Aced his lineout work and was typically brutal in his short-ball running around the pitch.
3. Pasilio Tosi – 6
Great tussle with Ethan de Groot, backed up with plenty of shoulder-to-the-wheel effort in the pile ups around the park.
4. Caleb Delany – 6
Most of the lineout action was behind him, but Delaney put himself to work with good effect, grunting into the rucks and mauls.
5. Warner Dearns – 8
Tidy lineout work on the yellow throw, and his disruptive efforts on the Highlanders’ ball meant the hosts could never set a decent platform. Dearns got around the park for meaningful defensive duties and restart efforts, and was a hard-hitting unit in the pile ups. Good to see more depth in the New Zealand locking arsenal.
6. Devan Flanders – 7
A grunty charge in the third minute left Ethan de Groot flattened and catching his breath. Went looking for space and opportunities in wide channels as the visitors’ forward dominance afforded opportunities for big runners to have a go. Probably should have nailed Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens on his run for the hosts’ only score. Second-half try was great reward for an industrious evening.
7. Peter Lakai – 8
An exceptional loose-forward asset for a team on the attacking charge. Lakai showcased the utility that makes him so appealing as an All Blacks squad-man, running at No 7 and No 8 and getting in the mixer with pretty much everything a loosie should do. His 80-minute effort was capped with the final try. “Hello, Mr Rennie.”
8. Brayden Iose – 6
Poor early spill from goalline restart, and more butter fingers on the charge near halftime, but in between Iose’s charges from the back of the scrum were potent. Speed (more than power) was his asset against an often leaden Highlanders defence.
9. Cam Roigard – 9
Roigard’s combination with Ruben Love at No 10 should be of interest to anyone wondering about the All Blacks starting line up after the next Rugby World Cup. This all-areas threat halfback showed in Dunedin why he’s key to All Blacks fortunes in this World Cup cycle and the next. Bullet pass: Check; Eye for a gap: Check; Strong as an ox: Affirmative. Does he have the fancy attacking kicks of Antoine Dupont? TBC. Threw a Savea-style dummy before popping over for the Hurricanes’ first try (his sixth in five games against the Highlanders). Game smarts secured his second from a scrum penalty. Fancy kicks? Who needs ’em?
10. Ruben Love – 7
In a much-anticipated start in the No 10 shirt, Love was a little quiet through much of the first half, often running in the second channel as Roigard called the shots. But his 40-metre, flat kick-pass to set up the 33rd-minute try was a stunner, showing the vision and skills he can bring into the No 10 jersey. He contributed tidy work (against shady defence) in the inter-passing that sparked Flanders’ try and was snappy and smart in putting Fineanganofo away as the floodgates opened. Smart, fast and slick-handed, Love grew into the game as the hosts became more flustered and tired; but to be an All Blacks No 10 contender, he needs to boss the show from the start.
11. Fehi Fineanganofo – 8
A direct and tidy performance from the left-winger. Fineanganofo was heavily involved throughout, clocking 111 running metres, the most of anyone on the park. His lively and accurate efforts were rewarded with his second hat-trick of the season. It’s telling that whenever the Hurricanes had good ground position, they targeted their action towards this strike man. The former Sevens ace will soon be lost to the Kiwi game as he heads away for a spell of kick-chasing in English club rugby.
12. Jordie Barrett – 8
With two fine No 12s on show, Barrett proved he’s a terrific man to have running in a support channel, and an absolute powerhouse on the charge in the battle for the gainline. His versatility and game-awareness gave him an edge over Tavatavanawai. Barrett’s smart, little passes in the build-up to two of Fineanganofo’s tries were old-school gold. In seemingly small moments, Barrett manages big effect – like the 55m kick he belted for a lineout from a penalty in the 67th minute when he saw the Highlanders defence were napping.
13. Billy Proctor – 6
Flat-footed when Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens hit the afterburners for the opening try. Proctor later linked nicely in the bright Hurricanes moments and was instrumental in finding and exploiting the space that put the Canes on top. But this wasn’t a black-jersey nailing performance.
14. Josh Moorby – 5
On a night when all the action went to the other flank, Moorby went looking for more ball-carrying work, belting into close contact for little gains.
15. Callum Harkin – 6
Some nice touches from the fullback, who linked well as the Canes backline fizzed.
Reserves:
16. Vernon Bason – 6
The Canes lineout was pumping by the time he got on the field, but Bason made himself busy around the park too, following on from the bustling Aumua.
17. Siale Lauaki – 6
Scrum stayed solid when he came on.
18. Tevita Mafileo – 6
Got plenty of carries as the game broke apart in the late stages.
19. Hugo Plummer – 5
Lineout held up on his watch.
20. Brad Shields – 6
Old fella rolled off the bench to chug along for another cap in a Hurricanes career that started back in the days when Cory Jane and Conrad Smith were still running around. Threw himself into the pile ups nicely. A short, physical stint of gnarly hits, one of which left him clutching his shoulder and wincing.
21. Du’Plessis Kirifi – 7
On in the 48th minute, and immediately put in a nice bit of link work for Flanders’ try, while bringing steel and leadership to the Canes pack.
22. Ereatara Enari – 7
Fresh legs behind the pack were just the ticket to exploit the advantage the Hurricanes had gained.
23. Bailyn Sullivan – 6
On in the 64th minute, over the line in the 65th.
Highlanders
1. Ethan de Groot – 6
Coming off a monster scrum performance in a gallant defeat the week before, he was floored early by a charging Devan Flanders then gave away an early scrum penalty. De Groot had plenty of useful carries and in the scrums he seemed to have the better of fellow All Black Pasilio Tosi (though like ex-lovers after a break up, only the two props really know what the hell happened in the darkness).
2. Jack Taylor – 3
The lineout woes the week before against the Crusaders rolled into more trouble in this match. The hooker managed a nice bit of breakdown work to win a textbook turnover in the 57th minute, and made heaps of backfoot defensive contributions.
3. Angus Ta’avao – 4
Solid scrummaging work, but the blue-and-gold man could do little to staunch the territory gains the Canes pack managed around the park.
4. Oliver Haig – 3
Part of a brand-new locking and second-row combination after Crusaders dusted them up in this area the week before. It didn’t go well. They dearly miss Fabian Holland.
5. Te Kamaka Howden – 4
Blindside last week, won the opening kick off and grabbed a few metres carting the ball up. But he was part of a badly knocked-about pack around the park.
6. Sean Withy – 3
The No 6 was seldom seen on a night when the Highlanders defence couldn’t find its feet, and certainly not its front foot. Coach Jamie Joseph (who used to wear the No 6 himself) might have a word.
7. Lucas Casey – 5
A load of effective defensive work that slowed – but could not stem – the flow of Hurricanes pressure.
8. Hugh Renton (cc) – 4
Plenty of beefy carries, particularly into midfield channels – but he could only bend the line not breach it. Defensively, he was busy and backpedalling, saving his best hit for the night for the unfortunate (and entirely accidental) shoulder check on poor old referee Angus Gardner.
9. Folau Fakatava – 6
A strong darter who picked his passing targets well and piled into tackles. When the forwards managed to get into Hurricanes territory early in the match, Fakatava should perhaps have found ways to capitalise. But in a badly beaten side, he was one of the brighter sparks.
10. Reesjan Pasitoa – 3
An Aussie bloke calling the shots for the Highlanders? Wouldn’t have happened in John Leslie’s day. Hoisted a shocker of a goalline restart out on the full, setting up a Canes scrum in front of the sticks and, ultimately, Cam Roigard’s second try. Otherwise, Pasitoa managed a couple of half-breaks, but struggled to connect with support runners and couldn’t capitalise on the rare territory his pack won.
11. Jona Nareki – 4
Carted the ball into close-contact areas with a good eye for a half-gap, but nothing developed.
12. Timoci Tavatavanawai (cc) – 6
Squaring up against the man whose black jersey he would quite like to wear himself, the Highlanders co-captain was typically blunt and direct in his carrying of the ball. A couple of passes and offloads didn’t stick as Tavatavanawai tried to force the connections. Ended up second-best of the second-fives.
13. Jonah Lowe – 4
Returning from a nasty shoulder injury, he had some nice ideas, with little chips and passes, but couldn’t get cut through and couldn’t contain the midfield surges of the Canes’ many runners.
14. Caleb Tangitau – 4
In-form flyer showed he has some slippery wile to match the gas with a fifth-minute line break that set up the opening try. The next 75 minutes showed less magic, and he bought a shopsoiled dummy from Bailyn Sullivan for a late Hurricanes try.
15. Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens – 5
Straightened and hit the gas for the opening try that set a few couches alight over on Castle Street. That spark quickly faded as the Hurricanes got their act together and Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens spent the rest of his evening scrambling and tidying up on defence.
Reserves:
16. Soane Vikena – 4
On for hooker Jack Taylor in the 67th minute, as the Highlanders forward woes deepened.
17. Josh Bartlett – 3
Trotted out there for a classic southern lost cause.
18. Sosefo Kautai – 3
Had nothing to add.
19. Tai Cribb – 3
Lineout shambles couldn’t be redeemed, as Highlanders second-row injuries took their toll.
20. Veveni Lasaqa – 2
Came on in the 50th minute and was headed to the naughty seat in the 60th minute, after a daft shoulder-charge to Warner Dearns’ head, when the ball was already gone from the ruck. Perhaps it summed up the Highlanders’ frustrations as the game seeped away. Yellow card served, Jamie Joseph’s computer mouse crushed.
21. Adam Lennox – 3
Got on there and swiftly conceded a pretty daft penalty for blocking a kick-chase.
22. Andrew Knewstubb – 4
Made his Super Rugby debut at the age of 30 in a cause that was already well and truly gone.
23. Tanielu Tele’a – 3
Out there to get a sweat up in the final shambolic moments.
