Hurricanes beat Chiefs for 1st win in Super Rugby Aotearoa

All Blacks utility Jordie Barrett made an outstanding return from injury, kicking 10 points and providing two try assists as the Hurricanes held on with 14 men to beat the Chiefs 25-18 Sunday in a match between previously winless teams in Super Rugby Aotearoa.

Making his first appearance in the New Zealand tournament after recovering from a shoulder injury, fullback Barrett kicked two conversions and two penalties, including a 62-meter effort just before halftime which gave the Hurricanes a 20-3 lead.

Earlier, Barrett threw a long pass to unmarked winger Kobus van Wyk which created the first try of the match after only four minutes. That gave the Wellington-based Hurricanes a lead they maintained throughout the match to gain their first win in the tournament’s fourth round.

Barrett combined with South Africa-born van Wyk again in the 60th minute, providing a back-handed pass which created the Hurricanes’ only second-half try. The Hurricanes spent most of the second half with only 14 men as lock Scott Scrafton received two yellow cards which combined to become a red card in the 64th minute.

The first was for a minor lineout infringement and the second for making a tackle before retreating 10 meters from a tapped penalty, which also conceded a penalty try to the Chiefs.

The Chiefs still struggled to attack well, even with a one-man advantage. They conceded attacking penalties, missed touches and made too many handling errors to keep the Hurricanes under consistent pressure.

Finally, in the 77th minute, they made use of space out wide when flanker Lachlan Boshier scored off a long pass from Sean Wainui. But the Hurricanes managed to control possession and to play down the clock.

“For us we’ve played (with 14 men) quite a few times, not in this competition but in Super Rugby before the lockdown,” Hurricanes captain T.J. Perenara said. “We can’t be putting ourselves under that sort of pressure and we were lucky to get away from that game with a bit of desperation from the boys.”

The Hamilton-based Chiefs, coached by British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland, remain without a win after four matches and at the bottom of the championship table.