Rugby: Not do or die for the Hurricanes yet

Mark Hammett. Photo / Getty Images.

Hurricanes' coach Mark Hammett doesn't see this Friday's clash with the Sharks in New Plymouth as a must-win game.

It may be early in the Super Rugby season but the Hurricanes sit eighth on the ladder, and following their disappointing 47-38 loss to the Cheetahs last weekend - when they gave up a 21-point lead - another defeat this week would take the gloss off their solid start to the campaign.

The squad, largely made up of rookies, began 2012 with three wins and two losses, including their last-gasp 26-25 victory over the Blues in week five. It looked as though they might defy the critics who produced dire predictions for the side before the season got underway. There are many who still think they will struggle, especially as their tight five come under increasing pressure, but Hammett denied his side's meeting with the Sharks would be a turning point.

"I don't believe so at all, actually," he said. "We know we're a team that are continuing to develop and if we lose by two points or win by two points, to be quite honest, from a feel-good and a points factor of course you want to win the game. We plan to win every game and are no different this week but I'd never put that out there and say 'geez, if we lose that, that's it'; because it's not."

Hammett will be without No 8 Victor Vito after the World Cup-winning All Black was diagnosed with a slight tear in his calf this week.

Vito is expected to be fit to face the Crusaders in Wellington in a fortnight - they have the bye the weekend after Easter - and Faifili Levave will pack down at the back of the scrum in his place on Friday night.

Levave has spent this season at No 6 and the loose forward reshuffle sees Jack Lam move to the blindside with fellow flanker Karl Lowe to hold his place on the openside after returning from injury last weekend.

Hammett expected the duo of Lowe and Lam to be competitive with the Sharks at the tackle-ball area in what is likely to be wet conditions at Yarrow Stadium.

"I think that could be quite an exciting part of the game," he said. "They're both fairly aggressive players on the ground and the weather's supposed to be [wet], so it could be a good combination."

Hammett has named five Taranaki players in his match-day 22, including Andre Taylor, Beauden Barrett, Jason Eaton, James Broadhurst and Michael Bent.

Eaton returns to the fold after missing last weekend's loss due to a back complaint and Hammett said the former All Black's experience was vital.

"He's calm and he's a steady influence on the rest of the group and he also has a good connection with our game leaders before we get to lineout time and he's been around a long time so he's seen a lot of situations."

Rookie halfback TJ Perenara said the side had worked on their tackling during the week, namely going low, after falling off too many tackles against the Cheetahs last weekend.

"It's not just because of the weekend," Perenara said. "It's something we've always built on this whole year, something like our chop tackles is a focus for us and we were poor at that in the weekend, and we know we need to do better at that."

First five-eighths Tusi Pisi could make his debut for the franchise from the bench after joining the squad from Japan recently.

Hurricanes: Andre Taylor, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith (c), Tim Bateman, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara; Faifili Levave, Karl Lowe, Jack Lam, Jason Eaton, James Broadhurst, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Dane Coles, Ben May. Reserves: Motu Matu'u, Michael Bent, Jeremy Thrush, Mark Reddish, Chris Eaton, Tusi Pisi, Charlie Ngatai

Follow Daniel Richardson on Twitter