Jane: These Canes are tougher

 

The Wellington-based side has risen to the top of the New Zealand conference and are arguably the form team in Super Rugby at the moment.

 

The Hurricanes are on a run of four wins in a row, after seeing off the Crusaders (29-26), Bulls (25-20), Blues (39-20) and the Reds (35-21) in recent weeks.

 

Conrad Smith's men have already won five games this season, after only managing six in the entire season in 2013, and could be on track for their first involvement in the play-offs since 2009.

 

Jane said the Hurricanes' class of 2014 are psychologically stronger than previous squads he has been in.

 

"The boys mentally are getting a bit tougher. 

 

"Past Hurricanes teams when it got a bit tough, we'd start losing our way. 

 

"Over the last few weeks we've built that mental toughness," he told Fairfax NZ News.

 

"We've started to keep ourselves calm. 

 

"When something doesn't go our way, we move on to the next job when the game is getting tight, we are sticking at it instead of getting loose and trying to perform a miracle."

 

The 45-cap All Blacks wing said that there is a great spirit in the Hurricanes side this year and that they are really enjoying their rugby.

 

"If we do something good, instead of just walking back to the next thing, we acknowledge it so the boys are getting out and starting to pat people on the back, the high fives are going around, they're having a bit of fun and at the end of the day that's what rugby is about.

 

"If you aren't enjoying it, it can be a bit painful and it gets the crowd involved as well," Jane said.

 

Jane was the hattrick hero against the Reds and joked that he was happy that his teammates actually passed him the ball after replacement hooker Motu Matu'u ignored Jane on the overlap to crash over to score himself against the Blues in the previous game.

 

"I'm surprised the boys passed me the ball. 

 

"It must have been the tantrum I threw last week at Motu [Matu'u] for not passing me the ball [against the Blues].

 

"I think I got my quota [of tries] for the year, so they probably aren't going to pass it to me again," Jane remarked.

 

Victor Vito has recently returned from a knee injury and has found some form in the three games he has played so far, in a squad which includes form loose forwards like Jack Lam, Faifili Levave and Ardie Savea.

 

"I'm just charged up. 

 

"It's my third game back, my first [full] 80 minutes this year [against the Reds}. 

 

"The lungs were heaving but it's good to add to this loose trio. Jack [Lam] and Fafa [Faifili Levave] have been putting in the hits, so I thought I'd try to bring a bit myself," Vito said.