Perenara extends try-scoring record in opening win

Above: TJ Perenara, a man of the people and a record try-scroring Super Rugby halfback.

In scoring two tries last night against the Blues, Hurricanes halfback and captain TJ Perenara (Northern United) extended his try-scoring strike-rate to 33 tries in 64 Super Rugby matches, moving ahead of Oriental-Rongotai’s Julian Savea who has scored 31 tries in 75 matches and Cory Jane of the Upper Hutt Rams with 24 in 97 as the leading try-scorer in the 2016 Hurricanes team.

He scored a hat trick of tries in his Hurricanes competition debut against the Western Force in Perth back in 2012. He was the joint leading try-scorer for the Hurricanes in 2013 with Savea, scoring seven tries, and in 2015 was the competition’s second highest try-scorer behind Highlanders wing Waisake Naholo (13), and ahead of Savea (8) and All Blacks teammate Aaron Smith (7).

The Hurricanes’ all-time leading try-scorers are Christian Cullen (56 tries), Tana Umaga (48) and Ma’a Nonu (44, plus 6 more for other teams) – but if he keeps his strike-rate up at almost one every second game, he’ll reel them over the next couple of seasons. He’s also got a way to go to become the Hurricanes’ leading points scoring halfback – that honour belongs to another former captain, Jon Preston, who scored 300 points for the Hurricanes. Preston also kicked goals.

Perenara is also already the leading try-scorer amongst the Super Rugby halfbacks.

The leading Super Rugby try-scoring halfbacks are:
TJ Perenara (Hurricanes) 33*
Sarel Pretorius (Waratahs/Cheetahs) 26
Andy Ellis (Crusaders) 25*
Fourie du Preez (Bulls) 22
George Gregan (Brumbies) 21
Bryon Kelleher (Chiefs/Highlanders) 20
Alby Mathewson (Hurricanes/Blues/Force) 20*
Will Genia (Reds) 18
Brendon Leonard (Chiefs) 18
Aaron Smith (Highlanders) 18*
*Still playing

After winning their first match of the 2016 season last night , the Hurricanes return to home territory to host the Force in Palmerston North next Friday. They won their match there last year, against the Blues.

The win last night for Perenara’s men was their 11th in 25 matches against the Blues. After losing or drawing their first 10 straight, their first win over the Blues was famously in Petone’s Tana Umaga’s 100th match for the Hurricanes in 2005 (22-10). Sitting in the Blues coaching box last night, Umaga endured an anxious final few minutes as his physical, direct pack threw everything at the Hurricanes only for the lower North Island visitors to hold on.

Scores: Hurricanes 23 (Victor Vito, TJ Perenara 2 tries; Beauden Barrett 2 pens, con) Blues 19 (Rene Ranger, George Moala tries; Ihaia West 3 pens). HT: 8-15.