Electric Canes snatch late glory
A try in the last minute from Hurricanes skipper Conrad Smith handed his team a dramatic 26-25 bonus-point victory over a stunned Blues side at Eden Park on Friday.
What a thrilling finish! Last week it was the Cheetahs, this week the Hurricanes, with a great long-distance team try to win the match. It was a magnificent try. There were Blues errors to help it but really it was the adventure and vision of the Hurricanes that won the victory by a point only but really by four tries to one.
That fourth try was worth much more than the five points it achieved for the team visiting Eden Park on a balmy Friday evening.
Piri Weepu started it. No, he was not playing for the Hurricanes but for the Blues whither he moved this season though he could have been suspected of being a fifth columnist in this match, for three significant errors – a silly kick and two missed tackles.
The Blues, leading 25-19, and in possession of the ball, were playing keep-ball, winding down the clock and then from the Hurricanes’ 10-metre line, Weepu, playing scrumhalf, kicked down into the Hurricanes 22 with a minute and 15 seconds to play.
Julian Savea managed to get the awkward ball inside his 22. He gave to fullback Andre Taylor who ran, starting the Hurricanes determined counterattack.
They nudged their way upfield and then, suddenly, 50 seconds after Weepu’s kick, Beauden Barrett cracked the game open. He got the ball from Chris Eaton 12 metres inside his half and suddenly the young man burst past Weepu’s effete arm and swept past Lachie Munro.
Tackled by Hadleigh Parkes Barrett popped a pass to his skipper Smith who raced round to get as close to the posts as he could. With 15 seconds to play, a minute after Weepu’s kick, Smith scored. 25-24 to the Blues.
Young Barrett, farmer’s son, took the ball back and kicked the conversion dead middle through the posts. 26-25. The final whistle went. The Hurricanes had won an unlikely victory but such a sweet one.
Afterwards Smith praised his side’s teamwork and the team try that crowned the teamwork with victory, saying: “It’s fun to captain this team.” He also said modestly: “We are managing to get over the line a lot.”
It was a splendid victory but such an unlikely one. If possession and territory counted for points, the Blues won hands down. If a penalty count in their favour (11-3) and destructive dominance in scrums counted for points, the Blues were out of sight of the humble Hurricanes, but with all of that they managed just one try. They may have been geographically close on other occasions but never gave the sincere impression of scoring a try.
The match started in a strange fashion, a mixture of kicking and turnovers but the Blues were soon on the scoreboard, a penalty by Munro when Jack Lam was offside.
The Hurricanes went on the attack from a turnover when Taylor footed ahead and caught Rudi Wulf on his own line, forcing a five-metre scrum. The Hurricanes bashed but lost the ball.
The Blues, whose line-outs were erratic things, won one and formed a maul. Daniel Braid broke away and the Blues bashed at the line. Weepu was close and then Ma’a Nonu burst through two defenders to score at the posts. 10-0 after 15 minutes.
From the kick-off Ali Williams won the ball and Alby Mathewson kicked downfield. Savea got the ball and the powerful man raced upfield, finding Taylor on the half-way line. The fullback skated off, past Munro, till he surfed in for a try as Wulf approached. 10-7 after 17 minutes.
Jason Eaton was penalised at a tackle and Munro made it 13-7 after 22 minutes. Apart from Nonu’s try Munro was the only points’ scorer for his side.
Taylor kicked down field and he and Corey Jane chased. Munro dithered, then slipped and was caught by the chasing duo. Jane picked up the ball, shoved Weepu out of the way and scored in the right corner. 13-12 after 33 minutes.
Munro kicked a penalty goal and then three minutes later Tim Bateman grubbered. Smith footed into a Blues boot but the ball bounced back into his happy arms and the Hurricanes captain scored at the posts. The Hurricanes led 19-16 at the break.
In the second half the Blues improved their kick-and-chase game and destroyed the Hurricanes’ scrums. A penalty against Ben May at a scrum levelled the scores and the Blues attacked, settling for two more penalties to take them to 25-19 after 57 minutes.
That is how the score stayed till there was 1 minute 15 seconds to play, and the Hurricanes scored that great try.
Man of the Match: We have a choice of four Hurricane backs – Andre Taylor, Conrad Smith, Julian Savea and Beauden Barrett – and two Hurricane forwards – Brad Shields, who was so effective during his short stay on the field, and our choice of Man of the Match, No.8 Victor Vito.
The scorers:
For the Blues:
Try: Nonu
Con: Munro
Pens: Munro 6
For the Hurricanes:
Tries: Taylor, Jane, Smith 2
Cons: Barrett 3
Teams:
Blues: 15 Lachie Munro, 14 David Raikuna, 13 Benson Stanley, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Piri Weepu , 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Brad Mika, 7 Daniel Braid (captain), 6 Chris Lowrey, 5 Ali Williams , 4 Liaki Moli, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 James Parsons, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 Filo Paulo, 19 Sean Polwart, 20 Gareth Anscombe, 21 Michael Hobbs, 22 Hadleigh Parkes.
Hurricanes: 15 Andre Taylor, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith (captain), 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Jack Lam, 6 Faifili Levave, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Ben May.
Replacements: 16 Motu Matu’u, 17 Michael Bent, 18 James Broadhurst, 19 Brad Shields, 20 Chris Eaton, 21 Daniel Kirkpatrick, 22 Charlie Ngatai.
Referee: Steve Walsh
Assistant referees: Jonathon White, Ben Skeen
TMO: Bryce Lawrence
By Paul Dobson
