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Illness rules key personnel out for Hurricanes

Phillip Rollo

The Hurricanes will be without their coach as well as a couple of key players for their final game of the Super Rugby Pacific regular season.

Coach Jason Holland and backs Jordie Barrett and Ruben Love did not travel to Perth for their clash with the Force at HBF Park (midnight tomorrow) after being struck down with illness.

The flu has gone through the squad in the last week or so with a handful of players, including both hookers Dane Coles and Asafo Aumua as well as assistant coach

Chris Gibbes, late withdrawals from last weekend’s win over the Rebels.

Gibbes has since recovered, allowing him to take over the head coach duties with Holland stuck at home, as have Coles, Aumua, Salesi Rayasi, Wes Goosen and Jamie Booth, who have all been included in the match-day 23.

Coles will get a second chance to make his first start of the season at hooker, while Rayasi and Goosen have been named on either wing. Aumua and Booth have been included on a bench that features returning skipper Ardie Savea. ‘‘One thing that Covid and this sort of stuff teaches you is that you’ve got to be pretty agile and move on quickly,’’ Gibbes said. ‘‘We’ve got a great coaching group and management team and everyone has just stepped up and got the job done and our leaders lead really well.’’ Barrett and Love had both fallen ill throughout the week but Gibbes said the Hurricanes were planning to give Barrett another week off due to All Blacks rest protocols anyway.

The Hurricanes can claim hosting rights for the quarterfinals from outside the top eight that can still break in but they have to beat the Hurricanes and hope the Highlanders lose to the Rebels.

The Hurricanes will be led by halfback TJ Perenara with Savea on the bench.

Brayden Iose has been given the nod to start at No 8 in his first game back from a broken wrist.

‘‘We’re just managing Ardie and doing what’s best for the team and what’s best for Ardie,’’ Gibbes said.

‘‘It’s important he plays but we think the role he’s going to bring off the bench, bringing energy and impact in that second half is where we can best utilise him.’’

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2022-05-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

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