Bad break for Smith but Canes look good

Hurricanes 29 Western Force 5

Presumably with so many Taranaki old boys in attendance, erroneous word got through to the Western Force that they were invited to Yarrow Stadium for a reunion.

The Australians ambled on to the pristine turf with no more intent than establishing what drinks and nibbles were on offer.

What they got served was limitless helpings of Jerry Collins and his chums and a rather brutal introduction to Super 14 New Zealand-style.

It took Andrew Hore only two minutes to blast over from short range for a try. Five minutes later and the Canes went wide from inside their own 22, releasing Isaia Toeava with the fullback timing his pass perfectly to Lome Fa'atau.

Any hope of a contest died in those first 10 minutes and probably some of the fire in the Hurricanes' belly died, too.

They lost urgency and intensity after taking a 14-0 lead and gave the sense they were holding something back, as if they had sensed the Force are a side that need to get off to a flyer and then see how long they can ride their luck.

There's some talent in their ranks but they are so light on experience that the tools just aren't there to negotiate a come-from-behind win.

They battled gamely for 80 minutes and if they can sustain their commitment, they might yet be rewarded with some victories.

Their chances of doing that will be higher if they can find even half the flair on show in the build-up to the second Hurricanes try. It came from a corking move that was unfortunately marred by the serious leg injury incurred by Hurricanes centre Conrad Smith, when he turned the ball inside to Toeava. Initial reports suggested Smith had broken his tibia and will be facing a long stretch on the sidelines.

The Hurricanes have the resources to cover the loss. There was a chap by the name of Tana Umaga resting a niggling calf strain in the stands last night. And Tane Tuipulotu is also useful.

But the injury to Smith will concern the All Black selectors. Smith has a range of skills that add subtlety and variety to the All Black midfield and he also defends with an intelligence and strength few can match.

It was, though, the only blot on what now looks a very promising landscape for the Hurricanes. A good side, so the saying goes, is one that can play badly and still win. A few years ago, if they had failed to find their rhythm or continuity as they did last night, they would have lost.

But last night, they had the confidence to under-commit to the breakdown, relying on the scavenging powers of Collins, Chris Masoe and Rodney So'oialo.

It meant there was always a solid yellow line spread across the paddock - a line the Force lacked either the brain or brawn to break.

In contrast, the Hurricanes could find space at will. Much of their execution post breaking the line was frantic and clumsy but let's not forget it's early season.

The important thing is to be making the breaks and showing the creativity. Which is certainly what Toeava did.

The 19-year-old has come into professional rugby carrying an enormous burden of expectation.

When the All Black selectors took him on the Grand Slam tour last year, they kept telling us Toeava was something special. A guy who could make a dramatic impact at the next World Cup, they said.

It was high praise for a teenager whose first-class career consisted of one NPC outing against the might of Northland.

Last night we got our first sense that the hype is not misguided. We saw the acceleration and priceless ability to change direction in the last stride before attacking the ball.

Fellow All Black bolter and Super 14 rookie Jason Eaton was just as impressive. The big lock showed some real athleticism to be first to a loose tap from a Force lineout and then scoop up the ball in his giant mitts to put the Canes 22-0 ahead.

It was Eaton who also secured the bonus point when he had to drag himself off the bench in the final 10 minutes and crash on to a Collins off-load.

Needless to say, the local boy got a reasonable reception for his endeavours.

Hurricanes 29 (A. Hore, L. Fa'atau, J. Eaton (2) tries; J. Gopperth pen, 3 cons).

Force 5 (S. Staniforth try).

- HERALD ON SUNDAY