The Hurricanes finished the Super Rugby Pacific regular season with a 41-14 victory in Wellington with to three tries to winger Salesi Rayasi.
They entered the playoffs with a 1-0 lead thanks to their victory, but the Blues may join them if they defeat the Chiefs at Eden Park and earn extra points as well.
The Hurricanes put on a convincing display, winning seven tries to two, and securing a home quarterfinal for the following weekend.
They had to face a “tough, resilient, gritty” Highlanders team in addition to whirling, gusting winds that made kicking and long passes challenging, but Jordie Barrett, who made key crucial plays in the middle, said they were motivated to close off the regular season strong.
“The thing we spoke about during the week was that over the last few seasons all we wanted was a home quarterfinal and I guess the great thing was that it was in our control tonight, and we managed to get a bonus point win, so again it’s out of our control now,” he stated to Sky Sport.
Matt Whaanga’s drive for a goal in the third minute gave the Highlanders a hiss and scream to start, but the Hurricanes quickly settled into a groove. News for The Daily Rugby
An escalating After an injury, Asafo Aumua made a significant comeback and set up Rayasi for his first try. After flanker Du’Plessis Kirifi scored, Aumua sent TJ Perenara off for another try, and Rayasi scored his second.
The fact that the Hurricanes answered right away, with Kirifi taking three defenders over the line, after the Highlanders tied the score with a try by Fabian Holland in the 33rd minute, is indicative of their strong play this season.
The Highlanders’ situation worsened when Connor Garden-Bachop was sent off for an ugly head clash with Will Tucker.
Later, after another altercation with Tucker, Sam Gilbert met the same fate—time in the trash can.
In the second half, the Highlanders needed to take the lead, but Rayasi’s deft touch to cap off a relentless Hurricanes effort gave the southerners no opportunity.
Brayden Iose gave it another go after that. Sixth place is where the Highlanders end the regular season.
Coach Clarke Dermody made seven changes from their starting lineup, preserving some of their top players for the quarterfinals the next weekend, thus they were far from full strength.
Scorers
Hurricanes 41 (TJ Perenara, Brayden Iose tries, Brett Cameron 3 cons, Du’Plessis Kirifi 2, Salesi Rayasi 3),
Highlanders 14 (two cons by Sam Gilbert; tries from Matt Whaanga and Fabian Holland).
