Hurricanes tipped to blow away Chiefs

The Hurricanes have made the Super 14 playoffs and I'm picking they will turn the tables on the Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday.

Saturday night's win over the Reds in Brisbane proved the side has the ability, both on attack and defence, to reach the final.

Willie Ripia has had a few issues with the goal-kicking in the past two games, including missing a sitter from in front against the Reds, but he got the radar working and should atone for his last effort in Hamilton when it really matters this weekend.

As for the other semifinal between the Crusaders and the Bulls, don't write off the Cantabs. If there's one Kiwi team capable of winning in South Africa, it's the seven-time champions.

WHAT a pity . . . no Aussie teams in the Super 14 playoffs.

It's not often the Aussies miss out on the top four and, while it's good news for the three Kiwi teams who have made it through, the downside is the Wallabies will be fresh for the Tri- Nations. They will have plenty to prove and it wouldn't surprise to see them with the silverware later in the year.

ONE of the nice guys in sport has to be James Paringatai.

He's a mountain of a man and on the basketball court is one you wouldn't want to run in to. But off court, he's a quietly spoken giant. He's a certainty for most improved player when the Taranaki Devon Dynamos dish out their awards at the end of the season.

WE'VE had a couple of calls about our coverage of Taranaki rugby league - or lack of it - this season.

When results from Taranaki Rugby League headquarters dried up (surprisingly they started again yesterday), the Waitara Bears decided to do something about it and have been providing us details of their games for the past two weeks.

Now the Bell Block Marist Dragons have joined in. And good on them. If codes or clubs can help us, we can help them.

FRENCH coach Marc Lievrement says he will field a weakened team against the All Blacks in Dunedin next month.

Lievrement said his top players would arrive in time for the second test in Wellington a week later.

Well, if that's the case, the All Blacks selectors should play a second-string line-up in Dunedin and save the likes of Richie McCaw and co for the Wellington test. Games against second- string line-ups should not be awarded test status.

- © Fairfax NZ News