Centre Rieko Ioane is among the Blues players that have the Hurricanes on "red alert.''

You half expected John Plumtree's comment to set off a siren.

Tucked away in the Hurricanes' basement gymnasium at Rugby League Park, the team's defence coach made no attempt to play down the threat of meeting the Blues at Eden Park on Saturday.

"It's probably going to be our toughest defensive assignment to date," Plumtree said.

HAGEN HOPKINS/GETTY IMAGES. The Hurricanes' coaching staff, left to right, John Plumtree, Richard Watt, Chris Boyd and Jason Holland scrutinise proceedings at training this week.

"They've got so many big threats in the midfield there, with Sonny Bill [Williams] back, Rieko [Ioane] obviously there. It's going to be a big task looking after their big ball-carriers and the players know it's red alert for our defence this week."

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Good luck to Ngani Laumape and Vince Aso particularly, then, who form a makeshift midfield combination in the concussion-enforced absence of centre Matt Proctor. That's not to say Aso and Laumape aren't capable players, just that the Proctor-Laumape partnership has been a bit of a constant this season.

MARTY MELVILLE/PHOTOSPORT. Hurricanes wing Wes Goosen dives in to score against the Waratahs.

Laumape and Aso are also quite squat blokes, who're about to match up against a rangy Blues pair, adept at offloading.

Doing the simple things well will probably be the Hurricanes' best defence. That's something that often eludes the Blues, whose set-pieces aren't entirely reliable.

There's plenty of players, including Williams and Ioane, who're capable of brilliance. But that's something a team of the Hurricanes' ilk ought to be able to counter.

They welcome back loose forward Ardie Savea, after a brief spell on the sideline with calf and hamstring strains. Savea hasn't been overworked at training this week, but Plumtree was confident the No.8 would scrub up well on Saturday.

The news is less promising with regard to captain Dane Coles. Having been slowed by a knee injury, it's a calf now keeping him out of the side. The Hurricanes meet the Brumbies in Hamilton next Friday, then have their last bye, and Plumtree said Coles might be held back until the May 5 clash with the Stormers.

It's now March 18 since Coles last played.

Elsewhere, Julian Savea returns to the left wing, following a week off to freshen up. Wes Goosen shifts from left wing to right, with Cory Jane relegated to the bench.

Goosen remains a frustrated midfield back, but will take whichever wing he's offered in the meantime. Left or right, they're "all the same," he said.

"You catch the ball [and] try and run fast."

Saturday's forecast is reasonable, with showers likely but the worst of Cyclone Cook said to be over. The Hurricanes didn't fare too well the last time they hit rain, losing 26-18 to the Chiefs in a match where the score didn't do the victors justice.

"We want to play a little bit better than we did when we played in Hamilton, obviously," said Plumtree.

"We want to kick a little bit better than we did, be a bit more aggressive in our defence."

For all the Hurricanes' own strike weapons, it's what they do without the ball that will be critical. Stand-in captain TJ Perenara was particularly cranky about how the Waratahs cut them up last week so, between that Plumtree's red alert, you'd expect defence to be a feature.

Blues: Michael Collins, Matt Duffie, Rieko Ioane, Sonny Bill Williams, Melani Nanai, Piers Francis, Augustine Pulu, Steven Luatua, Blake Gibson, Jerome Kaino, Scott Scrafton, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Charlie Faumuina, James Parsons (c), Pauliasi Manu. Reserves: Matt Moulds, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Sione Mafileo, Jimmy Tupou, Akira Ioane, Billy Guyton, Bryn Gatland, George Moala.

Hurricanes: Jordie Barrett, Wes Goosen, Vince Aso, Ngani Laumape, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara (c), Ardie Savea, Callum Gibbins, Brad Shields, Michael Fatialofa, Mark Abbott, Jeff To'omaga-Allen, Ricky Riccitelli, Ben May. Reserves: Leni Apisai, Chris Eves, Mike Kainga, Vaea Fifita, Reed Prinsep, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Otere Black, Cory Jane.