Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Super Rugby Aotearoa: Hurricanes edge Highlanders in physically bruising battle in Wellington

By Alex McLeod
(Photo by Masanori Udagawa/Getty Images)

The chase to catch the Crusaders and Blues at the summit of the Super Rugby Aotearoa table took an interesting turn on Sunday as the Hurricanes toppled the Highlanders to close the gap on the leading pack.

ADVERTISEMENT

The hard-fought 17-11 victory represents a considerable turnaround in fortunes for the Wellingtonians, who stuttered to an 0-2 start to the domestic league following defeats to the Blues and Crusaders.

Jordie Barrett’s return at fullback spurred them on to victory against the Chiefs last week, and the young All Blacks utility was again involved in his side’s fortunes as they overtook the Highlanders in third place on the standings.

Video Spacer

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck playing for Blues U18

Video Spacer

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck playing for Blues U18

After halfback TJ Perenara stood up his opposite and All Blacks teammate Aaron Smith with a cheeky show-and-go from close range to score the match’s first try near the half hour mark, Barrett splintered the Highlanders’ defence with a well-angled run off a set move.

The 23-year-old then flun a looping ball out wide to in-form South African wing Kobus van Wyk, who fought off a couple of defenders to dot down in the corner and hand the Hurricanes a 12-0 lead going into the sheds.

That lead could have been more extensive were it not for the extremely blustery conditions at Sky Stadium, which mitigated Barrett’s goal kicking prowess that was on show in Hamilton last week.

Highlanders first-five Mitch Hunt also fell victim to the very strong breeze off the tee, but it was the running game of the playmaker that really caught the eye.

ADVERTISEMENT

Had it not been for the questionable obstruction call ruled on Ash Dixon inside the first five minutes of the contest, Hunt would have set up Smith for a scintillating try under the posts as he sliced the opposition apart from well inside his own half.

The southerners would rightfully have been rueing referee Brendon Pickerill’s decision to deny the co-captain’s impressive long range effort, but the cards fell in the visitors’ favour shortly afterwards after a Hurricanes try was cancelled out in similar circumstances.

A block on Shannon Frizell by Devan Flanders opened up a plethora of space for Ngani Laumape to exploit and score from in the sixth minute, but Pickerill overturned his initial decision after a raft of replays highlighted the loose forward’s indiscretion.

It was the ball-carrying dominance of the home side’s forward pack that proved to be vital in their victory, though, as was evidenced in Flanders’ try in the opening few minutes of the second half.

ADVERTISEMENT

That showing of patience and physicality on attack deep in Highlanders’ territory brought the Hurricanes out to a 17-0 lead, but the away side slowly started to work their way back into the battle.

A penalty by Hunt was soon followed by a well-taken try off a lineout to Smith, who worked well with Dixon to take advantage of a short-side overlap close to the Hurricanes’ tryline.

It was the decision by Asafo Aumua to join the maul to combat the Highlanders’ powerful efforts up front that allowed that try to be scored, but the Hurricanes hooker was arguably the standout player in the fixture.

Usually a back-up to Dane Coles in the franchise’s pecking order, the two-match All Black took his rare starting opportunity superbly with his grunt on both sides of the ball.

Josh Dickson’s absence from the Highlanders’ forward pack didn’t help the Highlanders’ efforts to nullify the threat posed by Aumua, but the exploits of Smith and Hunt will have pleased nonetheless.

Hunt’s newfound form will be of particular intrigue come next week when the franchise welcomes back All Blacks pivot Josh Ioane from injury, creating a selection dilemma for the No. 10 jersey.

Perhaps a shift to fullback for Hunt in the place of Michael Collins could be the solution to accommodate both him and Ioane, but it’s a much-welcomed selection headache for head coach Aaron Mauger.

His side have now slid to fourth spot on the overall standings with a 1-3 record in the opening half of the Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign, and will look to re-build when they take on the Chiefs in Hamilton next week.

As for the Hurricanes, their attention will need to shift quickly to the next task at hand: the much-daunted trip to Christchurch to take on the unbeaten Crusaders.

Hurricanes 17 (Tries to TJ Perenara, Kobus van Wyk and Devan Flanders; conversion to Jordie Barrett)

Highlanders 11 (Try to Aaron Smith; 2 penalties to Mitch Hunt)

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby? Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?
Search