The Hurricanes hammered the Western Force 43-6 after a one-sided Round Three Super Rugby Trans-Tasman game at McLean Park, Napier.
Salesi Rayasi bagged a brace as the Wellington side cruised to a comfortable seven-try to nil bonus-point victory over the Perth-based team.
Asafo Aumua, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Wes Goosen, Ngani Laumape, and Jordie Barrett also crossed for the Kiwis as the try-less Australians wilted in a record loss to the Hurricanes.
Barrett (13 pts) assisted two tries and set up Laumape’s score to put himself on the brink of 500 Super Rugby points.
The 24-year-old playmaker kicked four conversions as well and scored at the death to cap another virtuoso from fullback.
The Hurricanes remain unbeaten in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, while the Western Force is still winless after three rounds of the new tournament.
Another woeful Australian defeat to New Zealand opposition means the Kiwis are 11-0 on the Aussie teams. Ouch.
The Hurricanes have now won 11 of their last 12 Super Rugby matches against the Force (10 in a row), and 18 of their previous 19 matches versus Australian opposition.
The bonus-point win puts Jason Holland’s men top of the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman table.
The second-placed Blues, however, still have to play the Brumbies at Eden Park.
Holland’s charges cruised to three tries to none 19-6 halftime lead against the rudderless Force
Aumua, Rayasi, and Kirifi all dotted down in the first stanza. Jordie Barrett converted twice, while Domingo Miotti kicked to penalties for the visitors.
Both teams kicked away possession too much in the first half as they looked for territory from which to attack.
Each set of forwards made errors with their set-pieces inside the opposition’s 22, killing several attacking opportunities.
Miotti kicked two penalties to put the Perth-based team up by six after 11 minutes; it would be the last time the visitors scored.
The Force won another penalty soon after the restart, but a mistake by hooker Andrew Ready proved costly and set the tone for the rest of the clash.
Ready misses his jumper Jeremy Thrush with an overthrown lineout.
Aumua, at the back of the lineout, gathered the bouncing ball, slipped Tomas Cubelli’s weak tackle and raced 70 metres down the sideline to score.
On 18 minutes Rayasi had a try chalked off for pushing Cubelli off a bouncing ball soon after, but the winger did get his try four minutes later.
Rayasi collected Peter Umaga-Jensen’s long skip-pass and beat Rob Kearney to the corner flag, it was an expert finish inside the corner flag by the 24-year-old flyer.
Barrett converted both tries to make it 14-6 to the hosts.
By now, the Hurricanes started to dominate the tight phases, as well as string together several sustained attacks before adding a third try on the stroke of halftime.
Tyrel Lomax stripped the ball off Tim Anstee to start a counter-attack inside the opposition’s half as the ball got shifted wide Kirifi
The 24-year-old flanker broke a soft tackle and ran away 25 metres to open up a 13-point halftime lead.
The New Zealanders score twice in the third quarter to kill the game and seal the bonus-point
Goosen, Rayasi again, Laumape, and Barrett added four more tries to pile on the misery at McLean Park.
Seven minutes after the interval, Goosen snapped up Barrett’s long pass, beat the cover defenders, and scored in the corner.
Barrett, who had missed the last conversion, missed from the touchline. If the game was not over then, it was over on the hour mark.
By now, Tim Sampson’s men were under the pump. A couple of multi-phase attacks ended with the opposition not taking their chance; however, this would not last.
The visitors had a good attacking opportunity on the home team’s try line but made a mess of the opportunity.
Rayasi capitalised on a stray Ian Prior pass on the Hurricanes’ 5m. He toed the bouncing ball forward and gathered before bolting 85 metres to score under the posts.
Barrett converted to make it 31-6.
Jeremy Thrush had a try chalked off after a mistake by the Force’s forwards during their driving maul.
The Kiwis struck immediately after some Barrett brilliance.
With less than seven minutes remaining, Ardie Savea gathered Barrett’s deft chip-kick behind the defensive line to set up his side’s sixth score.
Savea sucked in the defenders before popping to the supporting Laumape, who sped away to seal the deal. Barrett added the extras.
Barrett supplied the dagger with a last-play score to bring up the forty-burger.
Final Score: Hurricanes 43 (19) Western Force 6 (6)
Scorers
Hurricanes
Tries – Aumua, Rayasi (2), Kirifi, Goosen, Laumape, J. Barrett
Pen –
Con – J. Barrett (4)
Drop –
Cards –
Western Force
Tries –
Pen – Miotti (2)
Con –
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: James Doleman
Assistant Ref 1: Ben O’Keeffe
Assistant Ref 2: Brendon Pickerill
TMO: Mike Fraser
Teams
Hurricanes
15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Wes Goosen, 13 Peter Umaga-Jensen, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Salesi Rayasi, 10 Orbyn Leger, 9 Luke Campbell, 8 Gareth Evans, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 6 Reed Prinsep (captain), 5 Scott Scrafton, 4 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Asafo Aumua, 1 Xavier Numia
Replacements: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Pouri Rakete-Stones, 18 Alex Fidow, 19 James Blackwell, 20 Ardie Savea, 21 Cam Roigard, 22 Billy Proctor, 23 Vince Aso
Western Force
15 Rob Kearney, 14 Toni Pulu, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Jordan Olowofela, 10 Domingo Miotti, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Tim Anstee, 7 Kane Koteka, 6 Fergus Lee-Warner, 5 Sitaleki Timani, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Andrew Ready, 1 Tom Robertson
Replacements: 16 Feleti Kaitu’u, 17 Angus Wagner, 18 Greg Holmes, 19 Ryan McCauley, 20 Brynard Stander, 21 Ian Prior, 22 Jack McGregor, 23 Tevita Kuridrani
