmy Gopperth, Piri Weepu, Rodney So'oialo (captain), Chris Masoe, Jerry Collins, Jason Eaton, Jeremy Thrush, Tim Fairbrother, Andrew Hore, John Schwalger. Reserves: Hikawera Elliot, Neemia Tialata, Craig Clarke, Thomas Waldrom, Alby Mathewson, Willie Ripia, Shannon Paku.
NZPA
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Hurricanes backrow 'to target Beale'
14th February 2008, 14:15 WST
NSW Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie has warned the Hurricanes' monster backrow to target Kurtley Beale at their peril.
Young playmaker Beale is expected to come in for close attention in both attack and defence from the Wellington-based side's international loose forward trio in a round one clash that is shaping up as the battle of the backrows.
All Blacks destroyers Jerry Collins, Rodney So'oialo and Chris Masoe will go head-to-head with NSW's all-Wallabies backrow of Rocky Elsom, Phil Waugh and Wycliff Palu in a contest-within-the-contest which could have a major influence on the result at the Sydney Football Stadium.
"My experience in rugby is that oppositions, or when we design game-plans, we're always targeting key people," McKenzie told reporters.
"If I was Kurtley I'd take it as a compliment they're going to target him because they obviously recognise him as a key component in our game."
But McKenzie believes lavishing attention on five-eighth Beale will only provide opportunities for the Waratahs' wider attacking weapons Lote Tuqiri, Lachlan Turner and former league star Timana Tahu.
"In a way I don't mind if they focus on one individual because it's going to give space to others," McKenzie said.
"I'm sure they'll have plans but I don't think they'll focus solely on one of our players, I think they'll have plans across the board."
Collins, who weighs in at 109kg, has 48 Test caps while So'oialo (107kg) has 41 and Masoe (106kg) 20.
But skipper Waugh wasn't taking a backward step when asked if they were the biggest backrow challenge in the Super 14.
"They're the form backrow at provincial level for a while now so they'll be physical on Saturday night," he said.
"It's one of the tougher ones but I wouldn't say they're way out ahead of anyone else."
And Waugh, who is likely to shift between flanker and No.8 as part of NSW's response to the Super 14's new rules, backed 19-year-old whiz-kid Beale to look after himself.
"He's a lot bigger than what he was last year and more experienced and his tackling's improved," Waugh said.
"All the guys are going to have to stand up in defence, it's not just going to be the one or two guys that they may target."
McKenzie said Elsom, Waugh and Palu could hold their own in any company.
"(The Hurricanes) backrow is much talked about, obviously all All Blacks, but we've got an all-Wallaby backrow too so I'll back our blokes in this competition against all the teams we play against," McKenzie said.
"It's certainly going to be a key dynamic in the game, who wins the game.
"The performance of the backrow will be fairly important in that but I don't go into the game feeling like we're starting behind the eight-ball."
AAP
