honour to captain the side, Laidlaw, who has 53 caps for Scotland, said.?Since I first moved south, I feel that my game has developed tremendously for playing in the Gloucester team in the Aviva Pre

If the Hurricanes are to claim their first Super Rugby title their young pack is going to have to come through a genuine trial against a very good Lions unit trying to do the same thing.The Hurricanes have a young pack, but theyve stepped up this season. The Lions, on the other hand, are a pretty powerful, gnarly forward unit -- that will be where the Johannesburg side target the Hurricanes.Its a massive ask for both teams and while they have home advantage, I dont think it is going to be a walkover for the Hurricanes; they are going to have to work for it.They will have the support of all New Zealanders, pretty much the whole country has dropped the boundaries of their usual support - its a New Zealand team versus a South African team and New Zealanders will be hoping they can do it.Im sure theyve been through the loss of last years final and learned plenty from it, which makes winning all the more desirable.The Lions took it to the Highlanders and punished them at times up front in their semifinal, and if you can get that ascendancy in the big games and out-muscle the opposition you get on the front foot. Any physical battle saps energy out of players, no matter who they are, and it is a big ask for the Hurricanes if they are to claim the title.It will also be a big ask for Dane Coles if he is not 100 percent fit. If he does get onto the field he will feel his ribs in the tight, combative scrums and around the rucks. If hes not 100 percent right, he has got to make the decision with his teams interests at heart. And if youre not fit enough to start, youre not fit enough to be on the bench either.Theres not a lot you can do about the ribs. You cant hide them and it is about coping with the pain.I thought Ricci Riccitelli did a great job coming in for Coles. He put his hand up and was full of energy. He did everything you would ask of someone who had come into a side in that situation.To me the Hurricanes were excited against the Chiefs. They were at home. A few Chiefs errors went their way early on and the Hurricanes just kept growing in confidence. They certainly look like a champion side. Its all there for the taking if they can front up.Beauden Barrett is absolute class. He made another real statement at the weekend to say not only am I one of the best players in the competition but I am going to lead the Hurricanes to the final. He also made a statement to Steve Hansen when marking Aaron Cruden and out-playing him; nothing against Cruden, he didnt do anything wrong. Barrett was just that much better.He has that electric pace and can create something from nothing. Hes got so much skill and so much pace to back it up. Hes got to be the starting 10 for the All Blacks.There was a foundation laid down by the Hurricanes grafters and while Barrett led the charge a player like Victor Vito performed like a guy who realises his days are numbered and he looks like he wants to leave his imprint on the Hurricanes. Hes now got one more game to step up and prove himself after playing really well at the weekend. His effort was backed up by Brad Shields and Ardie Savea.Savea had a great game up against Sam Cane who made a few costly errors and mistakes, and it showed in his frustrations.Remember, we dont get All Blacks trials anymore so these games are as good as you are going to get in closer match-ups. And we had that on display at the weekend on the flank, at half-back at fly-half, in midfield and at fullback.TJ Perenaras return to form was probably what pushed Damian McKenzie out of the All Blacks because they have to take three half-backs and Perenara said: You cant leave me out, Im playing that well. In my mind, he is clearly the second-best half-back and has shown that in his form.A combative player, Perenara is everything you want in a No.9 and is on top of his game; that is one of the reasons the Hurricanes are where they are right now. With the level of energy he has he creates the tempo the game is played at. Theyre humming.I was disappointed for the Highlanders, theyve had a really tough run for the last three or four weeks with all the travel theyve had. Theyre a better side than the way they finished up. The Lions grew in confidence playing in front of their home crowd; they threw the ball around and played a style of rugby that is really encouraging.And thats why Super Rugby got its name; we want to see teams throw the ball around; we want to see an exciting brand of rugby and Im really pleased to see the Lions embrace that. You would hope the other South African sides can see the Lions because I am sure they will have a fair percentage of the Springboks and that should send the message.You look at their inside-back partnership of half-back Faf du Plessis and fly-half Elton Jantjies. Du Plessis is such an electric, exciting player and he dictates the pace and Jantjies looks like a Carlos Spencer in his style and it is obvious that Carlos has coached him and had some influence -- he just oozes confidence.Hes someone at Springboks level who could take South Africa to a whole new level. Thats exciting for them especially with the talent they have in and around those key positions where youve got players like flanker Jaco Kriel and centre Lionel Mapoe. Theyre powerful and you dont often see guys like Ben Smith miss a tackle, but you could see that Kriel is powerful and a hard man to stop.The travel will be a factor in the final. You do put it out of your mind and half the battle is convincing yourself theres no problem; but the reality is the Hurricanes are not suffering any disruptions. Theyre sleeping in their own beds and preparing themselves in the best way they can.South African teams have always struggled in New Zealand and therell be no bigger game than coming for a final. But its different level stuff and the closest you are going to get to a Test match.Having been in finals before, which the Hurricanes have, is important. It is the first time for the Lions. Vito is the perfect person to reinforce that significance because hes played in a final; hes been part of two World Cup wins; hes playing his 100th game and it is his last Super Rugby start. So you would look to him to provide some guidance to the younger players.Its uncharted territory for the Lions and it will show the cut of the cloth of their players and whether they have what it takes to step up to the next level.Ultimately, it all comes down to on the day and who wants it most. Cheap Air Max 270 White . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. Cheap Air Max 90 Trainers . Marincin has played in two NHL games so far this season with two penalty minutes. The 21-year-old has three goals, four assists and a plus-5 rating in 24 games with the American Hockey Leagues Oklahoma City Barons this season. http://www.fakeairmaxukoutlet.com/best-max-95-trainers-cheap-uk.html . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Cheap Air Max 95 Wholesale . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. Air Max 200 Uk . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Scotland scrum-half Greig Laidlaw will leave Gloucester Rugby at the end of the season to take up a three-year deal with Clermont Auvergne.The announcement comes as a boost for Clermont but leaves Gloucester with a sizeable void to fill ahead of next season.Having joined Gloucester from Edinburgh in 2014, he settled into life immediately at Kingsholm and was handed the clubs captaincy for this term.?Ive thoroughly enjoyed my time at Gloucester. Its a fantastic club which enjoys tremendous support. The squad contains a great group of boys, I love playing at Kingsholm and its been a genuine honour to captain the side, Laidlaw, who has 53 caps for Scotland, said.?Since I first moved south, I feel that my game has developed tremendously for playing in the Gloucester team in the Aviva Premiership and its a period of my career that Ill always look back on fondly.He added of his move to Clermont:?[I am] very happy to joinn such a club that has an incredible history, has sports facilities that are among the best in the world and have many world-class players.ddddddddddddloucester director of rugby David Humphreys paid tribute to Laidlaw, saying: Since all the changes at Gloucester ahead of the 2014-15 season, his consistent performances at both club and international level, particularly his goal-kicking, have caught the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe.While we are sorry to see him go, the offer Greig received from France was too good to turn down and, at the end of the season, we will wish him all the best for the rest of his career.For now, however, Greig will want to play a key role in helping us to turn our Aviva Premiership season around and help Gloucester finish the year on a high. ' ' '