Super Rugby Pacific: Measured Hurricanes keep it real after leaving Blues in their dust

Monday, 13 April 2026

Jordie Barrett and the Hurricanes had too much for his brother Beauden’s Blues to handle in Wellington on Saturday night.

There was a restrained joy and tempered satisfaction around, on balance, the Hurricanes’ best performance of an impressive Super Rugby Pacific season on Saturday night at the Cake Tin. Championships are won in June, not April, and celebrations, like the champagne, stay on ice until then.

So while Hurricanes fans were rightfully jumping for joy over a statement 42-19, six tries to three, bonus-point victory over the Blues at Hnry Stadium, there was a far more measured reaction from those at the forefront of the competition’s best team through nine rounds.

The Hurricanes, snapping a three-game losing streak at the Blues’ hands, improve to a competition-best 6-1, and 30 points, with their fifth victory on the bounce – three points clear of the 6-2 Chiefs who have played a game more. The Blues, now 5-3, sit third on 25 points, one clear of the Brumbies.

The result sets up a second straight top-of-the-table clash for the Wellington outfit who visit the second-placed Chiefs on Saturday for another of those challenges that should tell us a lot about their ambitions of adding to their lone crown won in 2016.

Much of the talk before had centred on the Hurricanes’ relatively soft draw hitherto, with zero matchups against top-five teams. But any conjecture they were not the team their record suggested was soon put to bed on Saturday night as they left an outmatched Blues outfit in their dust.

Billy Proctor reaches out for the try in the Hurricanes’ Saturday night victory over the Blues.

The Canes flashed their attacking brilliance in running in a half-dozen tries, muscled up to negate the big, bad Blues pack and rode to a comfortable victory behind standout efforts from Cam Roigard, Callum Harkin, big Warner Dearns and a rejuvenated Asafo Aumua.

And, know what? They could barely have been less impressed about a performance that well and truly silenced those doubting Thomases.

“I feel like we played well tonight against a good Blues team that had been travelling well,” said coach Clark Laidlaw. “We’re well aware of who we’ve played and who we play next, and one of the things I’m enjoying is it’s not about who we’re playing – more what we’re doing inside these four walls, how we prepare and then how we play.

Pita Ahki and the Blues had their moments at Hnry Stadium, but could not stick with the Canes when it mattered.

“We’re delighted to get a home win with a bonus point against a good Blues team that caused us problems for 60 minutes. We managed to get on top over that middle part of the second half.”

Perhaps co-captain Jordie Barrett put it more succinctly.

“We knew if we gave them sniffs into our 22, they’re statistically the best in the competition at scoring points,” he reflected. “We limited their entries in the second half which put a little bit of distance on them. The scoreboard probably doesn’t reflect the game. They’re a better side than that, they’re down a few senior men too, so we’ve got to keep getting better. It’s probably not about proving ourselves now – we’ve got to do it in June.”

Barrett and his coach are wise to keep feet firmly planted on terra firma, no doubt recalling 2024 when they finished top qualifier and were tipped over by the Chiefs in a home semifinal.

Canes fullback Callum Harkin impressed with a two-try effort in the victory over the Blues.

Still, there’s a lot to be impressed about the way the Canes are taking care of business right now. They got stuck in an arm-wrestle as the Blues fought back from an early 14-0 deficit to trail 28-19 a quarter of an hour into the second spell. But from there the home side went bang-bang (with tries to Harkin and Roigard) to put the issue beyond doubt.

“It was definitely a step up in physicality and level of game,” noted Laidlaw. “The Blues defended really well in the first half and kind of shut us down. I enjoyed halftime where the men were nice and calm and we had a couple of things to talk about on the defence.

“It was a step up in our performance. And that’s the challenge. Each week you’ve got to be slightly better.”

Laidlaw also had high praise for two-try fullback Harkin who continues to prove his worth (he led the team in tries, metres carried and defenders beaten) and rookie lock Warner Dearns who might be the form lock of the competition.

“He’s come a long way since pre-season the year before when he came in as an injury replacement, and ended up playing 10-11 games,” said the coach of his fullback. “He’s taken his opportunity, and has gained confidence and trust in himself.

“He’s got one thing that causes teams trouble – pace. There wouldn’t be many players who would have scored that try in the first half where he outflanked them on a straight race to the line.”

And on Dearns: “He’s a quick learner and wants to be good. The connection and the belonging to the Hurricanes around his family allows him to be himself, which is allowing him to be coached well and to improve. He’s a great athlete, and is a handful at lineout. And he’ll continue to improve his physicality as the season goes.”

Prop Siale Lauaki (head knock) was the only major injury concern in the immediate aftermath of another job well done by the competition pacesetters. Next up, the Chiefs in the Tron.