Cameron backs Hurricanes to edge Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific final showdown

Injured Hurricanes playmaker Brett Cameron has thrown his support behind Wellington ahead of Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific final at the Cake Tin, backing his side to handle the Chiefs’ expected fast start and deliver in the decisive moments.

Cameron has been sidelined since round 2 of the season after sustaining a season-ending knee injury — the second serious knee setback in as many years for the 29-year-old. Speaking at a Wellington Zoo event on Thursday, where a Spider Monkey named Aranyó made his own prediction by choosing the Hurricanes’ food box over the Chiefs’, Cameron was cautiously optimistic.

“I think it will be tight, for sure. They will come out strong, the Chiefs, but hopefully we can pull through,” Cameron told RugbyPass.

The former Crusaders first-five said the monkey’s verdict could “potentially” reflect how the final plays out, and stressed the Hurricanes are “definitely ready” for the high-pressure moments the match is likely to produce.

The two sides met once during the regular season in a contest that became the only Super Point finish of the entire Super Rugby Pacific campaign. The Chiefs won it in dramatic fashion when Wallace Sititi collected a deflected drop-goal attempt to score. Cameron acknowledged the Hurricanes have taken lessons from that encounter.

“We’ve only had one game where it’s actually gone to Super Point, and that was against the Chiefs, so we’ve learnt a lot from that,” he said. “The group’s been awesome this year at just being level-headed. We’ve got awesome leaders to take care of those sorts of moments, problem solve on the run and just be real calm, knowing that we can back our game to get there in the end.”

He added that the squad has not dwelt too heavily on that earlier defeat. “We know the Chiefs very well, and we know what to expect — they’ll be very physical and they’ll come out of the gates hot. The boys have prepared accordingly for that.”

The final also carries a broader subplot: the two starting No.10s are widely regarded as the front-runners for the All Blacks’ playmaker jersey ahead of the July series, giving new head coach Dave Rennie one last audition to assess before naming his squad.

In Cameron’s absence, 25-year-old Ruben Love has seized the Hurricanes’ No.10 shirt and driven one of the most potent attacks in the competition’s 30-year history. Cameron, who has watched Love’s development across four seasons, is full of praise for the youngster’s composure and game intelligence.

“He’s been awesome. He’s just really well-rounded in his game, and it’s happened pretty quickly this year playing 10. Him and our coaches have done an awesome job around our game,” Cameron said.