22/02/2008 10:23

Wellington - The Hurricanes mounted a strong second half surge to beat the Reds 23-18 in their Super 14 rugby match played in Wellington on Friday.

Trailing 10-13 at halftime of a sloppy match the Hurricanes managed better accuracy in the second period to clinch their first win of the season.

Reds skipper John Roe however managed to grab a bonus point for his side with three minutes left on the clock when his decision to kick a penalty to the corner paid off as the captain himself barged over.

Both teams tried to exploit the unstructured tap-and-go nature of play caused by the experimental laws but made too many handling errors to drive home any advantage.

The Reds got their opening try as lock Van Humphries trundled over and the Hurricanes replied with a typical counter-attacking try finished off by Tane Tu'ipulotu.

Ma'a Nonu was proving a handful for the Reds with his powerful line-breaking surges and it was fitting that he scored the 'Canes' second try in the 59th minute.

Moving into the final quarter the momentum shifted firmly to the Hurricanes and Jimmy Gopperth's third penalty put them into the safety zone - Roe's try coming too late to give the Reds a realistic shot at victory.

Scorers were:

Hurricanes (10) 23: Tries by Tane Tu'ipulotu (19 min) and Ma'a Nonu (59 min). Jimmy Gopperth kicked two conversions and three penalties.

Reds (13) 18: Tries by Van Humphries (13 min) and John Roe (77 min). Clinton Schifcofske kicked a conversion and two penalties.