Hurricanes pounce to seal victory over Chiefs

A second-half resurgence from the Hurricanes carried them to their fifth Super 12 win of the rugby season beating the Chiefs 28-16 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington tonight.

After a lacklustre and error ridden first half, the Hurricanes made the most of their opportunities to score two second-half tries to consign the Chiefs to their fifth loss of the season as they remain rooted at the bottom of the points table.

Hurricanes skipper Tana Umaga scampered about 35m after latching on to a fumbled ball from Chiefs first five-eighth David Hill late in the match to seal the win.

The game lacked cohesion and was permeated with numerous penalties from referee Kelvin Deaker but the Hurricanes started and finished the second 40 minutes more strongly.

While the Hurricanes secured four points, coach Colin Cooper would still be concerned about his forwards who were again bullied all over the park.

The Chiefs could take first-half honours after dominating a scrappy opening 40 minutes but they failed to impose any dominance over their hosts as they were also afflicted by poor handling.

With the scores tied 10-all at halftime, Hurricanes centre Conrad Smith pushed his team ahead when fullback Shannon Paku stepped a host of would-be tacklers and then fed Smith to score untouched under the posts.

Hill kept the Chiefs close, trading penalties with Hurricanes first five-eighth Jimmy Gopperth, but they rarely troubled the opposition tryline after their first half domination.

The Chiefs opened the scoring in the ninth minute after a period of sustained pressure.

After declining two easy penalty opportunities and opting for lineouts instead, the gamble paid off when Hill stepped inside Gopperth and dragged two defenders across the line.

Hill converted for a seven-nil lead.

When the Hurricanes did have possession their forwards were too static and failed to gain any momentum while their one-off runners were easily picked off by the Chiefs defenders.

Most of the first half effectively ended up as a tackling session for the Hurricanes as they spilled the ball numerous times.

What possession they had was often aimlessly kicked away, usually to one of the Chiefs' speedy back three of fullback Sitiveni Sivivatu and wingers Sosene Anesi and Sailosi Tagicakibau who made multiple bursts.

Hurricanes winger Ma'a Nonu butchered his side's first try-scoring opportunity after failing to pass inside to an unmarked Paku after a move which started in their own half, but Gopperth finally got the Hurricanes on the scoreboard in the 33rd minute with a penalty.

Five minutes later the Hurricanes produced a Houdini act to gain the lead after a lacklustre and error ridden first half.

Against the run of play, Gopperth burst down the touch line from halfway, delivered a nice centring kick which halfback Piri Weepu toed ahead and then touched down.

Gopperth converted giving the Hurricanes an unlikely 10-7 lead but Hill replied on the stroke of halftime with another penalty to leave the teams tied at the break.

"We let them into the game in the first half. We gave them a good head start and it was not good enough," Hurricanes coach Colin Cooper said.

"A few hard words were said at halftime and the boys responded."

Cooper said one of the most disappointing aspects of the Hurricanes' performance tonight was their set piece work.

If the team wanted to go further in the Super 12 it was an area they had to address quickly. "The scrum was not good enough."


Hurricanes 28 (Piri Weepu, Conrad Smith, Tana Umaga tries; Jimmy Gopperth 3 pen, 2 con) Chiefs 16 (David Hill try; Hill 3 pen, con). Halftime: 10-10.

- NZPA