Rugby: Reds big ask for low ebb Canes

Victor Vito of the Hurricanes. Photo / Getty Images

A perfect storm is brewing for the lacklustre Hurricanes, whose Super 15 rugby season is fast being consigned to the forgettable file.

A mounting injury toll and an untimely date with the competition's best-performed team leave the Hurricanes particularly vulnerable when they confront the Reds in Wellington tonight.

Two wins from nine matches have the Hurricanes languishing in 13th position with seven rounds remaining, a playoffs spot nothing more than a pipedream and rookie coach Mark Hammett searching for answers to turn their fortunes around.

He has had a tough introduction to the head coaching duties, but life will get no easier tomorrow against a Reds outfit who have rebounded with both style and substance after years of under-performing.

Hammett has been left no choice but to ring more changes for the contest as injuries left him with only 10 fit backs to select from as the likes of All Blacks fullback Cory Jane plus halfback Piri Weepu and midfielders Conrad Smith and Ma'a Nonu recover from various injuries.

At least international loose forward Victor Vito and captain Andrew Hore are still standing, the latter as he prepares for his 100th Super match for the franchise. Hammett knows his battered players will need to be at their very best.

"There is a reason why they are the leading team. They play some very good, smart football," Hammett said of the Reds. "They have got a good kicking game and they have the biggest kicking metres out of any team in the competition.

"You have [halfback Will] Genia, who is outstanding around the ruck, and they're a team which plays with a lot of energy.

"But you have to remember that teams who rely on the set piece and energy also rely on fast ball. You really need to shut them down."

Andre Taylor will start in Jane's place while the Hurricanes will field a greenish midfield pairing of Charlie Ngatai and Jayden Hayward and the merry-go-round at halfback continues with Chris Eaton preferred to Tyson Keats. First five-eighths Aaron Cruden returns from injury to replace Daniel Kirkpatrick while up front Jason Eaton starts ahead of fellow lock Jeremy Thrush and the injured Serge Lilo makes way for Jack Lam on the openside flank.

All the comings and goings are enough to have a coach's head spinning and Hammett has done his best to ignore the distractions.

"Because there have been so many [injuries] I am not even focusing on it," he said.

"It's a bit crazy to imagine ... every one of our All Blacks backs apart from H [Hosea Gear] are out of the picture at the moment."

While acknowledging the form book seriously favours the Reds, Vito said it was important the Hurricanes began to go back to their strengths.

"Everything is against us but we have beaten them in the past," Vito said.

"People have said we are not the same team as we had in the past but it is up to us to prove them wrong."

- NZPA