Hurricanes take try-scoring frenzy over Fijian Drua

Yahoo

22-02-2025

All Blacks scrumhalf Cam Roigard has helped the Hurricanes to their first Super Rugby Pacific victory, taking a thrilling win over a wasteful Fijian Drua outfit.
Roigard failed to stamp his authority on their first-round match, with the Hurricanes falling to the Crusaders.
But the No.9 set up three tries and scored one of his own among 11 for the day to bank an important 38-34 result at McLean Park in Napier on Saturday.
Roigard helped open the scoring after 38 seconds when he darted 20 metres from the back of the ruck before off-loading to flanker Du'Plessis Kirifi.
But in a sign of things to come the Drua, who were pipped by the ACT Brumbies in round one, hit back in the sixth minute, with Iliesa Junior Ratuva catching the Hurricanes defence short out wide.
The scoreboard continued to tick over with the Fijians ahead 22-19 at halftime, helped by some poor discipline by the home side with both Kirifi and Will Tucker yellow-carded.
Offload city 😮‍💨How many passes can you count before the try?#SuperRugbyPacific #HURvDRU pic.twitter.com/zDKBv7Qw56
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) February 22, 2025
The Drua could have been further in front but flanker Meli Derenalagi threw a wild pass that went metres forward with the tryline beckoning.
Minutes later flyhalf Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula then launched an unnecessarily long cut-out pass to Taniela Rakuro, with the winger ruled to have put his hand on the dead-ball line as he grounded the ball.
The islanders pushed the lead out to 27-19 with lock Isoa Nasilasila at the end of some quick hands but then Roigard played his hand in the 58th minute, sniping through a hole for a one-point ball game.
The Hurricanes hit the lead after 67 minutes with centre Bailyn Sullivan running onto a long Roigard pass but it was short-lived with the bold Drua scoring off a long five metre line-out to regain the lead 34-31.
With five minutes remaining, the visitors spilt the restart and the Hurricanes pounced, with Riley Hohepa bursting through the defence before finding Godfrey for the match-winner.
Co-captain Kirifi praised his team's defence, holding the Drua out for 18 phases after fulltime to secure the victory, but 12 penalties let his team down.
HUUUUUGE shift from Cam Roigard 👏#SuperRugbyPacific #HURvDRU pic.twitter.com/RCeeVVoVpy
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) February 22, 2025
"It was probably a pretty fair summary of the game," the flanker said.
"Not gonna lie, quite disappointing, in the early parts of that game.
"We played our best rugby in the last 10 minutes, and we challenged ourselves to show a little bit of maturity once we got a lead there.
"Our biggest setback today was our discipline, and that's myself included - that was really putting us on the back foot and giving them more opportunities than we needed to."
After falling to a four-point loss to Brumbies in Suva last round, Drua skipper Frank Lomani was left disappointed again.
"We brought physicality but it was disappointing that we couldn't finish the game," he said.
"We had them in the last minute but just our execution ... the Hurricanes have been a quality side for a number of years and small moments like that, they take the opportunity so we've got to be better."