Aupiki Preview: Hurricanes Poua
Can two become one?
Last season was pretty messy for the Poua. Covid ripped through camp meaning they had to cancel their pre-season and first round match against the Blues. Players outside the squad were asked to be on standby as they scrambled to field a team for round two against the eventual winners, Manawa. That match was as messy as you would expect with that type of prep but they bounced back to muscle a win off Matatū. This result and others meant they finished the final-less series in second place. It felt though that we barely scratched the surface of that this team was capable of.
They have retained most of their starting roster from year one with a couple of choice pick ups. The theme of which is giving me family reunion.
The little kauri seed which was planted in Hurricane’s territory last season is now blooming in season two. Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate has been joined by Northland teammates Krystal Murray, Aroha Savage and Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali. Their arrival in this squad brings together the two ends of the island which may surprise some but their style of play will fit right in.
Shakira Baker returns to the black and yellow after a long hiatus. Debuting for the Wellington Pride at just 16, her line breaks were legendary in this region. Baker is perhaps more well known for 7s but played first played for the Black Ferns 15s in 2011 and went to the 2014 World Cup (the one we don’t enjoy talking about) alongside her Poua Captain, Jackie Patea-Fereti.
It could only ever be Jax that would take over the captaincy with Sarah Hirini returning to 7s. She puts the pou in Poua, having long upheld the mana of the women’s game for those in this region. Patea-Fereti is a player’s player, I have never heard anyone with a bad word to say about her. She was one of the many whose season was limited due to contracting Covid last year so Jax will be ready for a proper crack.
Kaipo Olsen-Baker will be returning from injury to act as part of a lethal back row. I am excited to see her pick up where she left off last season and to see how she grows alongside a player like Aroha Savage. That Savage has walked away from a captaincy with the Blues to play here in Wellington, deserves more questions than I think NZR is currently asking. But in the meantime, I’m stoked to have her.
You all know I’m a big fan of Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali. Her injury at the Black Ferns camp last year prevented a comeback bigger than the World Cup final. Subritzky-Nafatali embodies the old Hurricanes slogan, ‘Expect the Unexpected’. She’s got a lot of firepower to play with outside her with Ayesha Leti-I’iga and Blues transfer, Isabella Waterman.
Their pre-season, like the other franchises, has included a hit out against a men’s side. For the Poua this meant a match against the Upper Hutt Rams colts. This practice is a Wayne Smith-ism. He first introduced it when he was rung in to support Darryl Suasua in his term as Black Ferns coach back in the 90s. Smith then brought it back as part of the World Cup prep last year and now we are seeing all the Aupiki franchises incorporate it into pre-season. Personally, I think the mental toughness the players get from these hit outs are probably worth more than any scenario work. We are told forever that playing men is unsafe so it unlocks something to have players step up and realise just how powerful they are.
The promotion of Tors Grant to head coach makes me roll my eyes slightly, only in that the job should have been hers from the get go. I have heard really positive things about her bringing in resource coaches who are other pioneers of this region’s rugby. Emma Jensen has made an appearance as well as Aimee ‘Axe’ Sutorius. We just need to make sure to get another woman coaching alongside her next season.
This Poua team makes me feel like I did about the Hurricanes men’s team as a kid, a cautious fizzing. They have all the pieces there to be great, we will just have to see if they will fall into place.
With you,
Alice