Happy hooker Hore scores three

Andrew Hore scores a try in his record-making hat-trick. Marty Melville / Getty Images

Hurricanes 35  Chiefs 10

Andrew Hore was a happy hooker tonight, marking his 50th Super rugby match with three tries in their 35-10 win over the Chiefs at Westpac Stadium in Wellington tonight.

He became the first hooker in the Super 12 or 14 competition to score three tries in a game which helped his team win maximum points and close in on leaders the Crusaders and the Waratahs.

The Hurricanes' bonus-earning try by winger Shannon Paku came after the final hooter when retiring All Blacks captain Tana Umaga handed an overhead pass to fellow midfielder Tamati Ellison, who raced clear before resetting the attack.

Umaga lined up again to receive the pass and chipped through for Paku to run onto and score.

However, the game didn't come alive until the final quarter when Chiefs midfielder Sam Tuitupou scored their only try.

The first three quarters was typical wet-weather rugby, a stop-start affair with handling errors, knock-ons and a lot of pick-and-ram at close quarters by the forwards.

In fact, the game turned messy later in the first half with referee Steve Walsh's whistle prominent.

But Hore turned up with a brilliant record from the melee.

He scored the game's only try in the first half and twice in the second half when the Chiefs started to show some composure and scored a try.

The Hurricanes lost at least two scoring opportunities in the first half either through handling errors or lack of support, but still led 16-3.

Blindside flanker Jerry Collins engineered Hore's first try after sending a diagonal kick run 30m to touch before taking the ensuing lineout to set up a maul from which Hore scored his fourth try of the season.

The Chiefs were under constant pressure throughout the half and the four kicking-range penalties against them reflected that. Hurricanes first five-eighth David Holwell succeeded with three of them, with one bouncing back into play from the post.

The stop-start wrestling affair continued into the second half, until Chiefs midfielder Sam Tuitupou cut the defence with a searing run to score and Stephen Donald converted.

Ironically, the Chiefs forwards had put in the hard work leading up to the try when they kept the Hurricanes pinned near their line for five minutes.

But the Chiefs' joy turned to despair in the next few minutes when Hore scored twice after the Hurricanes forwards kept pounding forward, keeping possession tightly among their strong players.

"Unbelievable," Hore said of his three tries.

"It was more unbelievable getting to the line for that third one, I didn't know what was going on in there either, so that was good feeling," he said.

"I think it's the first time the Hurricanes have done the little things properly (this season).

Hore has now scored six tries in the competition this season.

Hurricanes skipper Rodney So'oialo said the bonus-point win edged them closer to their goal after last week's disappointment when they lost 16-21 to the Brumbies in Canberra.

"We were definitely looking for the win and the bonus point and we knew we had to keep grinding away," he said.

Hurricanes 35 (Andrew Hore 3, Shannon Paku tries; David Holwell 3 pen, 2 con, Jimmy Gopperth con),
Chiefs 10 (Sam Tuitupou try; Stephen Donald pen, con).
HT: 16-3.

- NZPA