How will the winless Waratahs fare against the Hurricanes in their Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition opener?
Nothing to see here, insisted the Hurricanes as they flew to Sydney without their blockbusting France-bound midfielder Ngani Laumape for Friday’s Super Rugby Trans-Tasman opener.
A day after Laumape’s $1 million-plus deal with Stade Francais was announced, the 15-test All Black’s name was missing from the 23 to face the Waratahs at the Sydney Cricket Ground (9.45pm NZT). With no injury or illness to speak of, and having shown some of his best form in recent weeks, there was natural curiosity as to whether Laumape’s departure to France after SRTT was a factor.
Sky Super Rugby Transtasman: Ngani Laumape out of Hurricanes squad for clash against Waratahs
12 May, 2021 03:20 AM
3 minutes to read
NZ Herald Focus Sport s Cheree Kinnear gives everything you need to know ahead of Super Rugby Transtasman. Video / NZ Herald
NZ Herald Focus Sport s Cheree Kinnear gives everything you need to know ahead of Super Rugby Transtasman. Video / NZ Herald
Christopher Reive is a sports reporter for NZME@chrisreive
Ngani Laumape has been dropped from the Hurricanes 23-man squad, missing out on a spot in their opening game of the Sky Super Rugby Transtasman competition this weekend.
The move comes after it was announced the star second five-eighth had agreed to a lucrative offer to join French club Stade Francais from July 1. However, Hurricanes coach Jason Holland said the timing was coincidental.
How will the winless Waratahs fare against the Hurricanes in their Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition opener?
Nothing to see here, insisted the Hurricanes as they flew to Sydney without their blockbusting France-bound midfielder Ngani Laumape for Friday’s Super Rugby Trans-Tasman opener.
A day after Laumape’s $1 million-plus deal with Stade Francais was announced, the 15-test All Black’s name was missing from the 23 to face the Waratahs at the Sydney Cricket Ground (9.45pm NZ time). With no injury or illness to speak of, and having shown some of his best form in recent weeks, there was natural curiosity as to whether Laumape’s departure to France after SRTT was a factor.
The Chiefs have transformed their Super Rugby Aotearoa season with four successive wins.
From pretenders to contenders, the Chiefs will be in Hamilton on Friday night, but, at the same time in some rather foreign territory. Not since their season-opener against the Highlanders have they gone into a fixture as favourites. But, some action-packed seven weeks later, here they are as just that, up against the bottom of the table Hurricanes at FMG Stadium Waikato. Having happily dined out on underdog status through the campaign to date, now comes just a little more weight of expectation, as the Chiefs push hard for their place in the Super Rugby Aotearoa final – an idea so ridiculous just a short time ago.
An onset of concussion symptoms then ruled him out of the World Cup and last year he tore a hamstring, twice, then broke his hand. Jacobson recovered to captain Waikato in last year’s Mitre 10 Cup and has been outstanding for the Chiefs under McMillan, starting every match at No 8, and has rediscovered the form which earned him his first All Blacks call-up in 2019. He played two tests off the bench against Argentina and Tonga, but his return for the final round of Super Rugby Aotearoa next weekend, when the Chiefs face the Blues at Eden Park, is uncertain and potentially harms his chances of returning to the All Blacks.