Vince Aso dots down for a sensational try in the corner. Photo / Photosport
Ominous signs from the Hurricanes.
The Highlanders arrived in Wellington unbeaten after dispatching the Blues, Stormers and Crusaders but, by the finish, were a distant second.
Not that it was always easy for the locals.
It was a poor start to the season from the Hurricanes, losing to the Bulls in Pretoria and scratching to victory over the Jaguares. But in recent times they have developed an ability to lift for Kiwi derbies. And in Super Rugby, that is everything.
With ventures to Melbourne and Canberra their only games outside of New Zealand to come, they are now 3/4 and confidently building after putting away the depleted Crusaders last week.
The Highlanders were well in the fight at half time, when Ardie Savea departed with a serious rib injury, and even scored first to level straight after the break.
But from there it was all the Hurricanes - TJ Perenara leaving to an ovation near the finish in his 100th match.
As it happened: Hurricanes overcome Highlanders
It wasn't always pretty or perfect from the Hurricanes but, as usual, when it clicked it was special.
They struggled at times with the rush defence, shuffling sideways and pushing wayward passes behind the advantage line.
Beauden Barrett was guilty in this regard but, then, his individual brilliance is never far away. Seven minutes in, he prevents and creates a try in one movement by flicking the ball up off the end of his boot and sprinting away, untouched. This was freakish stuff you simply can't defend against.
One-time sevens specialist Ben Lam continued his surprise rise with two cracking finishes in the corner; the first where he transferred the ball from left to right before planting it down in the tackle of Waisake Naholo and Lima Sopoaga. With fingertip control and strength, he repeated dose with the final try, too.
On the other edge Vince Aso, on for a matter minutes, delivered his own form of acrobatics after a superb outside break and interchange with Jordie Barrett, growing in confidence every week.
Four brilliant efforts, that's all the Hurricanes needed.
The Highlanders had to work much harder for points, with their pack doing the grind. Up the middle they went on several occasions, challenging the Hurricanes around the fringes. The direct approach found success, sucking in defenders and to create space for Waisake Naholo wider out.
Ben Smith attempted to spark his men from the back; Jackson Hemopo and Dillon Hunt were also prominent with the Highlanders contesting the breakdown and delivering scrappy ball for Perenara to contend with.
Elsewhere the Highlanders used their midfielders to kick in behind the Hurricanes back three, with mixed success. Barrett scored off the first attempt but Naholo bagged his double after a heady Teihorangi Walden grubber.
There were moments of frenetic end-to-end contests, the likes of which prop Ben May typified when screaming across field to take the ball out and stop the ever-present Tevita Li scoring.
Not to be outdone, the Hurricanes pack also didn't shirk the essential dirty work but their lineout struggled after Asafo Aumua's introduction for the final quarter.
With a clinical and composed second half finish like that, though, those little areas are often overshadowed.
Hurricanes 29 (Beauden Barrett, Ben Lam 2, Vince Aso tries; Barrett 3 cons, Jordie Barrett pen)
Highlanders 12 (Waisake Naholo 2 tries; Lima Sopoaga con)
HT: 12-5
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