Hurricanes end Moana Pasifika's historic season in brutal Savea homecoming

A bonus point Wellington win was needed on Saturday night for Moana Pasifika to qualify for their first playoffs in Super Rugby, while the Hurricanes needed competition points to stay ahead of the Reds in the top four.

A conflicted crowd welcomed former Canes captain Ardie Savea back to his home ground for the first time since joining Moana Pasifika, but the Wellington team were not interested in offering such hospitality.

While they surrendered the first try of the game, the hosts struck back quickly and ran away with a commanding lead.  Tries by Peter Umaga-Jensen on either side of halftime pushed the game all but beyond reach, with the Hurricanes running away as 64-12 victors.

Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa got the scoring underway in just the fifth minute, supporting a Solomon Alaimalo intercept and being rewarded for his effort.

The Hurricanes backed their big boys in search of a response, and got the result they were after when Jacob Devery scored two minutes later.

Before long, the Hurricanes were back in attacking territory, and when Devan Flanders got the ball with just one more player to beat, the blindside flanker put in a chip kick and recollected for the try.

Two breakdown steals from Ardie Savea stalled the Hurricanes’ momentum, but there was no stopping Cam Roigard when the halfback reeled in an intercept to score his seventh try of the season.

Savea had his third steal just before the halftime break, but the ensuing clearance just gave Peter Umaga-Jensen a chance to run it back, and run it back he did. The one-time All Black skimmed four tackle attempts on his way to the try line.

Moana Pasifika needed to come out of the break reinvigorated, but instead gave away possession by not securing the breakdown.

The Hurricanes chipped away at the Moana Pasifika line, and while possession swung both ways, it was again Umaga-Jensen who provided some X-factor for the Hurricanes to get back on the board.

A yellow card to Abraham Pole made things more difficult for Moana Pasifika, and the Hurricanes wasted no time in capitalising, scoring via a driving maul try.

Moana Pasifika hit back through who else but Ardie Savea, but conceded another five points a minute later when Pouri Rakete-Stones powered over the line.

The scoreboard kept running when Billy Proctor swerved through the defence with some individual brilliance, and Ere Enari snuck under some tacklers close to the line. A try on debut to Tjay Clarke brought the game to a close.

A 64-12 scoreline ended Moana Pasifika’s season and confirmed the Blues as the sixth and final playoff team.