Defending champs Hurricanes run in 13 tries to smash sorry Sunwolves in Tokyo
>> TOKYO: A rampant Wellington Hurricanes began the defence of their Super Rugby title by pulverising Japan’s Sunwolves 83-17 yesterday, scoring 13 tries in an embarrassingly lopsided game.
Ardie Savea, Vince Aso and Michael Fatialofa all crashed over twice in the Tokyo sunshine as the visitors threatened to break a slew of records against a shambolic Sunwolves side looking to rebound from last year’s baptism of fire.
Fly-half Otere Black added nine conversions.
Late tries from Shokei Kin and Willie Britz barely papered over the cracks for the Tokyo-based franchise, who won just one of 15 games in their inaugural Super Rugby season.
All Blacks winger Julian Savea produced arguably the moment of the match after 28 minutes when he ran coast-to-coast to score, living up to his nickname “The Bus” as he smashed through two tackles to race clear.
Jordie Barrett, younger brother of All Black star Beauden, lit up an impressive Super Rugbydebut at fullback with a brilliant pass for captain TJ Perenara to break the try line and an outrageous side-step to set up Ngani Laumape.
South African Riaan Viljoen finally got the Sunwolves on the scoreboard with six minutes left in the first half.
But after taking a 45-5 lead into half-time, the Hurricanes continued to run riot as a Laumape lob pass allowed Blade Thomson to score moments after the interval.
Within five minutes Fatialofa and Brad Shields added further tries and when substitute Wes Goosen capitalised on yet another Sunwolves error to make it 83-5 on the hour mark, the Hurricanes looked like racking up a century.
Kin and Britz salvaged a measure of pride for the Sunwolves after a dreadful mismatch which will nevertheless have given new coach Filo Tiatia very few positives to take away for the remainder of the campaign.
TIGHT WIN FOR CRUSADERS
Pete Samu’s second-half try proved to be the difference between the sides as the Canterbury Crusaders beat Australia’s ACT Brumbies 17-13 in Christchurch yesterday.
Seta Tamanivalu and Whetu Douglas also went over for the home side, with Richie Mo’unga adding a conversion as a determined Crusaders recorded their seventh successive victory over the Canberrabased side.
Lock Rory Arnold scored an early second half try for the Brumbies, while fly-half Wharenui Hawera added two penalties and a conversion.
WARATAHS’ DERBY DELIGHT
The New South Wales Waratahs carved out a grinding 19-13 win over Western Force in an all-Australian derby in Sydney yesterday.
In a match of few thrills, the Waratahs fought back from 13-9 down at half-time to take control of the second half through a try from Wallaby lock Will Skelton just after the interval.
Winger Reece Robinson kicked the Waratahs to victory with five out of six attempts as a stand-in for concussed sidelined Wallaby fly-half Bernard Foley.