Andrew Hore and Ma’a Nonu, who will both be cut loose by Wellington at the end of the season, made important contributions in the Hurricanes’ 18-18 draw against the Waikato Chiefs in their Super Rugby match in Hamilton yesterday.
The All Blacks stalwarts were told earlier in the week they would not be offered new contracts in an act of blood letting rarely seen at New Zealand’s Super Rugby franchises.
Captain Hore scored his side’s only points in the first half with a try, while Nonu’s break early in the second set up Hosea Gear’s try that brought the visitors back into the match.
Tighthead prop Neemia Tialata, who is also leaving the Hurricanes at the end of the year to join Bayonne in France, made his 100th Super Rugby appearance for the team.
“We played some pretty good rugby considering the conditions were slippery and both teams had nothing to lose,” Hore said. “Obviously we would have liked to have won, but it’s a pretty big milestone for Neemia Tialata to have a 100 and not lose.”
The Hurricanes dominated the first half, but the slippery conditions and their failure to control the greasy ball led to the Chiefs scoring tries at either end of the first half.
Richard Kahui was first to the loose ball in the opening two minutes after an Aaron Cruden kick was charged down, while Isaac Ross scored in the 38th minute following an attacking scrum.
Hore scored midway through the first half as he twisted over from a goal line ruck as the Hurricanes were rewarded for stringing together several phases of play without losing the ball.
The Hurricanes got back into the game immediately after the break when Nonu made one of his characteristic line breaks that set up Gear’s try, while Cruden converted and added a penalty three minutes later to tie the score 15-15.
Stephen Donald, who had slotted a first-half conversion and penalty, added his second penalty, before Cruden tied it up again at 18-18 with just less than 12 minutes remaining.
Donald attempted a 35m drop-goal after his side had held the ball for more than 20 phases and two minutes after the final horn sounded, but it was partially charged and the Hurricanes kicked it into touch to end the match.
BRUMBIES 32, REBELS 17
REUTERS, CANBERRA
The ACT Brumbies ground out a 32-17 victory over the Melbourne Rebels after Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore set up one try and scored another yesterday in Matt Giteau’s final Super Rugby match before he joins Toulon.
The 28-year-old Giteau, who is moving to France after the World Cup, scored a try and kicked two conversions and a penalty for the home side, who have had an awful season.
However, they followed up a 22-14 upset win over table-topping Queensland Reds last week with a controlled performance.
“We didn’t give away too many penalties in our half, we backed our defense ... and the boys worked hard,” Giteau said. “We took our foot off the pedal a little bit, but we regrouped and got a couple of tries.”
The Brumbies scored three tries in the first half through Christian Lealiifano, Tyrone Smith and Giteau, while Pat McCabe and Moore added second-half tries for the home side.
Former England flyhalf Danny Cipriani, who returned to the Rebels’ side after being suspended for disciplinary reasons, scored their only points before the break with a penalty.
The Brumbies extended their 18-3 halftime lead shortly after the break when inside center McCabe ghosted off the shoulder of Moore, who had straightened the attack and burst through, to grab the bonus-point try.
The Rebels then appeared to go into consolidation mode, seemingly content not to let the score blow out, before Jarrod Saffy scored one try and set up another for replacement Afusipa Taumoepeau to tighten the game up, before Moore barrelled over.
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