Hurricanes blow away Chiefs
2006-04-29 11:56
Melbourne - The high-flying Hurricanes
atoned for their disappointing Super 14 loss to the Brumbies
last week by defeating the Chiefs 35-10 in Wellington on
Saturday.
A hat-trick of tries from hooker Andrew Hore guided the
Hurricanes to a victory which consolidates their grip on third
place. The Chiefs remain seventh with only two games remaining.
"It gets us closer to our goal," said Hurricanes skipper
Rodney So'oialo in a television interview. "We were definitely
looking for the win and the bonus point and we knew we had to
keep grinding away."
After Stephen Donald and David Holwell shared penalties in
blustery conditions, Hore gave the hosts the initiative with his
fourth try of the campaign in the 18th minute.
Jerry Collins took a fine lineout ball for the hosts and
Hore completed a solid ensuing maul by twisting over the line
for the score for Holwell to convert.
The Hurricanes lost lock Paul Tito and the Chiefs' Tom
Willis to injury before Holwell then kicked two further
penalties to make the half-time lead 16-3.
The Chiefs hit the ground running after the break and centre
Sam Tuitupou capitalised on a poor tackle from Holwell to score
the Chiefs' only try, which Donald converted to make it 16-10.
Hore then calmed the nerves of the home fans, still edgy
after last week's 21-16 reverse against the Brumbies in
Canberra.
He scored his second of the game on 64 minutes when the
hooker emerged with the ball from a fiercely contested pushover
to make it 21-10, with Holwell bagging his second conversion.
He then put the game beyond doubt on 70 minutes when again
his arm appeard from a ruck to place the ball on the line before
stand-in fly-half Jimmy Gopperth missed the conversion attempt.
Wing Shannon Paku completed the try-scoring, and ensured the
bonus point, when he got on the end of Tana Umaga's kick-through
in the final minute to make it 33-10 before the boot of Gopperth
rounded off the scoring.
- Reuters