Australia have left the building
RELENTLESS: KIWIS CANE THE BRUMBIES IN LATE SHOW
Reward is a clash against either the Lions or Sharks.
Defending champions the Hurricanes scored 20 unanswered points in a dominant second half to keep alive their Super Rugby title hopes and end Australia’s Brumbies bid in Canberra yesterday.
The Hurricanes overcame a 16-15 half-time deficit to end the Brumbies’ season in a 35-16 victory and reach the semifinals.
The New Zealanders will face the winner of today’s all-South African quarterfinal between the Lions and the Sharks next week.
East London-born winger Wes Goosen scored a try double with other tries to Jordie Barrett and TJ Perenara. Barrett finished with 20 points, adding three conversions and three penalties.
It was an emotional comeback to rugby for cancer survivor Christian Leali’ifano, who came on for the second half as a replacement for the Brumbies.
Hurricanes skipper Perenara paid post-match tribute to Leali’ifano: “I want to congratulate Christian for coming back.
“When men like that come back with the fight he’s had it’s humbling to be around him.”
The Brumbies were over in the fourth minute through left-winger James Dargaville before the Hurricanes pulled back to level with Goosen beating several tackles on a mazy run off a lineout win.
But the home team dominated possession and territory and hit the front again when hooker Josh Mann-Rea was awarded a try off a driving maul.
The Hurricanes gradually got back into their playing rhythm and were fortunate to score their second try through centre Jordie Barrett in the 26th minute.
Perenara’s pass hit prop Ben May’s head and propelled the ball over the Brumbies’ try-line where Jordie Barrett won the chase to ground the ball.
Penalty goals from Wharenui Hawera and Jordie Barrett left the Brumbies with a one-point lead at half-time.
But the Hurricanes lost front-rower Jeff Toomaga-Allen to a yellow card right on half-time when he was ruled to have tackled Hawera around the head.
Leali’ifano made his long-awaited comeback from leukaemia at the start of the second half as a replacement for Dargaville.
But it was all the Hurricanes as they tightened the screws on the Australians and were rewarded with second-half tries to Perenara and Goosen for a convincing win. –