TJ Perenara of the Hurricanes and Asafo Aumua of the Hurricanes celebrate try. Super Rugby Pacific - Hurricanes v Highlanders at Sky Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand on Saturday 1 June 2024. Mandatory credit: Elias Rodriguez / www.photosport.nz Photo: Photosport
In theory, the Hurricanes should breeze past the Rebels this weekend.
The two teams meet in Saturday afternoon's Super Rugby quarter-final in Wellington, with the hosts heavy favourites to win with both the bookies and pundits.
However, they face a Melbourne Rebels team playing what could be their final match together.
Rugby Australia has opted not to renew the franchise's licence due to a lack of "financial viability", meaning this season will be the Rebels' last, with the competition decreasing to 11 teams for 2025.
Melbourne Rebels players Carter Gordon and Mason Gordon celebrate. 2024 Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Rebels coach Kevin Foote said the axing of the team doesn't make sense to his players and staff.
"It was always going to hurt, to be honest. It doesn't really make sense for a lot of us," he said.
"We really believed, from the coaching perspective, that if it had stayed together to build confidence in the squad, we could have gone on to make finals more of a regular occurrence."
The South African revealed the Rebels had an emotional team meeting following the news of their demise.
"We spoke about empathy, understanding that this news means different things to different people.
"The fact is we are in the finals and we want to be positive around that."
Clark Laidlaw head coach of the Hurricanes before Super Rugby Pacific - Hurricanes v Chiefs at Sky Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand on Saturday 13 April 2024. Photo: Photosport / Elias Rodriguez
The Hurricanes are expected to write the end of the Rebels' Super Rugby story with a win in Wellington, but coach Clark Laidlaw said his side won't be underestimating their motivated opponents.
"We've got huge empathy to the situation as fellow professionals," Laidlaw said.
"The last thing we want to see is people not having a job next year for whatever reason it is.
"Emotion's a big part of rugby and knockout rugby, anyway. So we need to respect that and be aware of it because emotions can help you if channelled in the right direction."
Salesi Rayasi of the Hurricanes (right) scores a try. Photo: AAP / www.photosport.nz
The Hurricanes finished the regular season at the top of the table, with the Rebels scraping into the finals in the eighth and last playoff place.
However, Laidlaw believes that will count for little come kick off.
"I've been in rugby too long to not know that that game doesn't guarantee nothing.
"Coming from Sevens I know what quarter-finals can look like. I have got a lot of experience with knockout rugby so I genuinely don't think it (finishing first) guarantees us nothing apart from another game this week."
Rebels coach Foote knows the size of the challenge facing his side, with no Australian team having won a Super Rugby playoff on New Zealand soil in the competition's history.
The Melbourne Rebels are playing their final season of Super Rugby. Photo: MORGAN HANCOCK
However, he said the Rebels are determined to go out in a blaze of glory and Saturday's match has all the markings of a great sporting upset.
"We actually want to do something special. It's what history is all about, sports gives us this opportunity.
"You look at all the great rugby stories and think about the story you are going to tell."
In the other quarter-finals, the Chiefs host the Queensland Reds on Friday, the Blues are home to Fijian Drua in Saturday night's first game before the Highlanders visit the ACT Brumbies.
