Hurricanes secure Super Rugby home playoff run with turbulent win over Highlanders in Wellington

The Hurricanes made certain they will finish at the top of the Super Rugby Pacific ladder, ousting the Highlanders 45-28 in a messy but entertaining contest in Wellington.

The result puts them nine points clear of the second-placed Chiefs with one round to play. It also gives coach Clark Laidlaw the option of selecting a B side to play the Crusaders at Te Kaha Stadium on Friday.

With All Blacks selector Sir Graham Henry sternly looking on from the stands, both sides put on an exhilarating attacking display, featuring 10 tries in total.

The Hurricanes dazzled with possession but were far from convincing off the ball, leaking four tries in a sloppy defensive effort.

Discipline issues and TMO intervention on both sides marred the turbulent, fast-paced contest. Highlanders prop Daniel Lienert-Brown was red-carded for a nasty head clash with Devan Flanders. Highlanders winger Xavier Tito-Harris was yellow-carded for an intentional knock-on, while Hurricanes opposite Ngane Punivai and prop Pouri Rakete-Stones also copped sin-binnings.

Hurricanes skipper Asafo Aumua told Sky Sport while he is proud of the effort, there are clear improvement areas.

“Not sure about the 28 scored from the Highlanders, but we’ll be better. We’re learning each week and have a lot of learning to do after this.”

Moana Pasifika’s last-minute 33-31 loss to the Reds cruelly took the Highlanders out of the battle for playoff position just minutes before kickoff.

The Hurricanes suffered their own blow before the contest. Jordie Barrett was ruled out late due to a tight hamstring, bringing Jone Rova in to start at second five.

The loss of the All Blacks midfielder did little to stifle the hosts, who started blisteringly hot. Fullback Josh Moorby galloped over within the first two minutes, courtesy of a break from Devan Flanders and support play from Rova and Kini Naholo.

It was the only impact Flanders could have on the game, leaving the field after copping a nasty head clash with Leinert-Brown and then Mitch Dunshea in the same tackle. Leinert-Brown was subsequently sinbinned for the high contact, with the yellow card upgraded to red a few minutes later.

The hosts took mere minutes to exploit the one-man advantage. Phase play in the 22 sucked the Highlanders defenders in, leaving Naholo unmarked on the left wing.

Moorby’s hot start continued with a scintillating break up the middle of the field. The fullback shrugged off four tacklers through pace and aggression from 60 metres out, putting Du’Plessis Kirifi, who replaced Flanders, over in the right corner. Ruben Love’s third conversion made it a 21-nil lead after just 16 minutes.

Jacob Rautmaitavuki-Kneepkens gave the Highlanders a much-needed boost in the 26th minute. The fullback toed ahead a loose pass from the Hurricanes and ousted Love in a race for the ball, which dribbled into the in-goal.

The Hurricanes refused to offer the visitors further respite. Love crossed for his first try of the season, exposing some yawning open space in the centre of the field during an assault in the 22. The first five converted his own try for a 28-7 lead 30 minutes in.

The Highlanders returned to a 15-man side but were unable to capitalise on repeated penalties inside the Hurricanes’ 22. Things changed on the stroke of halftime when sharp footwork from midfielder Timoci Tavatavanawai saw him crash over off the back of a scrum, five metres out from the Hurricanes’ line. The try gave the visitors a glimmer of hope, trailing 28-14 at the break.

Both teams started the second half by losing their right wingers to the sin-bin. Punivai was yellow-carded for running into lifter Lucas Casey, sending Dunshea crashing to the ground from the kickoff.

Just a minute later, Tito-Harris was yellow-carded for an intentional knock-on, slapping a pass intended for an unmarked Naholo on the wing.

Naholo made the Highlanders pay moments later, scampering over on the left edge after a stunning offload from Rova. Love converted again for a 35-14 scoreline.

Casey thought he had hit back for the Highlanders just four minutes later, but the video referee ruled the ball was dropped over the line. Replacement halfback Adam Lennox capitalised on a free kick from a scrum just afterwards, diving over to reduce the deficit to 14.

The seesawing continued with Hurricanes number eight Brayden Iose sailing through a gap to score in the 53rd minute after some sharp support play. Halfback Ereatara Enari crashed over six minutes later from the breakdown, after a typically poignant attack from the Hurricanes down the right edge.

The Hurricanes, however, lacked discipline off the ball. Repeated infringements in their own 22 saw Rakete-Stones yellow-carded in the 67th minute from a scrum penalty. Casey charged over for the Highlanders’ fourth try after they overpowered the Hurricanes’ undermanned scrum.

The match lost structure in the final minutes as both sides continued to attempt long-range attacks. Rakete-Stones almost scored under the sticks after returning to the field, but failed to control the pass and lost it over the line.