A late penalty by Jordie Barrett yesterday ensured that the Hurricanes held off a fast-finishing Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby, while an Angus Ta’avao try saw the Chiefs draw 31-31 with the Highlanders.
On a tripleheader night, hooker Folau Faingaa bagged a hat-trick to be Super Rugby’s top try-scorer this season as the Brumbies edged the Blues 26-21 for their fourth consecutive win at Canberra.
After the Hurricanes had scored four tries in a dynamic opening quarter to lead 26-0, the Rebels fought back to trail by just seven points with five minutes to go before Barrett’s strike pushed the final score to a safe 29-19.
It was equally tense in Dunedin, New Zealand, where big prop Ta’avao scored twice in the second half as the Chiefs clawed their way back from a 28-12 deficit in the final quarter of a fast-flowing clash.
The Hurricanes now sit six points behind competition leaders the Crusaders, while the Highlanders remain third in the New Zealand conference, 11 points behind the Hurricanes.
A blistering start by the Hurricanes saw them use their international firepower to put two converted tries on the board inside the opening eight minutes.
Ngani Laumape steamrolled his way past three defenders while Beauden Barrett showed more finesse scoring from a standard double-around move.
Right wing Wes Goosen and Vaea Fifita also got on the scorecard as the Hurricanes feasted off a woeful defensive effort from the Rebels.
However, the momentum changed when the Australian side switched to a forward power game after the break.
Matt Phillip and Billy Meakes each charged over for tries before the powerful Rebels pack won turnover ball from a Hurricanes defensive scrum and Reece Hodge scored.
After Jordie Barrett’s penalty put the game beyond reach for the Rebels, they then missed the chance of a bonus point when a close-range Quade Cooper penalty just before the hooter went wide.
The Highlanders and Chiefs traded tries in the first half, with the Otago club turning with a 14-12 lead.
That blew out to 28-12 after tries from Matt Faddes and James Lentjes before the Chiefs’ storming three-try finish, with Tyler Ardron also touching down alongside Ta’avao.
The Brumbies had already beaten the Chiefs, Waratahs and Lions at home this year and the Blues became their latest scalp to put them joint top of the Australian conference with the Rebels.
It was a gutsy fightback after they went into the break trailing 12-15 after Thomas Faiane and Caleb Clarke got two early tries for the Blues.
The hosts hauled themselves into the game when Blues prop Alex Hodgman was yellow-carded. It gave them a crucial advantage and Faingaa scored from a driving maul, then James Slipper powered over.
Another sin-bin offense, to Ofa Tuungafasi for a ruck infringement, again opened the door in the second stanza, with Faingaa bulldozing over for his second, from a line-out, before getting his third — and 10th of the season — on yet another driving maul with the Brumbies pack in dominant form.
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