Chiefs edge Canes
The Hurricanes got the fine night they were hoping for, but couldn’t make it count in Wellington. Instead, it was the brave and clinical Chiefs who prevailed 17-14 in a genuine Super Rugby cliffhanger.
This contest – between second and third in the New Zealand conference – delivered from start to finish.
For the Hurricanes, the result made for another occasion this season when they didn’t live up to their own expectations.
After the turgid stuff turned out by the British and Irish Lions in recent days, it was a relief to see two good teams attempting to win a game with skill.
There was more entertainment in the first five minutes of footy the Hurricanes played than you fear the Lions might manage all tour. Following wave after wave of attack, lock Vaea Fifita dived over from close range and Jordie Barrett’s conversion made it 7-0.
Beauden Barrett has assumed the Hurricanes’ goal kicking in his last two appearances, but last week’s two-from-six effort against the Force meant the tee wet back to his brother.
Not that kicking was too relevant, as the teams tore into each other.
Tremendous TJ Perenara cover defence denied Anton Lienert-Brown an immediate reply for the Chiefs, before Aaron Cruden restored parity in the 24th minute.
A Hurricanes clearing kick provided the Chiefs with a counter-attacking opportunity and Cruden wriggled over to score following good work from wing Solomon Alaimalo and second five-eighth Charlie Ngatai. Damian McKenzie added the extras.
Both teams continued to threaten, with the best chance to break the deadlock probably falling to Cruden. This time Vince Aso provided the covering tackle, injuring Cruden in the process. The Chiefs first fiveeighth limped his way through the remaining six minutes before halftime, before being replaced by Shaun Stevenson.
Seven-seven suggests a dour struggle, but the 16 minutes after the break were often sensational. The Hurricanes held sway, but the way the Chiefs defended their line was just as thrilling.
All the same, you figured something had to break; it’s just that how or when remained a mystery.
Turned out to be the Hurricanes’ scrum defence. Stevenson split them, from a Chiefs put-in near halfway, wing James Lowe backed up and 12-7 it was. Not a bad effort, either, with lock Michael Allardice in the sinbin for not using his arms to clear Perenara from a ruck.
Having missed an earlier penalty attempt, McKenzie converted from the touchline to give the Chiefs a deserved 14-7 lead.
Normal service resumed, thereafter, as the Hurricanes hammered away and the Chiefs kept repelling them. As is their wont, the Hurricanes turned down shots at goal along the way too, reasoning they’d still need a try at some point if they were going to win.
It’s just that, the longer the Chiefs’ defence held, the more likely it looked as it it would keep holding.
When McKenzie kicked a 76th-minute penalty, the job appeared done. But finally the defensive wall broke, a minute later, when replacement wing Wes Goosen slid in to score. It was Jordie Barrett’s turn to convert from touch, to make it 17-14 with just over two minutes to play.