With the 2013 Super XV just around the corner it felt like an appropriate time to have a bit of fun and speculate about some ‘Best of’ sides, and the fourth side I’m looking at is the Wellington-based Hurricanes, one of the most flamboyant sides in the history of Super Rugby.
Please note that no specific selection criteria was used here; some players have been chosen because of the significance of their contribution to the side, some because of the their longevity in the jersey, and some simply because they were far too good to leave out. No doubt there will be plenty of opposing opinions regarding my selections, but with that disclaimer out of the way, here is my ‘Greatest Ever Hurricanes Team’.
Starting at the front-row, the first name I wrote down was the captain of the inaugural Hurricanes side when the Super 12 began in 1996, Mark ‘Bull’ Allen. With 100 provincial games under his belt for Taranaki, Bull Allen was a New Zealand rugby icon through the mid-to-late 90s, and was capped 8 times for the All Blacks before a serious recurrent back injury forced him in to retirement.
Joining Bull Allen in the front-row is Neemia Tialata, who played 87 games for the ‘Canes and amassed 43 caps for the All Blacks in a career which is often overlooked, but was full of significant achievements. Tialata would quite probably still be a fixture in the national squad today had he not headed off-shore, where he currently plies his trade in the French Top 14.
The hooking role came down to two highly qualified candidates – Norm Hewitt and Andrew Hore. Hewitt played 66 times for the ‘Canes during a frustrating career which will be remembered for coinciding with the reign of legendary All Blacks’ skipper Sean Fitzpatrick, who effectively curtailed Hewitt’s dream of a regular spot in the black jersey.
I ended up choosing Hore, although the decision was a tight one. Like Hewitt, Hore has been a controversial figure in the public eye, but he’s one of those players that seem to keep getting better with age. To date he’s played 74 times for the All Blacks, and although his Hurricanes career came to an end after the 2011 season, when coach Mark Hammett culled several marquee players in an effort to redevelop team culture, he played 92 times for the franchise, scoring 17 tries and playing a significant role in the leadership of the side.
Hailing from Taranaki (like Allen and Hore) the first lock in my side is Paul Tito. After a brief stint with the Chiefs Tito joined the ‘Canes and played 84 times for the Wellington-based side. Having represented New Zealand at U19 and U21 levels, and been a member of the New Zealand Maoris side at the turn of the millennium, Tito was a player who came agonizingly close to achieving higher honours, but eventually accepted the lucrative offers on the table in the European competitions, where he currently plays for Welsh side the Cardiff Blues.
Jason Eaton becomes the fourth Taranaki representative in my tight five, and is the first player named in my side that is still currently with the franchise. Eaton stormed on to the New Zealand rugby scene when picked for the All Blacks by Graham Henry in 2005 despite being a virtual unknown. He played 15 times for the national side and was voted International Rugby Player’s Association’s ‘Newcomer of the Year’ in 2006, before a form slump saw him vanish from the Test arena. However, he is back playing for the Hurricanes, where his knowledge of the game and hard-nosed attitude is hugely influential in a forward-pack which is bursting with talent but is light on experience.
The imposing Jerry Collins was a sure-thing for selection on the Blindside flank, having played 74 times for the Hurricanes between 2001-2008. Player of the tournament at the Under 19 World Cup in 1999 Collins made his debut for the All Blacks in 2001 where he became an integral part of the loose-forward trio, both on defence, and on attack, where his barn-storming runs provided fantastic front-foot ball for any side he was a member of.
At openside flanker I’ve selected the Tongan-born Kupu Vanisi. After embarking on a Super 12 career with the Highlanders Vanisi shifted allegiances to the ‘Canes, and his compelling form propelled him in to the All Black frame. He sat on the cusp of international selection for some time, playing once for the All Blacks in a non-test match against New Zealand A, before finishing his career with a three-year stint in Japan.
At the back of the scrum I’ve gone for Rodney So’oialo, a hugely talented player who represented the franchise on 101 occasions. Having won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester with the NZ Sevens side, So’oialo eventually graduated to the All Blacks, where he played 62 tests in a highly acclaimed international career. A natural leader, So’oialo captained both the Wellington NPC side and the ‘Canes, as well as leading the All Blacks on one occasion.
While his time with the ‘Canes may have ended in controversy when he was unceremoniously dumped by coach Mark Hammett, halfback Piri Weepu was a major part of the Hurricanes side for the better part of a decade, amassing 250 points in 79 matches. A versatile player who is equally at home at 9 or 10, and who is an accomplished goal-kicker, the veteran of 69 tests for the All Blacks struggled at times for form and fitness, but on his day was an outstanding player with a vast array of skills and an unyielding belief in his own abilities.
First-five was an interesting one. David Holwell was a Wellington institution, scoring 676 points for the ‘Canes during his career, and certainly deserves a mention. Beauden Barrett is another who warranted consideration, and, all things going to form is a player whose name will feature in these sorts of lists in years to come. But I’ve gone for Aaron Cruden, because he was purely and simply better than Holwell, and Barrett needs more time to prove himself worthy of selection ahead of him.
Cruden may have joined the Chiefs and played an integral part in their first-ever title win in 2012, but it was at as a Hurricane that he came to prominence on the national scene, making his debut in Super Rugby in 2010. The diminutive five-eighth won All Black selection that same year, and has gone on to represent his country on 20 occasions to date, although that number is bound to rise significantly in the coming seasons.
From here on in the names I mention are all names of legendary New Zealand rugby players, and there are some strikingly good individuals who have missed selection in these positions, including the likes of Alama Iremia and Corey Jane.
On one wing I’ve gone for former All Black captain Tana Umaga. While Umaga finished his career in the midfield he was very much a winger when he embarked on his professional career, and that’s where he best serves my side, given some of the other names I am soon to discuss.
Umaga played for over a decade in the Hurricanes jersey, amassing 122 caps and scoring 235 points in the process. His international career is equally impressive, comprising 74 tests that yielded 180 points, and including a lengthy stint as captain of the side. Among other notable moments he will be remembered for uttering the famous words “C’mon ref, we’re not playing tiddly-winks’, and for executing ‘that’ tackle on Lions’ captain Brian O’Driscoll in the first test of their 2005 tour which resulted in the Irish midfielder heading home early.
The one and only Jonah Lomu lines up on the other wing for my Greatest Ever Hurricanes side. An ‘All-time Great’ of international rugby, Lomu played for the Chiefs and the Blues as well as the Hurricanes, but it is in the yellow jersey that he is most commonly remembered. Lomu became the youngest player to ever play test rugby for the All Blacks when he debuted in Christchurch against the French at just 19 years and 45 days old, but it wasn’t until Laurie Mains’ side burst out of their shackles at the 1995 Rugby World Cup that the world of rugby really began to understand how phenomenal the gigantic winger really was.
He played 63 tests for the All Blacks and scored 37 tries, a feat made all the more remarkable by the fact he battled a serious kidney disease throughout the bulk of his career. That disease resulted in a kidney-transplant in 2004, but while the procedure was successful Lomu was unable to return to the peak of his powers on the rugby field,
At second-five I’ve gone for another of the players recently axed by coach Mark Hammett, in All Black midfielder Ma’a Nonu. Whether playing on the wing, at centre or in the 12 jersey, where he has become a regular for the national side, Nonu was an integral part of the Hurricanes side for much of the last decade, playing 110 times for the franchise and dotting down 43 times. He earned his first test cap in 2003 and has been a permanent fixture in the black jersey ever since, repelling the challenge of Sonny Bill Williams to retain his starting jersey as the All Blacks captured the World Cup in 2011.
At centre I only had eyes for current Hurricanes’ captain Conrad Smith, Nonu’s midfield partner in the All Blacks and a veteran of 82 games for the franchise. While Smith’s silky skills and eye for a gap are hugely advantageous, his leadership and innate understanding of the game are equally important, and have made him a senior member in every side he is a part of. The key defender in the All Blacks’ backline, Smith was a member of the Players’ Leadership group during New Zealand’s successful World Cup campaign in 2011.
The final cog in a backline bursting with illustrious names and phenomenal talent is Christian Cullen, possibly the greatest fullback to ever represent New Zealand. Cullen burst on to the world stage with stand-out performances in the New Zealand Sevens team, and made his debut for the All Blacks in 1996, scoring an unprecedented seven tries in his first two tests. Cullen played 85 times for the ‘Canes, snaring 308 points, whilst earning 58 caps in the black jersey and achieving a tally of 48 test tries.
So there it is, my Greatest Ever Hurricanes team. Of all the franchises the Hurricanes have easily the most talented backline, and the second-row is really the only area which lets them down. Still, I’m happy with my side which features the following players –
1. Allen 2. Hewitt 3. Tialata 4. Tito 5. Eaton 6. Collins 7. Vanisi 8. So’oialo 9. Weepu 10. Cruden 11. Lomu 12. Nonu 13. Smith 14. Umaga 15. Cullen