Hurricanes No.9 Piri Weepu says that just because the Hurricanes keep losing to the Crusaders they can’t let it affect them over the rest of the season.
The match was billed as one of the biggest this season and the Hurricanes were expected to stand up to the Crusaders despite them only beating the Crusaders three times in 16 matches, in 2000, 2001 and 2004.
The Hurricanes have been a consistant performer in Super Rugby and reached the final in 2006. Last year their depth was tested to the fullest with the All Blacks conditioning group being pulled out of the first half of the tournament.
Weepu says that he felt the Hurricanes were able to live with the Crusaders on Friday night, but like other seasons, errors cost them. There must however be a growing feeling in the Hurricanes camp that beating the Crusaders is a bridge too far for them.
“We felt that we were still in the game in the first half, but it’s just the same sort of story every year,” Weepu told Sunday News.
“We make mistakes and they capitalise on them.
“We’ve just got to take on board what happened and learn from it, to take it into the rest of the season.”
The Hurricanes are still well placed to make the semis this year despite the Crusaders loss and Weepu says that overall he is pleased with how their campaign is going.
“It started off a bit shaky but we’ve put in a couple of solid performances.”
The Hurricanes are sitting in fourth place on the table after six games but they have yet to tour South Africa where they will play the Bulls, Stormers and Cheetahs in rounds 9-11.
“I guess we’re lucky to play the Sharks here, because when you play them in Durban they’re so hard to beat.
“But in saying that it’s just the same as the Bulls because they’re hard to beat in Pretoria.
