During their 25-20 win over the Stormers in Wellington on Friday night they scored one of the best tries in franchise history just before halftime. It proved decisive.
Veteran second-five Ma'a Nonu, playing his 150th Super Rugby game, began the movement and the ball also went through the hands of wing Cory Jane and blindside flanker Brad Shields before first-five Beauden Barrett finished the job.
It was almost a symbolic passing of the baton at the Hurricanes. Nonu has given the team so much since making his debut in 2003 — he also had three years bouncing around other franchises during 2012-14 - but his final season at the Hurricanes is one of nostalgia as he completes his New Zealand rugby swansong.
"A lot of teams would have just kicked that ball out," Hurricanes skipper Conrad Smith said. "We were on our own tryline, we'd defended for a few phases — I was calling for us to kick it out to start — then to attack from there, it proved the difference, having those points."
Aside from Barrett, Milner-Skudder and Savea were the team's other try scorers in the win which took them to 7-0 for the season.
The Hurricanes are top of the table and will enjoy a bye this week. Their match against the Waratahs in Wellington on April 18 will mark the halfway point of their season.
They've had an intriguing draw to begin the campaign. The Hurricanes still have to meet the Chiefs and Crusaders twice in their final eight games, with return legs against the Highlanders and Blues also in store.
The Hurricanes are well aware that despite their perfect start, there's plenty of hard work to come.
"We haven't really delved in to how many points we need. We haven't once talked about where we are sitting on the log, who's second or who's third," Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd said.
"All we've done is we've turned up and prepared to play against the team that we are playing that week, irrespective of who it is."
It's proven a winning formula.
