Poacher Smith steals win

Hurricanes 26

Blues 25

 

When things are going badly, they might as well get worse.

The Blues rode a dominant scrum - boosted by the return of loosehead prop Tony Woodcock - and the boot of Lachie Munro to a six-point lead with time up last night.

The game was theirs until the emerging heir apparent to Dan Carter's throne, Beauden Barrett, slipped a gap to set up skipper Conrad Smith's on-the-hooter try. Barrett then coolly slotted the conversion to condemn the Blues to their fourth loss in five games.

The Blues' problemsinclude a shocking injury count. To those problems you can now add an inability to close out all-but certain victories.

The three competition points lost was a harsh burden on Pat Lam's motley crew, who had battled and scrapped to a lead.

Early on it all looked so different as they raced to a 10-0 lead.

Almost inevitably, the Blues try came from a man the Hurricanes had gotten used to calling their own.

Say what you like about playing the ball, not the man, but if Ma'a Nonu's 44th Super rugby try wasn't one of his most satisfying, then he isn't human.

The fact it was secured on the back of some good work from Piri Weepu, would have made it all the more sweet.

There were no histrionics, just one of those funky hand signals, and a trot back to halfway.

Truth be told he's probably tired of the fuss. The pre-match subplot was soap-operatic.

The new coach and the jilted second five-eighth. Winking at Nonu was Smith, the man with whom he had such an accomplished partnershipduring their Super rugby and test careers.

Smith got his name on the scoresheet on the stroke of halftime, too, but not before two of his teammates. Andre Taylor scored a dazzling breakout try after Julian Savea had scythed through the line. Blues fullback Munro's attempt to tackle Taylor left a lot to be desired.

The visitors' second try owed everything to Munro's poor decision making.

Some more Munro indecision and the poacher's instinct of Smith saw the Hurricanes grab the win.

In Taylor and Savea, the Hurricanes had the most dangerous game-breakers on the park, but they were spectators for much of the second half.as the Blues squeezed the life out of the Hurricanes pack.

Hurricanes 26 (Conrad Smith 2, Cory Jane, Andre Taylor tries Beauden Barrett 3 cons) Blues 25 (Ma'a Nonu try Lachie Munro con 6 pens). Halftime: 19-16