Hurricanes take five
The Hurricanes marked their return to home soil with a comfortable 38-12 victory over the Lions.
Last Updated: 03/05/08 11:04am
The Hurricanes marked their return to home soil with a comfortable 38-12 victory over the lowly Lions at Westpac Stadium on Saturday.
Back from their tour of South Africa, the 'Canes were widely predicted to romp to maximum points against the league's bottom side - and it went largely to the pre-game script on a chilly Wellington night.
From the outset the clash was very much one-way traffic, in a result that continues to strengthen the Kiwis' play-off aspirations. However, as is fast becoming the second-half way for many side's nowadays , the bonus-point chaser struggled to claim that all-important fourth score.
Fresh from clinically dispatching another Super 14 struggler in the Cheetahs in Kimberley last week, the ruthless home strike runners had the opposing Lions pawing at thin air to eventually claim the five points with fifteen minutes to spare.
Nightmare start
To handicap the Lions further, the evening started in nightmare fashion for the basement side as their kick-off failed to travel the required ten metres. And the impact of that immediate mistake only proved to speed up the inevitable, as two penalties from the impressive Willie Ripia started the rot.
Having motored into an early strike position, the fly-half then demonstrated his visionary skills as he dropped one onto his foot against the onrushing Lions defence for fellow newcomer Zac Guildford to open the try account.
First-half dominance at scrum-time aided the 'Canes in their efforts, and with centre Ma'a Nonu in devastating form off Ripia's shoulder, the procession entered full swing - not helped by Earl Rose comically kicking the wrong side of the corner flag from promising penalty ball.
The visiting full-back then withered his side's slim hopes further as a long pass on his own whitewash - not before he almost crashed into a goal post - put Joe van Niekerk under all sorts of pressure from the aware Andrew Hore, who ripped the ball and grounded with half the try job done.
However, despair turned to short-lived joy for the Lions as their solitary weapon on the night wielded well. Not to be outdone by Hore's score, opposing hooker Willie Wepener muscled his way over from set-piece ball to temporarily stem the Hurricane tide.
That is was though, as normal service was resumed and how.
In a sweeping counter-attack, Cory Jane shipped the ball to the strong and darting Guildford who made notable ground in centre-field. Recycled ball came back to the front-footed Ripia on halfway and his spatial awareness led to a chip, gather and offload for Nonu to race away before the break.
The second period left just one agenda for the hosts that was almost completed within four minutes as wing Guildford's quick-feet on the left flank created another opening for Jane and company.
However, the supporting number ten opted to grubber ahead when the pass might have been the 'Canes' more profitable option.
Yet, as is often the case when one score is needed in the final forty, the game-plan subsequently deteriorated, and it was the Lions who opened the half account when Jano Vermaak broke blind from a five-metre scrum - in an enjoyable spell of possession - before switching with Jannie Boshoff to close the scores to 26-12.
That South African's spell then came to an abrupt end though as Rose's evening went from bad to worse on 52 minutes. The full-back settled underneath a Ripia clearance only to take his eyes off the ball at the vital time to fumble, gifting the ball back to the ever patient home side.
And with the spectators desperately attempting to keep warm, the job was finally completed on 65 minutes as Nonu - under the watchful eye of hat-wearing Graham Henry - grabbed his brace from close-range to toast the Wellington faithful.
With the pressure finally lifted, a fifth try duly followed and it had a distinct family feel as replacement Thomas Waldrom burst through a gap in midfield.
The covering defenders had him for pace but as being felled the lock heard the familiar voice of brother Scott, who swan dived over to cap a dominant display at openside.
