Super Rugby Pacific: Mature Hurricanes set to seize their semifinal moment against Blues
Saturday, 13 June 2026
What: Super Rugby Pacific semifinal, Hurricanes v Blues. Where: Hnry Stadium, Wellington. When: 7.05pm Saturday, Sky Sport 1.
Clark Laidlaw’s Hurricanes are all grown up now, and finally ready to meet their Super Rugby semifinal moment. Two years ago they froze in the glare of the headlights at this same juncture; on Saturday night they will look to blink away the pressure and the expectation and demonstrate palpably they have matured into a legitimate world-class team.
This is their moment to seize, and we are about to find out if the class of ‘26 are good enough to deliver on all that promise they exude. A place in just their fourth Super Rugby final is there for the taking, and a shot at just a second title in their history, along with the chance to consign the “chokers” tag from ‘24 to the history bin.
On the surface this second Super Rugby Pacific semifinal appears a mismatch. The Blues, by their own admission, have “bumbled” into this penultimate round of the finals on the back of four consecutive defeats by humbling margins. They look a shadow of the outfit that marched so confidently and powerfully to that drought-breaking title in 2024, when they capitalised impressively on the Canes’ inability to rise to the level of finals footy.
But where the Blues have bumbled, the Hurricanes have rumbled in 2026, winning six of their last seven games (their only loss in that span a dead-rubber, second-string regular season finale to the Crusaders) and sashaying into the semis with a 66-12 qualifying final demolition of the Brumbies that was awe-inspiring in its execution in challenging conditions.
The TAB have the Hurricanes at $1.10 to prevail in this semi. Nobody, outside the Blues’ inner-circle, gives the out-of-sorts visitors a chance for the very simple reason that one team has been performing at the highest of levels on a sustained basis, and the other has been sinking like the proverbial stone in water.
The Blues’ last four outings have seen them pumped 47-24 by the same Canes on Eden Park , outplayed 36-20 by the Crusaders in Christchurch, thumped 59-34 by an under-strength Chiefs side in Hamilton and then humbled 52-31 by the Red and Blacks in last week’s qualifying final. It is, literally, irresistible force meeting moveable object.
“We’ll just keep bumbling along, I guess, and see if we can put them in a bit of trouble this week,” noted departing Blues coach Vern Cotter. ”You’ve got to want this as an individual. There’s the old saying … you don’t have to be the best team in the year, you just have to be the best team for that 80 minutes. That’s channelled focus and given real excitement about being good for 80 and then you might get another week.”
Yeah, the Blues have hope. But the Hurricanes have belief. And that’s a big difference. Where the visitors will run out on Saturday knowing they have to find something that has been beyond them for so much of this year, the hosts do the same understanding they have a tried and trusted formula that is delivering stunning results.
Two years ago the Hurricanes went into the semifinal against the Chiefs also as top qualifier, and with a 47-20 qualifying final thumping of the Rebels. And they patently sold themselves short in a 30-19 defeat that left them shattered, and has taken two full years for the pieces to be put back together.
These Hurricanes include 12 survivors from that occasion amid a group that has matured into one of the finest rugby teams on the planet. Their game is flowing beautifully, from a rugged, resilient and accurate pack on top of its game, to a halves combination pulling the strings beautifully, to a midfield making all the right moves and a back-three hoovering up chances. Fehi Fineanganofo and Josh Moorby have, would you believe, 29 tries between them this campaign.
“We’re more prepared holistically. Our game feels like it’s built on strong foundations,” said Laidlaw when asked about progress since that ‘24 semifinal defeat. “We’ve got a few scars, but it’s all part of the growth. Frustration and disappointment are all part of growing up. This team feels like its grown up together.”
The Blues are promising not to die wondering. And not to be one-dimensional.
“We’re going to try to score and score again, keep the scoreboard ticking over, and get as many points as we can,” vowed Cotter. “I don’t think it will be a tight contest from us. There might be a little bit of innovation and something different out there.
“They’re bigger than we are and when they get over the gain-line, they have various options. They’re good on the ground, good in the air, and if they get line-breaks they can play on top or through the middle. They are very complete.”
These Canes, with the uber-talented Peter Lakai playing his 50th, with so many on top of their games and pressing for national selection, look ready to seize their moment. Two years ago they froze and lost a fourth straight semifinal; now they’re all grown up and about to come of age.
How they line up
Hurricanes: Callum Harkin, Josh Moorby, Billy Proctor, Jordie Barrett (co-capt), Fehi Fineanganofo, Ruben Love, Cam Roigard; Peter Lakai, Du'Plessis Kirifi (co-capt), Brad Shields, Warner Dearns, Caleb Delaney, Pasilio Tosi, Asafo Aumua, Xavier Numia. Reserves: Raymond Tuputupu, Siale Lauaki, Tyrel Lomax, Isaia Walker-Leawere, Brayden Iose, Ereatari Enari, Jone Rova, Kini Naholo.
Blues: Beauden Barrett, Cole Forbes, AJ Lam, Xavi Taele, Caleb Clarke, Stephen Perofeta, Finlay Christie; Hoskins Sotutu, Anton Segner, Torian Barnes, Sam Darry, Patrick Tuipulotu (capt), Marcel Renata, Bradley Slater, Ofa Tu’ungafasi. Reserves: Eli Oudenryn, Mason Tupaea, Flyn Yates, Josh Beehre, Che Clark, Taufa Funaki, Pita Ahki, Payton Spencer.
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (NZ).
The story so far
April 11: Hurricanes bt Blues 42-19 at Hnry Stadium
May 16: Hurricanes bt Blues 47-24 at Eden Park
Qualifying finals: Hurricanes bt Brumbies 66-12; Crusaders bt Blues 52-31.