Super Rugby Pacific: Ardie Savea opens up on concerns ahead of Hurricanes opening match against Crusaders

Ardie Savea will start at No8 for the Hurricanes this weekend. Photo / Photosport

Ardie Savea has shared there are concerns among the players around travel ahead of the opening round of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

With the teams being based in a bubble in Queenstown and matches being played in Queenstown and Dunedin, some will face a four-hour bus trip to get to games.

It's yet another less than ideal situation served up by the Covid-19 pandemic in recent years, and one that Savea says has some players concerned.

"It's not ideal being on a bus for four hours and then having to play a high professional rugby game against a quality side – you think of the health and safety there. We're trusting our trainers to just try and come up with something that will help us prep well," Savea said.

"I think all teams will be in the same situation, but we've got guys coming back from long-term injuries and they're quite nervous sitting on a bus for four hours and then having to play their first game.

"Hopefully with all this Covid stuff, we'll be able to go back home and play in front of our friends and family – or just be at home and play there instead of driving four hours to play a match."

The Hurricanes and Crusaders find themselves in that situation this weekend ahead of their opening-round match at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday night, while the Chiefs and Highlanders will play locally at Wakatipu Rugby Club in the afternoon.

The bubble set up will be in place for at least the first three weeks of the competition, which sees all six New Zealand-based teams scheduled to feature in a Dunedin match and facing the long ride over.

It's just another factor to consider as the players prepare for this first competitive match for the year, with players returning from several scenarios such as injuries and short preseasons.

For Savea, who hasn't had as much as a preseason hit out since the final All Blacks test of 2021 in late November, the opening round of the season presents tests both mentally and physically.

While many All Blacks will have their minutes managed to a set number in opening weeks in a bid to ease them back into the game, Savea said as far as he was aware his play would be managed by a different measure.

"I don't think it's a minutes thing; I think it's seeing how my lungs go during the game," Savea said.

"I'm actually really nervous, and I think a lot of the ABs boys are nervous as we haven't played a rugby game in a couple of months, so we're trying to do our best to prep and mentally prepare, but we'll just have to wait and see how it goes."