HURRICANES v BRUMBIES PLAYOFF PREVIEW! History and the weather are on the Brumbies side.

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]Let's go into our playoff previews. And look, we'll start off down in Wellington be the Huracans on Friday night. Um Cam Royard came back for 40 minutes and then they put him on the bench. Um you said they wouldn't have even played him. He got minutes under his belt, no injuries.

[00:00:15]Um so he ticked the boxes there.

[00:00:18]Huracans versus Brumies. I've got history on playoff matches most recently with the Canes traveling to CRA what two or three times in the last four or five years and the Brumies have knocked them out and finished finish their rugby um week one of the playoffs but this time it's different is it? It's down in Wellington.

[00:00:38]>> I want you to take us through um the the keys to victory for these teams. How does each side win it? But firstly homefield advantage down in Wellington.

[00:00:49]How significant is that for the Huracans? They're not in CRA this time.

[00:00:53]>> No, I mean from from a point of view of historically, yes, this is big for the Hurricanes. It's probably bigger for the Brumies because I think the Brumies become a better team significantly in CRA on a Friday night. There's an old saying, you can't beat Wellington on a good day. Well, I I would >> I would be hoping if I'm a Brumy's uh player and and coach that I get one of those rare bad days in Wellington. one of those ones that hardly ever happens where it's raining and windy coming in sideways at the Cape Town because I think that's they they need a few things to go their way for me. The Brumies, they need to slow the Huracans down.

[00:01:31]It's it's obvious.

[00:01:33]>> I've just checked the weather. You may get your wish Brumies fans. Heavy heavy rain on Friday. No roof, remember?

[00:01:42]Bitterly cold. uh just in double digits and absolutely pouring down.

[00:01:50]>> See, see that sounds like a day I've never heard of in Wellington, but for the Brumies, you have got uh a little leg up straight away there because what they needed to do is slow the Huracans down, slow that ruck speed down because uh to use a cliche, the Huracans carrying clean gets momentum like we've never seen of likes before in Super Rugby of late. So for me the Brumy's fords there is international experience all through it. There's big players all through it. I think if they are to win it's that eight fords doing a job rolling up your sleeves. And and by doing a job I mean obviously they're going to have to try and compete at line out time and stifle the opportunity for the Huracans to gain front foot ball from their set piece. And you know Warner Durn makes that harder than it used to be. Um, but they're going to have to and then then they're going to going to have to go after that breakdown and try and slow the ball down there.

[00:02:51]They've got the players to do it.

[00:02:52]They've got some absolute superstars in that forward pack who have been there and done that. But gez, they're going to have to front. And then for me, the one player from the Brumies that if we wake up on Saturday morning and you haven't seen the game and you tell me he's had a nine out of 10 performance, >> it's Lonigan.

[00:03:10]>> He's capable. Oh, hell yes. He really is. And whenever they've done big things this year, it's been him. I think back to them beating the Crusaders in Christ Church and other fixtures where they've really really been in the games. It's Lonigan. He's going to have to have a platform though, Curse. So that forward pack, not only are they going to have to do their job defensively against the Huracans at set piece, they're going to have to sort of give him some go forward at times, too. And >> how's that match up at nine?

[00:03:39]>> Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's it's it's game defining, isn't it?

[00:03:42]>> Both, >> but it's it's only gamedefining if the platforms are the same. And that's what I'm saying. Yeah. They can't afford to give the Huracans their own way at set peace time and at ruck time because then you take your own man out of the game and you just bring in the world's best halfback right now.

[00:03:57]>> Okay. So, if we go on the other side for the Hurricans, what are the most important things for them >> in Wellington, game one of the playoffs where they are heavy favorites, they also do have a life. We must remember there is the lucky loser and I'm not saying that it's going to happen, but if they do drop this game, they are still there in the semifinals.

[00:04:17]>> Well, and that's I I don't think you can underestimate that curse because they do have a life. They're the only team going into this weekend guaranteed of being in the semis. And when you think about it, what's potentially something that could derail this hurricane season, which has been absolutely brilliant to watch, I guess it's just finals pressure and whether they whether they stay the course. And when I say stay the course, keep playing with that ambition and skill level that they've entertained us for 16 weeks now. Of course, this weather is going to be a huge factor of what you've just read out to us. And so you've suddenly got weather, you've suddenly got the pressure of finals footy. The fact that they have got that life I think should lift it a little bit but it's going to be the likes of getting that fun football getting security around their set piece and then if it is bad weather it's Roy guard it's love controlling things Jordi Barrett will be back so they've got the arsenal to do it. So for me it's just it's managing the game that they might not have the conditions to do their usual and seeing how they do that. That'll be the key. But for me, if I look at an individual and maybe a a separator amongst the two teams, it's us far more.

[00:05:30]And I know that's a funny one for you, but he is so dynamic on the clean, sorry, on the carry that when you think about the Huracans and all their go forward and you think about on a night like it's going to be him at the back of the mall if they get some territory, him at the back of the mall and all their options, all their trick shots, they all center around him. And whether he's taking off quickly and just flying into defensive lines or he's feeding to Roy Gard or he's playing around with the wingers, it's a so far more for me on a night like you're suggesting it could be Kirst.

[00:06:03]>> Uh he could be huge.

[00:06:05]>> Well, if you trust Met Service iPhone, uh we're only 3 days out now, Bee. So, the weather reports are usually pretty accurate 3 days.

[00:06:13]>> Believe it.

[00:06:13]>> You believe it. I mean, >> you start believing. If you're the Brumies, you're probably believing, too.

[00:06:19]Well, they've probably been at their local church uh all week praying for such a forecast and they've got they've got what they wanted.

[00:06:27]>> So, last year when we got to this time of year, you started talking about shrinks, getting over that mental hurdle. I think you talked about it when it when it came to the Reds or was it the Brumies? Now, >> the Brumies in Hamilton. Yeah, >> it was the Brumies in Hamilton and look what happened. Um, and then and then we talked to Steven Lam afterwards and he almost confirmed what you