News

Cooper relishing derby battle

Thursday 27th March 2008

Confident Cooper: 'We want to see where we're at against the best'

Hurricanes' coach Colin Cooper, a former assistant to Robbie Deans at the Crusaders, relishes every match against his former charges and Friday's Super 14 derby against the six-time Super Rugby champs will be no different.

Cooper and his troops are gunning to be the first team to knock the red and black Super 14 juggernaut off stride at Wellington's Westpac Stadium.

"They're the best and we want to see where we're at, against the best," Cooper told NZPA.

"It's an exciting challenge.

"We've got good confidence. We've got line-breakers in our team that are looking forward to coming up against the best defensive team in the competition."

The most dangerous of those line-breakers is winger Ma'a Nonu, returning after suspension spelled him from their last match - the impressive 33-15 defeat of the Brumbies in Canberra two weeks ago.

Hosea Gear makes way for Nonu while prop John Schwalger replaces Jacob Ellison in the only starting changes.

Cooper has thus largely stuck by the players who stormed away in the second half against the Brumbies for a fourth consecutive win.

Whether the fifth-placed Hurricanes can continue their streak against the competition leaders (who have won their first six games by an average score of 38-10) will depend primarily on whether they can reproduce the set piece output from Canberra.

"Once we get control there, Jimmy Gopperth's (Hurricanes' fly-half) able to play better and our loosies are able to play better. So it's a major part of our game," said Cooper.

The collisions around the fringes should be shuddering, with All Blacks loosies Rodney So'oialo, Chris Masoe and Jerry Collins all starting to find their feet for the Hurricanes.

They must shade the Richie McCaw-led Crusaders trio in which Mose Tuiali'i and Kieran Read have been dynamic all season.

Nonu could also make a difference if given space and a hesitant defensive line. Cooper was left with no choice but to return the burly ball-carrier to the left wing, with Shannon Paku switching to the right.

"He's playing too well, he's line-breaking really well," Cooper said.

"The unpredictability of Ma'a really helps in breaking the line."

Cooper said no extra guidance was needed this week for Nonu, whose reputation for indiscipline wasn't helped by his dangerous tackle against the Highlanders when he last played three weeks ago.

"We talk about that all the time," said Cooper.

For the first time this season, the coach could pick from an injury-free squad.

It helped fan a positive outlook which the Hurricanes had developed since their rare triumph in Canberra.

The bye week had fallen at a good time, Cooper believed, about mid-season if warm-up games were taken into account.

"With the bye, it can be a good or bad thing depending on where you're at," he said.

"We finished really well with the Brumbies so we've come back pretty excited."

Other key match-ups will come in the second row, where possible All Blacks team-mates this year Ali Williams of the Crusaders and Jason Eaton lock horns, while national tighthead prop candidates Neemia Tialata of the Hurricanes and Greg Somerville are out to anchor the steadier scrums.

Hurricanes scrum-half Piri Weepu will be desperate to outplay the man who pipped him from last year's Rugby World Cup squad, Andy Ellis.