The Hurricanes beat the Chiefs 60-5 to win their second Super Rugby title a decade after the first, leaving no doubt Saturday they are the best attacking team in the competition’s history.
The Wellington-based team played with a northerly gale at their back in the first half and had four tries and a 29-0 lead by halftime. They added five more into the wind in the second half including doubles to winger Josh Moorby and flyhalf Ruben Love.
The Hurricanes scored 113 tries in 17 matches in this year and finished as the first team in Super Rugby’s 30-year history to score more than 100 tries in a season.
Photo:AFP
Fehi Fineanganofo’s first-half try was his 17th of the season and gave him the individual record for most tries in a season until his teammate Moorby scored a try in each half to join him on that number.
When the first All Blacks squad of the season is named on Monday, it is expected to be dominated by Hurricanes.
The front row of props Xavier Numia, Pasilio Tosi and hooker Asafo Aumua are set to be selected after the Hurricanes again overwhelmed an opposing scrum on Saturday, as they have all season. The backrow, the combination of scrumhalf Cam Roigard and flyhalf Love, midfield of Jordie Barrett and Billy Proctor and Fenianganofo likely to be chosen.
Fineanganofo was due to join the Newcastle Red Bulls in England, but it seems likely New Zealand would hold him back.
The final was seen as a contest between Love and the Chiefs’ Damian McKenzie for the All Blacks’ starting flyhalf role and Love thoroughly outplayed his rival, conducting the Hurricanes’ attack adding to his double by kicking seven goals from 10 attempts for an individual tally of 25 points.
The Hurricanes played with ball in hand when the wind was at their back and used the wind in the second half by kicking to recover the ball. The pace and quality of their attacking play left the Chiefs’ defense grabbing at air.
The Chiefs scored their only try six minutes from fulltime to avoid becoming the first team to be held scoreless in a Super Rugby final.
Moorby scored his first in the seventh minute and Love, Fineanganofo and fullback Callum Harkin all had scored by halftime.
Moorby opened the scoring in the second half and tries followed to Devan Flanders, Jordie Barrett and Love, who scored an acrobatic second.
The Hurricanes beat the ACT Brumbies 66-12 in the quarterfinals, the Blues 57-21 in the semifinals and with Saturday’s win can make a case for being the best Super Rugby team of all time.
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