Canes honour Collins with big win
There were no celebrations for the Hurricanes as they secured a home semifinal in Napier, but Jerry Collins would have been proud.
Rugby seemed a trivial pursuit after news of Collins’ passing in France stunned the rugby community about an hour before his former team took the field.
It would have been a sombre occasion for friends and former Hurricanes and All Black teammates like Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu as they went through the warm ups at McLean Park.
But they would also have appreciated the need to honour their mate with a fitting performance and they did just that during a 56-20 win that sealed the New Zealand Conference title.
Collins played 74 matches for the Hurricanes from 2001 to 2008 and it was hard not to picture his trademark smile as both teams put on a celebration of running rugby with eleven tries in total in front of a crowd of 12, 230.
With the Hurricanes in black armbands the night started with a minutes silence, but barely stood still for the next 80 minutes as they ran in eight tries.
It was fitting that Nonu scored the final two tries of the night, willing himself over the line then pointing to the heavens, then almost immediately sprinting 40 metres for his second.
Jamie Joseph’s side will now throw everything they have at trying to gain maximum points against the Blues at Eden Park next week in a bid to bank a home quarter final.
The Hurricanes will head to New Plymouth to play the Chiefs safe in the knowledge they have a week off before hosting a semifinal at Westpac Stadium for the first time.
Nonu, who took his place in the reserves after wing Cory Jane had failed to recover from a hamstring strain, will now have to sit out the Chiefs match as his second All Blacks rest week.
Besides Hurricanes wing Nehe Milner-Skudder, openside Ardie Savea, fullback James Marshall, who scored 21 points including a try, five conversions and two penalties, lock James Broadhurst and two-try halfback TJ Perenara all had strong matches.
And crucially Beauden Barrett got through his return match and looked as confident and quick as he had before the knee injury that kept him out for five weeks.
The Highlanders contributed to the spectacle, but were porous in defence at times as they struggled to contain the Hurricanes offloading game and powerful runners.
The Hurricanes game plan was clear from the outset as they spread the ball to the edges from the kick off, then used Broadhurst to smash holes in the middle.
Early errors and a Lima Sopoaga drop goal meant it took a while for the plan to reap rewards, but the holes started to appear and when blindside flanker Gareth Evans was sinbinned trying to stop a rolling maul after 15 minutes the dam burst.
Milner-Skudder skipped through and off loaded to Blade Thomson, then Marshall glided past five tacklers on an angled run to the try line.
It was 18-3 by the time Evans returned and he was just in time to watch Perenara wriggle over to make it 23-3 after 25 minutes.
Some Tongia brilliance got the Highlanders back into the match with a try and a brilliant recovery of his own high kick to lay on a try for Sopoaga. But it was the Hurricanes night and Coles made it 30-13 at the break.
The Highlanders dropped the kick off after halftime, Julian Savea streaked over, Perenara grabbed a second and Nonu added an exclamation mark on a bittersweet night.