CANES BUST AUSSIE HOODOO WITH WIN OVER BRUMBIES
Two tries each to Kini Naholo and Ngane Punivai proved to be extremely valuable for the Hurricanes as they picked up their first win of the season by a New Zealand Super Rugby Pacific team on Australian soil. They toppled the third-placed Brumbies in Canberra, crucially hanging on and making the right decisions at the business end of the game.
The return of midfield duo Riley Higgins and Billy Proctor made a massive difference as well, with Proctor scoring after Allan Alaalatoa had struck first for the home side. Newly re-signed wing Ngane Punivai then added another on the half hour mark, before Naholo blasted his way through just before half-time.
Naholo then benefited from some lovely hands by Callum Harkin to score his second, Punivai then followed suit off a slick scrum move. That made it a two-score game, and while the Brumbies pulled one back through Adam Muirhead, the Canes' defence and option-taking in the last seven minutes kept the ball solidly stationed in the opposition half.
The game finished with a disallowed try to Tyrel Lomax, which did cost the Canes a bonus point. However, the win shoots them all the way up into fifth place on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder.
It is a timely return to form for Clark Laidlaw's very inconsistent team, as they now embark on a tough run into the play-offs, starting with a home game against the Chiefs next weekend.
Meanwhile, the Brumbies have three Australian derby matches in a row coming up, before finishing their regular season against the Crusaders.
See how the game unfolded:
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2025-04-26T09:22:33Z