Hurricanes survive Crusaders fightback to cement top spot

SUPER RUGBY WRAP: Fehi Fineanganofo is just one try away from equalling the all-time Super Rugby record, with the former All Black Sevens flyer adding to his season tally on Friday, as the Hurricanes survived a Crusaders fightback to win 38-31 in Wellington.

Fineanganofo stole the show in Super Round with a four-try haul against the ACT Brumbies and the Hurricanes flyer had carried try-scoring form into round 12. The Newcastle-bound 23-year-old has 15 tries this season, just one behind Joe Roff and Ben Lam’s record of 16.

Brave Blossoms captain Warner Dearns set the tone early, stealing a Crusaders line-out inside the opening few minutes. There was a bit of kick tennis from there, with the Hurricanes playing with their fair share of possession.

But as both sides searched for the opening points, the Crusaders looked particularly threatening. The defending Super Rugby champions ended up breaking the deadlock in the seventh minute through utility back rower Leicester Fainga’anuku.

Crusaders coach Rob Penney dropped a selection bombshell before Super Round, naming All Blacks centre Fainga’anuku at openside. The 26-year-old scored a try against the NSW Waratahs and was retained in that role to face the Hurricanes.

Fletcher Newell had been denied by the Hurricanes’ defensive wall, 13 phases into a relentless Crusaders attack. But Fainga’anuku crashed over in the very next phase, before Taka Kemara capped off the red-hot start with the successful conversion.

Fainga’anuku was in the thick of the action throughout the first term, taking on the line midway through the half. But Hurricanes tighthead Pasilio Tosi got over the ball to win a pilfer penalty, which was another game-defining moment.

Cam Roigard made metres after taking a quick tap, with the home side building multiple phases in the pursuit of bounce back points. Hurricanes openside Du’Plessis Kirifi effectively cancelled out the point-scoring effort of his opposite Fainga’anuku, powering over with a pick and drive.

The Crusaders had almost 60 percent possession and were ahead in the territory battle during the first half hour, but the Hurricanes with half-time looming. Ruben Love slotted a penalty on the 30-minute mark, giving Wellingtonians more to cheer about at the cake tin.

But the Crusaders hit back with a long-range Kemara penalty soon after. It was a level ballgame once again, setting the stage for another all-time classic between the sides, before the Canes broke the game open.

Billy Proctor created something special from nothing, reeling in the loose ball before offloading to Peter Lakai. The loose forward stormed upfield before getting a pass off to winger Josh Moorby, who strolled away for the go-ahead points.

But the Hurricanes weren’t done there. Roigard delivered a cut-out pass to backrower Braydon Iose along the left sideline, who put a kick ahead for the halfback to chase. The ball sat up for Roigard, who crossed for the Hurricanes’ second try in three minutes.

It had been 10-all with six minutes left in the half, but the Hurricanes ended up taking a 24-10 lead into the break. Roigard was recognised by the Sky Sport panel as one of the standouts during the opening 40.

The Crusaders looked to start the second half, just as they had the first, by scoring the first try of that 40-minute period. They were about three metres out from the line when Kirifi won a pilfer penalty in the 43rd minute, relieving the danger for the time being.

But a moment of individual brilliance from Noah Hotham brought the Crusaders back into the fight, with the No. 9 noticing an opportunity around the breakdown. Hotham picked up the ball at the base of the ruck, racing more than 25 metres to the house.

Former New Zealand U20s representative Raymond Tuputupu hit back for the Hurricanes less than 10 minutes later, before the Crusaders made it a one-score game through replacement first five-eighth Rivez Reihana.

Fineanganofo took another step closer to the all-time Super Rugby try-scorer record, with the former All Blacks Sevens setting himself up off a lineout. Fineanganofo made a half-break, got a pass off to Isaia Walker-Leawere, who sent the ball back to the unmarked winger.

The TMO checked the play for a potential forward pass but the try stood, with Fineanganofo now just one five-pointer off equalling Roff and Lam’s record. Love converted that effort, making it a 14-point game with about 15 remaining.

Dominic Gardner reduced the deficit by touching down under the sticks, with Reihana making the difference seven points with less than three to play. The Hurricanes walked back to halfway for the restart, before a grandstand finish at Hnry Stadium.

Springer flew down the left edge, but a wayward offload attempt bounced into the arms of a Hurricanes player. While the Crusaders regained possession almost immediately, the Hurricanes stood tall in defence when it mattered most.

Force dent Waratahs’ finals hopes

*Zac Lomax has gained some sweet revenge on Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to help the Western Force to a crucial 20-17 Super Rugby Pacific win over the NSW Waratahs in Sydney.

Former Waratahs pair Dylan Pietsch and Ben Donaldson ultimately upstaged the two code-hopping superstars as they led the Force to their season-saving victory at Allianz Stadium on Friday night.

But, like the excellent Pietsch and Donaldson, Lomax must have given the Wallabies coaching staff food for thought with not only his impressive display under the high ball but also his energy on and off the ball.

For all the hyped build-up about the brewing “match-up” between the one-time NSW State of Origin teammates, Suaalii and Lomax seldom clashed.

Suaalii still showcased his signature subtle touches, while Lomax caused the Waratahs all sorts of headaches, not only as an aerial threat but also with his clever running game.

But Pietsch and Donaldson were the true stars for the Force, who pulled within two competition points of the eighth-placed Waratahs to keep their top-six finals hopes flickering.

As if slighted by all the focus and attention on fellow winger Lomax, Pietsch played like a man on a mission in an eye-catching two-try display.

And amid much conjecture over the Wallabies’ No.10 role, Donaldson once again stood up to showcase his credentials to outgoing national coach Joe Schmidt and the incoming Les Kiss.

Despite multiple opportunities, mostly from the Waratahs, the first try of the night only came 33 minutes into Friday’s contest.

Fired-up flyhalf Lawson Creighton dummied, stepped inside and spun over to give the home team a deserved 7-3 lead after Donaldson had opened the scoring with a third-minute penalty goal.

A Sid Harvey penalty extended NSW’s’ lead before Pietsch willed his way over on the 22nd phase of a relentless Force raid on the stroke of halftime to make it 10-10 at the break.

Pietsch put the Force back in front when he cashed in on a Donaldson break to bag his second 11 minutes into a frenetic second half.

NSW replacement hooker Folau Faianga made life interesting with a late try – but the Force hung on for the final five minutes to stay in the finals hunt.

The Force’s victory came virtually two years to the day that Suaalii’s Sydney Roosters crushed Lomax’s St George Illawarra side 60-18 in a 2024 round-eight NRL mismatch.

That Anzac Day, Suaalii ran in the Roosters’ 10th and final try of the drubbing.

But Lomax has had the last laugh in the latest meeting between the two friends, foes and potential 2027 Wallabies World Cup teammates.

See below for Friday’s scores and scorers!

Hurricanes 38-31 Crusaders

The scorers:

For Hurricanes:
Tries: Kirifi, Moorby, Roigard, Tuputupu, Fineanganofo
Cons: Love 5
Pem: Love

For Crusaders:
Tries: Fainga’anuku, Hotham, Reihana, Gardiner
Cons: Kemara, Reihana 3
Pen: Kemara

Teams:

Hurricanes: 15 Callum Harkin, 14 Josh Moorby, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Fehi Fineanganofo, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Peter Lakai, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 6 Brayden Iose, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Caleb Delany, 3 Pasilio Tosi, 2 Asafo Aumua, 1 Xavier Numia.
Replacements: 16 Raymond Tuputupu, 17 Siale Lauaki, 18 Tevita Mafileo, 19 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 20 Brad Shields, 21 Devan Flanders, 22 Ereatara Enari, 23 Jone Rova.

Crusaders: 15 Johnny McNicholl, 14 Dallas McLeod, 13 Braydon Ennor, 12 David Havili (captain), 11 Macca Springer, 10 Taha Kemara, 9 Noah Hotham, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 7 Ethan Blackadder, 6 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 5 Tahlor Cahill, 4 Antonio Shalfoon, 3 Fletcher Newell, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 George Bower.
Replacements: 16 George Bell, 17 Kershawl Sykes-Martin, 18 Seb Calder, 19 Jamie Hannah, 20 Dom Gardiner, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Johnny Lee, 23 Rivez Reihana.

Referee: James Doleman
Assistant referees: Fraser Hannon, Dan Moore
TMO: Glenn Newman

Waratahs 17-20 Western Force

The scorers:

For Waratahs:
Tries: Creighton, Fainga’a
Cons: Harvey 2
Pen: Harvey

For Western Force:
Tries: Pietsch 2
Cons: Donaldson 2
Pens: Donaldson 2

Teams:

Waratahs: 15 Max Jorgensen, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Joey Walton, 11 Sid Harvey, 10 Lawson Creighton, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Charlie Gamble, 6 Angus Scott-Young, 5 Angus Blyth, 4 Matt Philip (captain), 3 Siosifa Amone, 2 Ethan Dobbins, 1 Tom Lambert.
Replacements: 16 Folau Fainga’a, 17 Isaac Kailea, 18 Apolosi Ranawai, 19 Miles Amatosero, 20 Jamie Adamson, 21 Teddy Wilson, 22 Jack Debreczeni, 23 Triston Reilly

Western Force: 15 Mac Grealy, 14 Zac Lomax, 13 George Bridge, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Henry Robertson, 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 5 Darcy Swain, 4 Jeremy Williams (captain), 3 Misinale Epenisa, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 Tom Robertson
Replacements: 16 Nic Dolly, 17 Sef Fa’agase, 18 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Will Harris, 21 Nathan Hastie, 22 Bayley Kuenzle, 23 Kurtley Beale

Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant referees: George Myers, Matt Kellahan
TMO: James Leckie

@RugbyPass and AAP