DSPN - Devlin Sports Podcast Network
Super Rugby Qualifying Finals Preview: Is There An Upset Coming?
04 Jun 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What are the key matchups in the Super Rugby qualifying finals?
Welcome to the DSPN.
The Devlin Sports Podcast Network.
DSPN, welcome to it. Qualifying finals time this weekend. Myself, Martin Devlin, Jamie Wall. Hello. The DSPN. So we just saw a weird break it down for you, all three games. And I know that a lot of people are out there thinking, OK, these are lay down Mazia, lay down Mazia, lay down Mazia. And you could be right. But we'll give you the facts, the figures.
And also, I just got a strange feeling there might be one upset coming here. And I'm going to tell you what game I think that is. Click the DSP in. Subscribe on YouTube. That always helps. We're over 26,000. Well over that. We want to get to 30,000 as quick as possible. And Changing Sheds again tomorrow where we give you a little bit extra that you don't get with the rest of the podcast.
We opinionate. We've got some sort of some private messages, answering some questions, some emails, things like that this week as well. I also want to delve deep into Changing Sheds.
And we put a little short on the podcast as well this week about the injuries to the South African players, the Springbok players, comparing those to how the All Blacks are stacked at the moment with injuries as well. I actually think it is a very relevant talking point as we head towards the rivalry too, because they're missing some huge names, including Sasha, which is probably the big one.
All right, let's kick it off, Canes versus Brumbies, because that's tomorrow night. Some facts and figures for you here. 45-12 the last time they met. Is that score relevant? Probably not. The Canes last five games beat the Crusaders, beat MP, beat the Blues, beat the Highlanders, lost to the Crusaders last weekend, of course, with not a B team, but it wasn't the full team.
Brumbies lost to the Reds, beat the Fours, had a bye, beat the Tars, lost MP. They're as inconsistent as hell. Jamie, Lomax is on the bench, so what you'd think is the A-team front row comes back, given that that has played most of the year. No Fihi, however, they've got Naholo and they've got Morby on the wings. Geordie comes back, so that is an all-black midfield there.
Duplessis is back as well, so the leaders are back. It's hard to see the Hurricanes being upset here. You know, the stats, 86 tries. They've conceded 44. They've scored 45 or more points in eight games. I can keep going on this, but what I'm just saying is they're the form team, the best team.
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Chapter 2: How are injuries affecting the Hurricanes and Crusaders?
He's got some competition. I'd say Josh Lord has played pretty well as well.
Yeah, well, it's a good discussion. Maybe we can talk about this a bit more later on. But I think that this is the area where they're really going to target the Brumbies because the Brumbies have historically been very good at set-piece. Yes, they have some fantastic attacking prowess out wide, but this is where the game's going to be won and lost. Brad Shields gets a start on the blind side.
Kind of interesting.
Yeah, I thought that was too, actually. Look, this is a game where experience counts. We've had Brad on the program, and he's talked about the chip on the shoulder and acknowledging defeats in the past. And I just think a wise head and a calm head on the field is going to be, just because it's a playoff game, it changes it up, doesn't it?
Yeah, and you want him there at those key moments throughout the game. He's not going to go the 80 minutes. They've got Braden Yossi on the bench who's going to come on. So keeping Braden Yossi fresh to come on and finish the game off, I think that's a really interesting move from Clark Laidlaw. And then out the back, you mentioned Kenny Naholo before. Kind of the forgotten man a little bit.
Look, he was an absolute monster last year, wasn't he? And also an NPC as well. So, yeah, I mean, look, I know losing Fahey is a hell of a blow, but it's...
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Chapter 3: What statistics indicate the Hurricanes' strong form?
It's kind of an able replacement there, isn't it?
I feel like Fahey's kind of had the career we thought Kenny Naholo was going to get in terms of scoring heaps of tries and being in the All Black conversation. Obviously, Kenny's been struck down by injuries and it's sad, but hopefully this is the restart of a really promising career because as a winger, you've only got quite a short window to make your mark, make the All Blacks.
score a whole bunch of tries and get that big fat overseas contract or in Rico's case move to sender so yeah that's that I'm I think he's he's in for a big game he's been really good since he came back and then he's got obviously Billy Proctor Josh Morby as well and Callum Harkin like that all the Hurricanes backs that's a strong side you know and then we haven't even talked
Yeah, and this is the one game... Look, and I've read a lot of comments this week about people saying that the Brumbies are primed for an upset and, you know, the Hurricanes in these matches can wobble. But... I look overall at the consistency of this side and the fact that they've been belting sides all year. Tony Johnson keeps bringing it up. You can't get near them in their 22.
It's not like a hurricane side of the past where it's all been about the backs and about scoring tries. That's a hell of a forward pack. It's a really good loose forward trio. And these guys have a point to prove as well. So weather down there, a bit of rain around 11, 12. I looked at the forecast. Cloudy, coldy and windy at night, but no rain. So this is the one game I can't see an upset.
I just don't think the Canes are going to fall over in this game. I'm not saying that they're going to bowl the rest of the games, but I think that in this game, I just think they're too strong. All right, team, listen up. Financial markets go up and down, but your money doesn't have to follow the same ride.
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It feels like it and historically it points towards a Hurricanes victory given the results between these two teams in New Zealand. I will say though that that is a really strong Brumbies side. There's a lot of Wallabies in there. They have a guy at First 5, Declan Meredith, who's caused quite a lot of conversation around whether he's going to be involved in the Wallabies.
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Chapter 4: What changes are being made to the Hurricanes' lineup?
But this is the one game that I just still feel the Blues have a performance in them. I don't know. I've got no basis at all to suggest that, given their recent form.
Well, you do, because one year ago, they were exactly in this position. No, but they played better going into that game. Yeah, I know. I get that. But it was still... a game that nobody thought they were going to win, and they had to go away from home and to a venue where they hadn't won in ages, and they did it, and this was the game against the Chiefs last year.
Yes, this is a tougher ask, considering the recent form and the fact that the Crusaders have already turned their new stadium into a complete fortress.
right now but if there is any sign or any place where the blues can target this uh you mentioned it it's the front row because uh they have they have injury concerns and looking at their bench that's a very very light bench they've gotten from very inexperienced story and stuff i've got to say about the new prop the new boy gus brown gus brown yeah that's it's a fantastic story he's at university big unit 193 and 120 kgs or something like that big boy
Don't get me wrong, I feel like he's got a bright future ahead of him, but this is a big task if he has to come on. If the Blues can keep this close, and they have to start rolling changes in the front row, because they will, and he's going to have to come on and debut. Is he not debuting? No, he's not debuting. Oh, sorry, not debuting, but he's going to have to come on.
This will be the biggest match he's ever played on if he runs on the grass.
Yeah. Yeah, and be put into that sort of situation in a playoff game in Super Rugby. It's a big ask for a guy that young. And then they've got Jack Sexton as well, who debuted a couple of weeks ago, and Manu Mawa-Litu, who is, you know, big raps on him, under-20s captain and everything. But again, not a lot of experience under the belt. Not a lot at this level, yeah.
That front row could be the one finishing out a game against a Blues team that, yeah, they've got Flynn Yates and Eli Oden Ryan, who debuted last week as well. But I feel like if the Blues are going to take it anywhere, it's going to be there because that's the way they've been playing for the last, like, three years.
So as long as it's close and they can keep within kicking distance of the Crusaders, then I'll give the Blues a real chance.
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Chapter 5: How do the Brumbies stack up against the Hurricanes?
If they win this, it completely changes the trajectory of what's been a really kind of weird season because they've never really hit these massive heights, but they've always been in the top four.
Well, they started off and then they got eight wins. They were eight and three, remember, and then they finished at eight and six. I mean, the last month has been terrible for them, but do they have one game in them?
That's all I'm asking. Also, you've got guys who have plenty of, who are probably wanting to play as many games as they possibly can before the All Blacks get names. And I'm talking about the loose forwards, Anton Segner, like lots of talk about him lately. Malachi Rambling, I think, and Torian Barnes are guys who are on the fringes, who would make great midweek All Blacks as well. So,
Yeah, there's a lot to play for for both of these teams. And yeah, Crusaders go in as deserved favourites. Have to be.
But again, it's going to be a good game to watch. How good would it be being in that stadium in a Blues jersey? How good. I'm really looking forward to the camera angles from Sky here. I want to see focused on the Blues fans because it's not a brave thing to do. But you're going to cop it. You're going to cop it like a chook when you get in there because you've got 25,000.
But that's the point of playing away from home. It's not like English football where there's a danger element to it. You're going into this brand new stadium. Wear your colours, wave your flag and start screaming from the opening whistle and just see what happens. And if you can keep it tight. I'd love this game to be tight after 60 minutes and then see who's got the bottle.
I feel also that the Crusaders haven't banned anything that they usually do when visiting fans come down.
Well, they're going to ban mirror glasses, BMWs and lattes, aren't they? door's open Colin Chiefs and Reds wrap it all up then and I feel that I'm just about to say all the same things I said about the Hurricanes and the Brumbies game the Chiefs Had a bye, beat the Reds away. It was 31-21, and it was a really muddled performance. And the Reds are going to take a lot out of that.
We've got Les Kiss on the podcast today. First time he's spoken to New Zealand media all year. And it's a fantastic interview, so do make sure that you watch that. And he actually speaks with a lot of confidence about his team. He believes that, just like we're saying about the Blues, that they have this game in them. Then they beat the Highlanders. They lost to the Crusaders.
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