Hurricanes repel late Blues charge to kick-start Super Rugby season
Monday 14 March 2016 09:10, UK
The Hurricanes held off a late charge from the Blues to give their stuttering season a desperately needed kick-start with a 23-19 win on Friday.
Last year's beaten finalists, reeling after defeats in the opening two rounds, had to muster all their defensive prowess as the Blues laid siege to their line in the final 15 minutes at Eden Park.
They outscored the Blues three tries to two, including a double for stand-in captain TJ Perenara, but were lucky to escape with their first win of the season.
"For the guys to defend like that shows they really wanted it," flanker Ardie Savea said. "But we let them into the game, we can't do that."
Savea said the Hurricanes, who were the competition's runaway leaders last year before losing to the Highlanders in the final, "still have a lot to work on" to reclaim their 2015 form.
The Tana Umaga-coached Blues applied early pressure, only for Ihaia West to miss two penalties before finding his range and nailing a third.
Rene Ranger gave them the opening try in the 22nd minute, scooping up the ball on the right wing then leaping over a flailing Julian Savea to plant it in the corner.
The Hurricanes responded immediately when Victor Vito darted over the line from the back of a driving maul.
Perenara then gave Wellington a 15-8 half-time lead when he gathered Nehe Milner-Skudder's perfectly weighted chip kick and left three defenders in his wake.
Moala narrowed it to 15-13 two minutes after the restart thanks to some solid lineout work from the Blues.
The Hurricanes then worked the ball forward and Perenara crossed for his second, despite protests from the Eden Park crowd that Julian Savea knocked on in the build-up.
Tevita Li looked to spark a Blues revival with a scything run through the Hurricanes' defence, but his outstanding effort was disallowed after replays showed it came off a forward pass.
West made it 19-23 with two penalties and the Blues pressed for a try, launching a series of lineouts only to be denied by dogged defending.
