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Hurricanes keep their dream alive

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:30

Man of the Match: Hurricanes' dynamic No.12 Ma'a Nonu

The Hurricanes kept alive their slim play-off hopes when they scored a hard-earned 33-31 win in the 10-try thriller over the Highlanders at Carisbrook, in Dunedin, on Saturday.

It was truly a game of two halves. The first half produced eight scintillating tries and 50 points, while the first score of the second half only came after 71 minutes - with the second 40 producing just two tries and 14 points.

While the Highlanders made the 'Canes work for their points, the home side was always chasing the game against a Hurricanes outfit clearly intent on getting a full-house five points.

In that regard they can truly say: 'Job well done!'

Whiile they are still outside the top four, they know that should the front runners slip, the win will ensure they can slip in through the back door.

The cold breeze and rain were not what the Hurricanes would have wanted, as they are chasing a win and bonus point in all their remaining games to keep their slim play-off hopes alive.

But the testing conditions didn't seem to affect the players, with both teams playing at 100 miles-an-hour in a first half that produced eight very entertaining tries.

The game took almost two minutes to move away from centre spot - the kick-off going directly into touch, the first scrum for that became a free kick and the next scrum then became a penalty.

However, once the Hurricanes got their hands on the ball, they wasted no time in getting their first try - Karl Lowe going over after a few phases and Conrad  Smith delivering the try-scoring pass. Aaron Cruden added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.

The Highlanders showed their willingness to keep the ball in hand and entertain - with Jimmy Cowan scoring not long after, with No.8 Steven Setephano making most of the running before putting his captain in the clear. Israel Dagg added the conversion and it was all square again - 7-all.

From the restart the Hurricanes scored - Michael Paterson getting the try, after the Highlanders failed to control the kick-off and quick hands putting the lock over. The conversion was of target, as the Hurricanes took a 12-7 lead.

The madness continued as the Highlanders hit straight back - Fetu'u Vainikolo making the early running down the left touchline, with support from Cowan and Adam Thomson, before Alando Soakai scoring the fourth try of the match. The conversion was wide and it was 12-all after 14 minutes.

The Hurricanes took a while longer for their next try, which involved a blatant obstruction missed (or overlooked) by the referee, which resulted in Highlanders captain Jimmy Cowan losing his cool and giving the match official a piece of his mind. After referee Vinny Munro managed to calm Cowan down enough to give him a formal warning for the verbal, he awarded the try scored by Hurricanes scrumhalf Tyson Keats. Cruden added the conversion as the visitors took a 19-12 lead after 24 minutes.

Again the Highlanders wasted little time in hitting back - their pick-'n-drive working very well, before quick hands by Cowan put wing Ben Smith over in the right corner. Dagg's conversion attempt just drifted wide and the Hurricanes clung to a slender lead - 19-17, after 30 minutes.

The helter-skelter nature of the game continued, with Cruden getting the Hurricanes' bonus-point try - coming after Cory Jane started a counter from a poor clearance kick and the 'Canes found plenty of gaps in the fragmented Highlanders defence. Cruden added the conversion as the visitors took a nine-point lead - 26-17.

Again the Highlanders made good us of their powerful pick-'n-drive close to the fringes, as hooker Jason Rutledge scored his team's bonus-point try. Dagg added the conversion as the Hurricanes took a 26-24 lead into the half-time break.

The Highlanders had a golden opportunity to take the lead early in the second half,  after Soakai made a strong run, but Ben Smith let the ball slip through his hands with an open tryline 10 metres away. They kept plugging away, but after a period of sustained pressure and again just metres away from the tryline, the Highlanders gave conceded a penalty at the breakdown.

Cowan had another 'heart-to-heart' with the referee, Munro, soon after this - after he was again held by a Hurricanes player off the ball. This time, after he calmed down, the Highlanders won a penalty, but it was obvious Cowan's hot-headed temperament was not going down well with the match official.

The first penalty shot at goal, in a game of high pace and intensity, came in the 50th minute, but Cruden's attempt drifted wide of the upright.

And the referee eventually lost patience with the constant verbals from the Highlanders and awarded a penalty, which Cruden hooked horribly to the left from just 20 metres out at a favourable angle.

Both teams now also struggled with their ball control, much more than in the first half, and despite the couple of penalty shot neither team had really threatened the scoreboard as the game approached the final quarter.

The first real threatening move of the half came in the 65th minute, when a try-saving tackle by Hosea Gear stopped Ben Smith just metres short.

The Hurricanes eventually managed to get the ball over the line, from a scrum five metres out, and the call went to the TMO - who ruled that Victor Vito was held up over the line.

However, the Hurricanes were awarded a penalty for an infringement just before and they opted for a scrum, from which Ma'a Nonu powered his way over under the uprights for the game's most crucial score - the first points of the second half. Piri Weepu, who had taken over the kicking duties after Cruden's earlier misses, landed the conversion for a nine-point lead - 33-24.

The Highlanders threw everything at the Hurricanes in those frantic final 10 minutes, but they had to wait till after the hooter for full-time before replacement prop Bronson Murray went over for a consolation score. Dagg landed his third conversion to secure a second bonus point for his team

But the Hurricanes had all the reason to celebrate, as their play-off dream remains alive.

Man of the match: You could look at any number of players in the game, but the one man who had the biggest influence was Hurricanes centre Ma'a Nonu - who was always strong in carrying the ball and kept the Highlanders defence busy all night. Plus, he delivered the match-winning score with a typically robust run late in the second half.

The scorers:

For the Highlanders:
Tries: Cowan, Soakai, Smith, Rutledge, Murray
Cons: Dagg 3

For the Hurricanes:
Tries: Lowe, Paterson, Keats, Cruden, Nonu
Cons: Cruden 3, Weepu

Teams:

Highlanders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Kenny Lynn, 12 Jason Shoemark, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Michael Hobbs, 9 Jimmy Cowan (captain), 8 Steven Setephano, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Hayden Triggs, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Clint Newland, 2 Jason Rutledge, 1 Chris King.
Replacements: 16 Peter Mirrielees, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Joe Tuineau, 19 John Hardie, 20 Scott Cowan, 21 Robbie Robinson, 22 James Paterson.

Hurricanes: 15 Cory Jane, 14 Tamati Ellison, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Tyson Keats, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Karl Lowe, 6 Victor Vito, 5 Michael Paterson, 4 Bryn Evans, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore (captain), 1 John Schwalger.
Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Jacob Ellison, 18 Jeremy Thrush, 19 Nick Crosswell, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Jason Kawau, 22 David Smith.

Referee: Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Josh Noonan (New Zealand), Kane McBride (New Zealand)
TMO: Keith Brown (New Zealand)

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