But a late try from first-five Harry Godfrey, playing in front of his Hawke’s Bay home crowd, saw the Hurricanes home, while the efforts of All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard proved pivotal for Clark Laidlaw’s side to pick up their first win of 2025.
That victory lifts the Hurricanes from 10th to seventh on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder after their first two games, albeit with the chance to be passed by the Blues or Highlanders later on Saturday.
However, given the Hurricanes’ efforts against a side they were expected to beat comfortably, Laidlaw will no doubt take out any frustrations on his team over the coming week to prepare for a visit from the 2024 champion Blues in the capital next weekend.
It took less than a minute for the Hurricanes to make their mark, as an incisive break from Roigard freed co-captain Du’Plessis Kirifi to race through to score the opening try.
A mistake from fullback Callum Harkin paved the way for the Drua to hit back before the 10-minute mark, when Junior Ratuva was sent over in the right corner, as two unsuccessful kicks levelled the scores at 5-5.
But as the first half wore on, the Hurricanes’ discipline was their undoing, and saw the Drua take the lead when Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula put the Fijians up 8-5, courtesy of a 45m penalty.
Anything the Hurricanes did, the Drua bettered, helped by their opponents’ repeat infringements. As Kirifi was warned on his team’s behalf, the Drua needed no second invitation to attack the tryline, and were rewarded when Armstrong-Ravula slipped through the defensive line, and converted his own try for a 15-12 lead.
To make matters worse, Kirifi taking out halfback Frank Lomani in the air from the resulting kick-off saw the Hurricanes lose one of their captains to the sin-bin.
The Drua should have capitalised on their numerical advantage, but saw two tries squandered – first by loose forward Meli Derenalagi’s failed offload when through to score, and again when Taniela Rakuro was tackled into touch by Fatafehi Fineanganofo when attempting to ground the ball.
The hosts’ resistance would only hold for so long, though, as the Hurricanes were hit by another yellow card, as debutant Will Tucker was sent to the bin as Lomani sniped over for the Drua’s third try.
Kirifi returned before the end of the first half, as a Godfrey run sparked the Hurricanes’ resurgence, allowing Fineanganofo to pick and go, and close the gap to 22-19 in the Drua’s favour as halftime arrived.
After the break, despite stringing multiple phases together, the Hurricanes were hit again, this time on the counter-attack when Isoa Nasilasila finished on the right wing.
But the introduction of All Blacks Pasilio Tosi and Peter Lakai brought a change of momentum in the final 20 minutes, as Roigard scored the Hurricanes’ fourth, and closed the gap to a point.
Born in Fiji, Kini Naholo was expected to feature heavily for the Hurricanes. And while he had little say in the first half, his break in the second helped the Hurricanes get into position for Bailyn Sullivan to score the go-ahead try with just over 10 minutes to play.
That lead couldn’t be held, as another infringement gave the Drua a lineout, and laid the platform for No 8 Elia Canakaivata to put the Hurricanes behind again, with minutes left on the clock.
But clearly tiring in the second half, the Drua couldn’t secure the following kick-off, as the Hurricanes kept their composure, as Godfrey scored on the left to restore his side’s advantage, and hold on for a get-out-of-jail victory.
Hurricanes 38 (Kirifi, Iose, Fineanganofo, Roigard, Sullivan, Godfrey tries; Godfrey 4 conversions)
Fijian Drua 34 (Ratuva, Armstrong-Ravuka, Lomani, Nasilasila, Canakaivata tries; Armstrong-Ravula 3 conversions; Armstrong-Ravula penalty)
HT: 19-22
Alex Powell is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016, and previously worked for both Newshub and 1News.
