Winger Cory Jane scored three tries as the Wellington Hurricanes beat the Queensland Reds 32-21 in Super Rugby yesterday, extending their winning streak to four games and hoisting themselves to the top of the New Zealand conference.
Jane’s All Blacks teammate, scrumhalf T.J. Perenara, and replacement flanker Ardie Savea also scored tries as the Hurricanes claimed a four-try bonus point from their fifth win of the season.
Jane scored two tries within six minutes in the first half and added his third in the 18th minute of the second half to propel the Hurricanes to their fifth win in nine games.
Photo: AFP
The Reds took a 14-10 lead to half-time, but fell behind with Perenara’s try in the 47th minute and conceded three second-half tries.
Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper had a mixed game for the Reds, guiding them well in the first half, but costing them heavily with a series of errors in the second.
He created a try for fullback Ben Lucas in the seventh minute, timing a pass to flanker Beau Robinson, who broke the midfield defense and passed to Lucas for the opening score of the match.
The Hurricanes hit back with tries to Jane in the 17th and 23rd minutes to lead 10-8 midway through the first half. Fullback Andre Taylor was a constant attacking threat and played a vital role in the first and third tries to Jane and in Perenara’s score early in the second half.
Penalties to Quade Cooper carried the Reds to a 14-10 lead at half-time, but they were already struggling to keep up with the Hurricanes and Perenara’s try, followed by Jane’s third carried the home side to a 22-14 lead.
All Blacks apprentice Ardie Savea scored the decisive try in the 75th minute, crashing onto a short pass and forcing his way over under the posts.
The Hurricanes were able to keep the ball alive through multiple phases and to crack open the Reds’ defense through players such as Taylor, Jane, flanker Victor Vito and winger Julian Savea.
The Reds, who fell back to 12th place with three wins and six losses, paid for their failure to control possession and to deny the Hurricanes the chance to free their dangerous outside backs.
“We missed too many one-on-one tackles. We let the Hurricanes get in behind us,” said Reds captain James Horwill, who played his 100th Super Rugby game.
The Hurricanes overtook defending champions the Chiefs to take first place in the New Zealand conference after 11 rounds.
“I think the last few weeks our forwards have muscled up against some fairly good packs and they make it very easy for us in the backs,” Hurricanes captain Conrad Smith said. “They’re creating a lot of space, so if teams are concerned about defending our backs, there’s a lot of space up the middle and they’re taking it.”
FORCE, BULLS
AP, PERTH, Australia
South Africa-born flyhalf Sias Ebersohn kicked five penalties from as many attempts to lift the Western Force to a 15-9 win over the Petoria-based Bulls in Super Rugby yesterday.
Ebersohn kicked his third penalty in the 40th minute to give the Perth-based Force their first lead at 9-6 and added two more goals in the second half to clinch his team’s sixth win of the season, hoisting them to second place in the Australian conference.
Three-time champion Bulls slumped to a fourth-straight loss on their tour of New Zealand and Australia and to their seventh straight loss away from home.
SHARKS, HIGHLANDERS
AFP, DURBAN, South Africa
A mid-Super 15 season loss of form by leaders Coastal Sharks continued on Friday when they suffered a shock 34-18 home loss to the Otago Highlanders in Durban.
Lucky to defeat fellow South African side the Central Cheetahs last weekend playing what one newspaper called “stone age” rugby, there was no let-off for the Sharks against the energetic New Zealand team.
The Highlanders combined strong, creative running and impressive field kicking to deadly effect, scoring four tries for a bonus-point triumph at Kings Park after building a 24-12 half-time lead.
The Dunedin outfit achieved victory despite struggling at the scrums and line-outs, being repeatedly penalized, and having lock Joe Wheeler sin-binned on 50 minutes.
The Sharks suffered a major pre-match setback when injury ruled out skipper Bismarck du Plessis, who is rated the best hooker in the world.
“It was a great win,” said Highlanders No. 8 Nasi Manu, who shares the captaincy with fullback Ben Smith in a novel approach to on-field leadership.
“We knew it would be tough and fronted up. The guys worked hard for each other and coming to South Africa early helped us overcome time-zone problems.”
Right-wing Richard Buckman, Aaron Smith, flank Shane Christie and centre Malakai Fekitoa scored a try each for Otago and fly-half Lima Sopoaga kicked four conversions and two penalties.
England-born Sharks fly-half Tim Swiel, elevated from third choice last weekend after injuries to Patrick Lambie and Fred Zeilinga, succeeded with six of eight penalty attempts.
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