Hurricanes rugby: Ten blockbusting wins overseas

2011 Hurricanes 50 - Cheetahs 47, Bloemfontein

2009 Hurricanes 28 - Western Force 27, Perth

The Hurricanes were playing for a home semi-final in this last round match-up. The Hurricanes (third on the ladder) and the Waratahs (second) were two of the form teams of 2006, making this a momentous match for both sides. The Hurricanes played sublime rugby in the first half and scored three tries including a double to wing Shannon Paku to lead 19-7 at halftime. Desperate defence after the turnaround restricted the Sydneysiders to one more try and the Hurrricanes earned a famous victory and leapfrogged the Waratahs into second place. The full house signs were put up early the following week at Westpac Stadium for the return semi-final fixture, which the Hurricanes won before meeting the Crusaders in the season finale in Christchurch in thick fog.

For the second successive year in this clash, the Hurricanes roared and the Cats purred. The Hurricanes had beaten the Cats (now the Lions, Transvaal in 1996 and the Gauteng Lions in 1997) the previous year in Wellington 42-25 and had famously won 37-35 on the first of two previous visits to Ellis Park back in 1997. So it was with confidence when they lined up against them this time in the 10th year of the Super 12. The Hurricanes pulled away from a 21-10 halftime lead with their fourth and bonus point try soon after the turnaround. Ma’a Nonu took over from Chistian Cullen and Tana Umaga as the Cats’ terroriser, scoring two tries to go with his try against them the previous year. Cullen had scored six tries against them in six games between 1996-2002 and Umaga had crossed for eight tries in seven matches between 1996-2003.

The bookmakers thought they had it about right when they installed the Stormers as $1.40 favourites to beat the Hurricanes whose head-to-head odds they placed at twice that at $2.80. And rightly so, the Hurricanes were coming off a 19-40 loss at the hands of the Bulls at Pretoria and eventual semi-finalists the Stormers had beaten the Highlanders 46-25 the week before. But in front of 45,000 passionate Newlands supporters, the Hurricanes took the game to their Cape Town rivals and brought them back to earth with a convincing display of disruptive rugby. Desperate for their first win of the season, the forwards hounded their opposites all game while the midfield pairing of rookie Tane Tu’ipulotu and talisman Tana Umaga ran hard. Hooker Andrew Hore, fullback Bent Ward and Tu’ipulotu scored the Hurricanes’ tries, all the result of constant pressure

2002 Hurricanes 20 - Brumbies 13, Canberra

The Brumbies had turned Bruce Stadium in Canberra into a fortress when the Hurricanes rolled into town. In fact the Brumbies had last lost at home in 2000 when they were pipped by the Crusaders in the 2000 final, winning all their games there in 2001 and creating an 83 percent winning record there in Super Rugby. In short, the Hurricanes were not expected to threaten the defending champions and ensuing 2002 finalists. Indeed they were outplayed in this match in almost every facet except where it counted most - on defence and on the scoreboard - winning two tries to one and repelling wave after wave of Brumbies phase play throughout the second half. This victory, the Hurricanes fifth in eight games, also lifted them to fifth on the table before dropping their last three and fading from contention.

2000 Hurricanes 27 - Waratahs 20, Sydney

A 13-man Hurricanes side kept their 2000 season alive with a memorable victory. First, the Hurricanes jumped out to a 27-3 late in the first half with halfback Jason Spice scoring twice and a win appeared safely in the bank ahead of their trip to South Africa to play their last two games. Then the drama began. Jonah Lomu was sinbinned for a second time just before halftime meaning an automatic red card. The Hurricanes subsequently spent long periods in the second half reduced to 13 with skipper Norm Hewitt and Filo Tiatia both shown yellow in separate incidents. But the Waratahs couldn’t capitalise, scoring one try immediately after Lomu was sent off and another with Hewitt in the bit to close to within seven points. But they could not seal another at the end and the Hurricanes earned a courageous win. Unfortunately, the Hurricanes lost their last two games and were squeezed into eighth place at the end.

1999 Hurricanes 34 - Sharks 18, East London

A memorable backs-to-the-wall victory, also notable for the local support of the Hurricanes from the East London crowd. The Hurricanes’ decision to base themselves in East London for the week and the Sharks’ to stay 650 kilometres up the road at Durban until match day helped win the fans over. On the training field, coach Frank Oliver made five changes to his misfiring starting XV that had won once in five matches all season and who were coming off a mauling by the Cats. The changes worked, the Hurricanes playing with extra purpose and hunger for a badly needed bonus point victory. Buoyed by the crowd support, the Hurricanes harried the Sharks into mistakes. Christian Cullen, Tana Umaga, Jason O’Halloran and Inoke Afeaki each scored tries and the Canes had the game won at 25-5 at halftime. They held on for their first ever win over the Sharks.

1998 Hurricanes 32 - Brumbies 29, Canberra

Christian Cullen flew in for a 79th minute try to secure the Hurricanes a sensational 32-29 win for their first win over the Brumbies in Super Rugby and to become the first New Zealand side to win in Canberra. Not only did this late come-from-behind win help erase the memories of the previous year’s twin defeats to the ACT side, it gave them a mid-season boost and kept them in the hunt for the playoffs. Cullen’s match winner off a telling burst by centre Alama Ieremia followed up an earlier try to flanker Martin Leslie and six penalties to halfback Jon Preston. Following this win, the Hurricanes lost their last three matches and ended the season on a much lower note, as did captain Mark ‘Bull’ Allen who was stretchered off the field with a broken neck in this match against the Brumbies and had played his last game of rugby.

1997 Hurricanes 37 - Gauteng Lions 35, Johannesburg

The Hurricanes enjoyed some magical wins in 1997 en route to making the semi-finals for the first time, including some high scoring crowd pleasers at home. But their closest and most absorbing victory of the season came in South Africa in round three when they pipped the Gauteng Lions at Johannesburg. They encountered a Lions team unbeaten at home at Ellis Park in their first four matches, having beaten Free State, the Highlanders, Brumbies and Waratahs. The Hurricanes made a flying start, piling on 19 points in as many minutes before the Lions came back and grabbed the lead with 10 minutes remaining. But referee Jonathan Kaplan penalised the home side in the 80th minute and up stepped Jon Preston who kicked his sixth penalty of the match for the last-gasp win. This victory was also significant for being the Hurricanes’ first ever win overseas, following four losses on foreign soil in 1996.

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