The Hurricanes are set to receive a shot in the arm ahead of the upcoming Super Rugby Pacific season after it was revealed that Asafo Aumua is set to make his long-awaited return to action.<\/p>\n
Aumua\u2019s career has been hampered by a plethora of injuries which included numerous head knocks as well as elbow, foot, hamstring, ankle and knee issues.<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old missed out on the All Blacks<\/a>\u2018 2025 Grand Slam tour as he was working through concussion protocols.<\/p>\n Ready for action<\/p>\n However, Hurricanes<\/a> head coach Clark Laidlaw confirmed that Aumua<\/a> is set to feature in next weekend\u2019s final pre-season encounter with the Chiefs in Porirua.<\/p>\n Aumua, who has made 20 Test appearances for New Zealand since making his debut against Australia in 2020, has been working hard in pre-season training since December.<\/p>\n This, after sustaining a hamstring injury and concussion last year resulted in him failing to make any Test appearances for the All Blacks in 2025.<\/p>\n In 2024, Aumua played in all 14 of New Zealand\u2019s Tests.<\/p>\n The Hurricanes sealed a 44-36 victory over the Blues in a pre-season clash in Auckland on Friday.<\/p>\n Apart from Aumua, they also have Vernon Bason, Jacob Devery and Raymond Tuputupu on their books as options at hooker for their upcoming Super Rugby Pacific campaign.<\/p>\n Ian Foster\u2019s verdict on All Blacks vacancy and issues \u2018sure of it\u2019 prediction after Scott Robertson\u2019s sacking<\/a><\/p>\n Laidlaw is excited to have Aumua available for selection and is looking forward to the All Blacks star\u2019s comeback after his lengthy lay-off.<\/p>\n \u2018He\u2019s unreal\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s good to go, he\u2019s unreal,\u201d Laidlaw told Stuff<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019ve got four hookers in our squad and probably need to work out who\u2019s number two or three [behind Aumua].<\/p>\n \u201cAll of those boys have got different attributes.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are sweating over the fitness of experienced back-row and former England international Brad Shields<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Hurricanes have a bye during Super Rugby Pacific\u2019s opening round before hosting Moana Pasifika in Wellington on Friday, February 20 and Shields is doubtful for that clash after revealing the full extent of his suspected broken finger, sustained in Friday\u2019s pre-season win over the Blues.<\/p>\n Shields took to Instagram to share an X-ray which showed that the tip of the middle finger on his left hand was almost completely broken off.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn not the tip,\u201d Shields said in his post on Friday.<\/p>\n The 34-year-old was in a lot of pain as he stayed down following a ruck in the second half of that clash with the Blues and was eventually forced off the field.<\/p>\n The Hurricanes are expected to provide an update on the full extent of Shields\u2019 injury during the upcoming week.<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n