Jordie Barrett stars as 14-man Hurricanes survive late red card scare to overcome Chiefs
An impactful return from injury by Jordie Barrett has handed the Hurricanes their first win of the Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign as the overcame the Chiefs 25-18 at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton.
The 23-year-old fullback put on a masterclass display both from the boot and with ball in hand, finishing the game with a 10 points and two try assists to spare the blushes of teammate Scott Scrafton.
The towering second rower put his team’s chances of victory in jeopardy late on in the contest after he picked up a both a yellow and red card as well as conceding a penalty try, but the exploits of Barrett were enough to guide the visitors to success.
Starting the fixture with a clear determination to put the Chiefs on the back foot, the Hurricanes’ obvious attacking intent was rewarded within the first five minutes after a ton of space opened out wide from a scrum deep in enemy territory.
Jordie Barrett didn’t need a second invitation to take advantage of the Chiefs’ defensive lapse as he slung a looping pass to Kobus van Wyk, who strolled in untouched on the right wing.
Barrett nearly punished the Chiefs again about 10 minutes later when Damian McKenzie failed to find touch from a clearing kick inside his 22.
Instead, the ball landed right in the arms of the Hurricanes fullback, who launched a mammoth drop goal attempt from 45 metres out, only for it to sail astray to the right of the posts.
A string of disciplinary issues on the Hurricanes’ part eventually handed the Chiefs their first scoring opportunity, with McKenzie making amends for his wayward punt by landing an easy penalty attempt from point blank range.
Ill-discipline proved to be a constant theme throughout the first half, with the stop-start nature of the game restricting both side’s ability to unleash their full attacking potential.
A hefty head clash between Chiefs lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi and Hurricanes flanker Du’Plessis Kirifi only added to the match’s stagnant flow.
Ah Kuoi was worryingly stretchered from the field on a medical cart following a lengthy pause in play, which kick-started an abysmal conclusion to the half for the hosts.
Barrett banged over another short-range penalty after Lachlan Boshier was pinged for a breakdown infringement not long after Ah Kuoi’s injury break, before a Dane Coles intercept in the next sequence of play laid the foundations for a Du’Plessis Kirifi try.
Barrett then flexed his long-distance goal kicking prowess with a thunderous effort from beyond 60 metres on the stroke of half-time to give the Hurricanes a 20-3 lead at the break.
Five months after he stunned onlookers with an outrageously large penalty goal against the Jaguares, Hurricanes fullback Jordie Barrett has done it again. #CHIvHURhttps://t.co/rwNRn0b4Vj
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 5, 2020
That would have given the Chiefs coaching staff some ammunition to launch a spray in the sheds, with assistant coach Neil Barnes using expletives to express his dismay at his side’s lacklustre efforts during a half-time interview.
The two-time Super Rugby champions must have taken their boss’ words of warning on board, as they hammered the opposition defence inside the first 15 minutes of the second half.
The Hurricanes struggled with the inspired fightback, with McKenzie slotting a penalty from one infringement before Scrafton was sent to the sin bin for his team’s severe lack of discipline.
Despite that, the Chiefs couldn’t capitalise on their one-man advantage, with some stern Hurricanes defence reaping some hard-earned reward when they were given a penalty as a result of a Sam Cane shoulder charge on TJ Perenara.
The All Blacks skipper was lucky not to be yellow carded himself for that indiscretion, but karma came back to bite the Chiefs as Ardie Savea and Jamie Booth combined off the back of the scrum to splinter the defensive line inside the opposition half.
Some silky distribution between the replacement halfback, Perenara and Barrett was enough to see Van Wyk through for his second try of the game to push the score out to 25-6.
The Chiefs hit back almost immediately, though, with a break down the right-hand flank by Solomon Alaimalo putting the away side under immense pressure.
Another penalty just five metres from the Hurricanes’ tryline was quickly taken by Damian McKenzie, who threw his body at the line but was held up over the line in a last-ditch effort from Scrafton.
However, a penalty try was called as the returning second rower was offside and took the Chiefs fullback in a high tackle, leading to a second yellow card, meaning he became the first player in Super Rugby Aotearoa to earn a 20-minute red card.
Red card! A second yellow card to Scott Scrafton mean's he is off the field for the rest of the match. #CHIvHUR pic.twitter.com/UJ1JPvDKek
— Super Rugby NZ (@SuperRugbyNZ) July 5, 2020
That appeared to light a spark in the Chiefs’ belly that had been vacant throughout the entirety of the match, as they began to play with the belief that they could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
As such, their attack was direct and intense as the clock ticked closer to the full-time siren, with replacement halfback Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi injecting plenty of impetus from off the bench.
His energetic involvement eventually paid dividends, with a helter-skelter period of play enough to stretch the under-manned Hurricanes defence to the point that Boshier raced in for a try with less than three minutes to play.
That was as close as the Chiefs got to pulling off a miracle comeback, though, as the Hurricanes closed the game off expertly to register their first win of the abbreviated campaign.
The result leaves the winless Chiefs in a deep hole heading into their bye week, which should provide some much-needed time off to bring some clarity and refreshment to Warren Gatland’s struggling side.
As for the Hurricanes, they now sit in fourth spot and could overtake the Highlanders, who they trail by one point, when the two sides face off at Sky Stadium in Wellington next Sunday.
Hurricanes 25 (Tries to Kobus van Wyk (2), Du’Plessis Kirifi; 2 conversions and 2 penalties to Jordie Barrett; yellow card and red card to Scott Scrafton)
Chiefs 18 (Try to Lachlan Boshier, penalty try; 2 penalties to Damian McKenzie)
Comments on RugbyPass
9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to comments