The Wellington Hurricanes slotted a record nine successful penalty kicks and scored 22 unanswered points to beat the Auckland Blues 34-20 in the opening Super 14 match of the season yesterday.
Willie Ripia (five) and Piri Weepu (four) kicked the penalties for the visiting Hurricanes while Hosea Gear scored an intercept try. New Blues flyhalf Stephen Brett scored the competition’s opening try of the year after just five minutes, set up John Afoa’s try and kicked 10 points in the first half.
The Blues gave away too many penalties within kicking distance, particularly in the second half when the Hurricanes stamped their authority on the match at North Harbour Stadium.
Ripia opened the scoring before Brett scored the first try when he took a flat pass from former Hurricanes scrumhalf Alby Mathewson and ghosted through.
Brett converted from in front and after Ripia slotted his second penalty to narrow the gap to 7-6 he added his first penalty then set up Afoa’s try following some superb continuity by the Blues. Brett converted to make it 17-6 in the 19th minute before the Hurricanes began to get into penalty range, with Ripia adding two further penalties while also missing two other opportunities.
Brett added his second penalty to make it 20-12 at the break.
Ripia opened the scoring in the second half with his fifth penalty before Brett threw an awful pass straight to Gear who ran unopposed 55m to score under the posts.
Weepu converted to give his side the lead for the first time since the third minute then added four further penalties.
Later yesterday, Stirling Mortlock became the first player to reach 1,000 Super Rugby points as his ACT Brumbies beat the Western Force 24-15 in their Super 14 clash in Perth.
The 32-year-old went into the season opener on 996 points and two early conversions saw him reach the milestone within 20 minutes as the Brumbies put a dampener on the Force’s debut at their new home ground.
Mortlock finished with nine points from three conversions and one penalty, as well as setting up the sealing try for the Brumbies late in the match.
His perfectly timed pass to Huia Edmonds allowed the hooker to cross in the 72nd minute and the Wallabies veteran then converted as the Brumbies extended their lead beyond a converted try with what proved to be the final score of the match.
The Brumbies ran in three tries, while the Force never even got close to the visitors’ line.
A 30m run by prop Ben Alexander set up the opening try for Josh Valentine in the 11th minute, which Mortlock converted.
When an Adam Ashley-Cooper break put Stephen Moore over in the 19th minute, Mortock stepped up for the elementary conversion to register 1,000 points and give his side a 14-3 lead.
The Force were kept in the game by the boot of youngster James O’Connor, who made his first five penalties.
Remarkably despite the Brumbies’ overall dominance of possession, the Force twice had the chance to take the lead late in the match, but missed both penalties, with O’Connor’s first blemish and Sam Wykes missing the other.
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