The Hurricanes have kept their undefeated start to the Super Rugby Pacific season intact with a clinical 29-21 win over the Blues at Wellington’s Sky Stadium on Saturday evening.
Without Jordie Barrett, who has been suspended for three weeks, the men from the capital came to play as they ran in four tries to the Blues’ three.
Fullback Ruben Love was especially brilliant, while the Blues were made to pay after rolling the dice with a 6-2 split on the bench after two outside backs left the field early.
Both teams put their undefeated records on the line as Blues playmaker Stephen Perofeta got the New Zealand derby underway at about 7:05 pm NZT on Saturday evening.
The match was a bit of a seesawing affair to begin with. While the Hurricanes may have looked more threatening overall, it was the Blues who risked breaking the game open early on.
Fullback Zarn Sullivan broke through the Canes’ defensive line with a sensational burst from around midfield, with AJ Lam also getting rid of Rubem Love as the visitors charged into the 22.
But the scores remain locked at nil-all as the Blues turned the ball over. That was a mistake the Hurricanes made sure to make the most of during the rest of the first term.
The Hurricanes kept the Blue parked deep inside their own half of the field, whether that be on the back of their lethal running game or their clinical accuracy off the boot.
Eventually, the hosts struck first with wing Josh Moorby crossing down the right flank. Playing with an advantage, Brett Cameron found Ruben Love with a clever kick before spreading the ball wide.
Moorby, who is probably more well-known for playing in the No. 15 jersey for the Hurricanes, reaped the rewards of a brilliant Love cut-out pass to score in about the 14th minute.
This RIDICULOUS EFFORT from Cam Roigard and the quality finish from Kini 😤#SuperRugbyPacific #HURvBLU pic.twitter.com/zGCSLgk0t3
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) March 9, 2024
But to make it worse for the Blues, Zarn Sullivan and AJ Lam – the players who linked up on that impressive break only minutes before – both left the field for HIA’s. They wouldn’t return.
The Blues were on the back foot but had a chance to make amends inside the red zone. They needed a spark, and No. 8 Akira Ioane looked to make that happen with a series of meaningful carries inside the Hurricanes’ 22 shortly after.
But after Stephen Perofeta coughed up the ball about a metre out from the try line. They had an advantage, though, but after opting for a tap, turned over the ball almost immediately.
Crisis averted for the Hurricanes. The hosts won a penalty at the scrum, too, which saw them relieve pressure even more and continue to take hold of the momentum in this fixture.
The Hurricanes went up the other end and, on the back of an efficient maul at the set-piece, spread the ball wide for Moorby to score another.
Much to the delight of the Wellington crowd, the Hurricanes were leading 14-nil.
But their joy soon turned to pain as Blues wing Mark Tele’a ran away for a much-needed try against the run of play. It was an intercept that the visitors needed.
The Blues only trailed by seven, but a late Brett Cameron penalty saw the hosts take a 17-7 lead into the half-time break. The Hurricanes were well and truly in control.
“I thought we controlled the ball, or the game, well,” assistant coach Cory Jane said at half-time. “We were under the pump a bit there in the middle of the field… but we dug deep.
“We’ve just got to keep doing the same thing.”
And that’s exactly what they did.
Halfback Cam Roigard made a sensational break up the middle of the field, which saw him beat his opposite Finlay Christie, before being reeled in just short of the try line.
The Hurricanes spread the ball wide left and it was Rubem Love who sent wing Kini Naholo over for the Hurricanes’ third try of the evening.
But give credit where it’s due. The Blues couldn’t have responded any better with hooker Kurt Eklund crashing over for a try in the 47th minute. Perofeta converted the try to make it a 24-14 game.
There was a tense period of the match that followed. No points were scored, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for the red-hot Hurricanes.
But then, out of nowhere, Kini Naholo beat four defenders to set up Riley Higgins. It was Higgins’ first try in the famous yellow strip.
Hooker Ricky Riccitelli kept the Blues in the fight with a try inside the final 10 minutes, but it couldn’t stop the Hurricanes from recording their third win of the Super Rugby Pacific season.
