Rugby: Hurricanes escape with gutsy win

The Hurricanes celebrate their win over the Chiefs last night. Photo / Getty Images

Relief will be washing through the Hurricanes.

This wasn't a vintage performance and their 22-18 victory over the Chiefs at Westpac Stadium in Wellington last night will be one they might look back on and feel lucky to have escaped with the points.

But the flipside to that argument is that this was another gritty win that shows how far this team has come when the heat goes on.

In previous seasons, this was the type of game the Hurricanes would have blown but they defended stoutly when it mattered and managed to hold the Chiefs off.

Victory gave the Hurricanes a 13-point lead at the top of the New Zealand conference with four rounds to go and they know the Chiefs will provide a stern test during the final week of the season when they meet in their return leg in New Plymouth next month.

"In some ways, it's hard to be positive. We weren't particularly happy with our performance - clearly," Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd said as he paid tribute to a tough Chiefs outfit.

"I think they had a lot of adversity and overcame that pretty well and they could well be disappointed; but at the end of the day, it's a close game and it's tight and we ended up getting the victory."

Chiefs halfback Augustine Pulu was denied a try in the final stages that would have given the Chiefs the spoils but the Hurricanes also had a Ma'a Nonu try disallowed during the second half.

Tight games can be decided by one decision and while Chiefs coach Dave Rennie didn't agree with Pulu's try being disallowed - there was a knock-on from the Chiefs at a prior ruck where it looked as though flanker Sam Cane could have been impeded by a Hurricanes player from an illegal position - Rennie said his side needed to take a look at themselves.

"We were under the pump - we stopped playing for a little while in that second half there - but we hung in there and finished pretty strong," Rennie said.

"There's an enormous amount of character in this group, but we're pretty grumpy."

The Chiefs had shown great resolve to even be in the contest considering they lost both of their locks through injury in the first half, while loose forward Liam Squire, who was pushed in to the second-row, was also sent to the sin bin in the second frame.

There's a long injury list at the Chiefs, namely first-five Aaron Cruden, but whichever player Rennie brings in, they're able to do a job.

Hooker Hika Elliot was immense, while No 8 Michael Leitch got close to covering every blade of grass at the Cake Tin.

For the Hurricanes, they suffered some damage as centre Conrad Smith left the game with a head knock in the second spell, although Boyd said it wasn't serious as the veteran hadn't shown any major symptoms of concussion after the final whistle.

Smith is a candidate to be rested against the Blues next weekend given he has to sit out one more game and fellow All Black Ben Franks could be in the same position as his sore Achilles flared up last night.

You don't need to worry about the form of Nonu though who scored a double and proved a difference-maker in a victorious Hurricanes team.

Hurricanes 22 (Ma'a Nonu 2, Ardie Savea tries; James Marshall pen, 2 con) Chiefs 18 (Charlie Ngatai, Sam Cane tries; Damian McKenzie 2 pen, con) halftime: 10-13