Hurricanes lose All Blacks hopeful Kini Naholo to serious-looking knee injury
Saturday, 3 May 2025
The Hurricanes may have already found their replacement for Kini Naholo amid fears their star winger has suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Bailyn Sullivan scored four tries off the bench to lead the Hurricanes to a statement 35-17 victory over the top of the table Chiefs at Sky Stadium on Saturday night.
Sullivan was thrust into the action inside the opening eight minutes after Naholo went down clutching his right knee in a concerning non-contact incident.
“It’s why you always have to stay ready,” Hurricanes coach Clark Laidlaw said. “You never know what’s around the corner.”
Naholo’s knee buckled awkwardly as he went to receive a short ball from Ruben Love from a scrum near halfway.
The pass landed in front of Naholo, who collapsed to the ground in agony.
The 26-year-old All Blacks hopeful had to be helped from the field and was seen on crutches after the game.
Naholo was coming off a man of the match performance against the Brumbies last weekend, where he scored two tries and carried for a whopping 123 metres in a 35-29 victory.
Naholo’s double against the Brumbies took him to eight tries for the season, second only to the Western Force’s Carlo Tizzano.
Laidlaw said it didn’t look good for his top try-scorer but he didn’t want to speculate about the severity of the injury.
He said they would know more once Naholo had been for scans.
The Hurricanes don’t play again until they meet the Highlanders on May 16.
“I’ve not seen him but it definitely looked like a niggly knee injury.
“It’s never a great sign when it’s a non-contact injury so we’ll have to see how it is, get scans and so on, and just take a breath I guess.
“When it’s non-contact ACL comes to mind but we’ve got no idea so we’ll just have to dust ourselves off and the medics will get a chance to look at him at the start of the week and we’ll take it from there.”
It would be a huge blow if Naholo’s season was over but the Hurricanes won’t have to look far for a replacement.
Although they also have former All Blacks Sevens star Fehi Fineanganofo waiting in the wings, Sullivan put his hand up with a sensational individual performance.
He contributed four tries in the space of 27 minutes as the Hurricanes scored 26 unanswered points to overcome a 17-9 halftime deficit and stun the Super Rugby Pacific leaders.
The pick of Sullivan’s tries came from a pinpoint crossfield kick from Love.
Fullback Callum Harkin had put the Hurricanes in a position to strike with a 50-22 that hit the corner flag.
Sullivan had started the first nine games of the season in the No. 13 jersey, and been one of the Hurricanes’ best performers.
But when first-choice centre Billy Proctor returned from injury, Sullivan had to make way.
Laidlaw admitted it was harsh on Sullivan. But it would be even harsher to deny him a start against the Highlanders after scoring four tries off the bench against the Chiefs.
“Bailyn has been unreal. For Billy to come back in, he was pretty disappointed to miss out on the starting team. But he showed his quality that he can play out on the wing as well as 13,” Laidlaw said.
“I thought he defended well on the edge as well as picking up four tries.
“We’re really happy for Bailyn.”