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Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper - Source: Photosport -
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The Hurricanes should need little for motivation going into the 2010 Super season.
Here is a side that has done everything but win a title. Over the last five years they have four times been semi-finalists and in 2006 they even hosted a final.
It is hardly a surprising record for a side that has always been laden with All Black representatives and this season it's no different. The Canes have 13 past or present All Blacks to call on going into 2009.
It's an ingredient that should spell success for the perennial nearly-men of New Zealand Super rugby but coach Colin Cooper, in his fifth and final season in charge of the franchise, now knows that a side needs all the stars to align to win a title.
"Look it's a tough competition," Cooper told tvnz.co.nz.
"There is only one of 14 teams that will be able to get it (the Super 14 title) so it's just a lot of hard work, it is experience, form, the luck of the bounce and all that sort of stuff to go your way.
"So we've got an experienced group that have been there and done it, so there is a lot of confidence amongst the group, so it's about putting it on the field now."
The Canes should be confident too, particularly in the backs division where they possess a line-up the envy of any other side.
Cooper has very nearly named a complete All Blacks backline for their opening match against the Blues in Albany on Friday night but in the most critical of positions he has an intriguing conundrum.
Rising first five-eight star Aaron Cruden has been named on the bench with the experienced Taranaki pivot Willie Ripia preferred. Cooper says there is no need to rush the 2009 world junior player of the year Cruden into the rigours of Super rugby.
"We'll take our time with him.
"I mean he has come off the bench (in pre-season) and really played well so he is a young man that has a big future."
At the opposite end of the spectrum long time captain Rodney So'oialo has been replaced this season by All Black hooker Andrew Hore.
There were plenty of other candidates to lead the Hurricanes this season - notably Piri Weepu or Conrad Smith - but Cooper says it was a relatively straightforward decision.
"It was quite and easy (decision) because Rodney needed do some conditioning and Rodney needed to get himself in really good shape so Andrew was like his lieutenant anyway - so it was an easy change over," he said
Indeed with Hore taking over the leadership of the side and Cooper now embarking on his last season in charge of the Hurricanes, before coaching home province Taranaki, times are a changing in Hurricane country.
However Cooper refuses to use his departure as motivation for his side.
"No I think that's the last thing they need really.
"Once you bring emotion like that in you lose concentration, you lose focus and you lose organisation because you start playing on emotion.
"So we're certainly playing that down. We need to continue to play as a team to drive what is going to happen on the field and that's game planning, that's detail and that is understanding your role.
"So that's what we've really been driving for because you might win a game on emotion but you won't win a competition."
And Cooper knows that better than most.
Hurricanes squad:
John Schwalger, Jacob Ellison, Neemia Tialata, Anthony Perenise, Andrew Hore, Dane Coles, Jeremy Thrush, Bryn Evans, James Broadhurst (D), Jason Eaton, Michael Paterson, Victor Vito, Karl Lowe, Scott Waldrom, Rodney So'oialo, Nick Crosswell, Piri Weepu, Tyson Keats (D), Aaron Cruden, Willie Ripia, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Jason Kawau (D), Tamati Ellison, David Smith, Hosea Gear, Andre Taylor, Cory Jane.
