Cam Roigard delivered when it mattered most at Sky Stadium, scoring after the final hooter to give the Hurricanes a dramatic 24-20 victory over the Highlanders in a thrilling Super Rugby Pacific Round 14 encounter.
Key moments:
2′ – Jonah Lowe crashes over for opening try following strong lineout drive (0-5)
3′ – Taine Robinson converts (0-7)
11′ – Bailyn Sullivan responds with try in the corner after slick handling (5-7)
12′ – Ruben Love converts from touchline (7-7)
18′ – Jonah Lowe scores sensational counter-attack try after brilliant team move (7-12)
19′ – Robinson adds the extras (7-14)
30′ – Pasilio Tosi’s potential try ruled out for knock-on over the line
47′ – Cam Roigard snipes around the fringes for Hurricanes’ second try (12-14)
49′ – Love converts to level the scores (14-14)
61′ – Love penalty puts Hurricanes ahead for first time (17-14)
68′ – Robinson penalty levels scores (17-17)
72′ – Robinson penalty gives Highlanders late lead (17-20)
80+1′ – Roigard dives over for match-winning try (22-20)
80+3′ – Love converts (24-20)
Wearing their Captain America-themed jerseys, the Hurricanes needed every ounce of resilience as they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, having trailed for most of the match. The All Black halfback’s last-gasp try broke Highlanders’ hearts and all but extinguished their finals hopes.
On a pleasant Wellington evening with barely any wind and clear skies overhead, the Highlanders, desperate to keep their playoff aspirations alive, made the perfect start. Inside two minutes, Jack Taylor found Mitchell Dunshea at the lineout before collecting a clever pop pass to burst into the 22. Following several direct carries, Jonah Lowe spotted a gap around the fringes and dived over near the posts, with Taine Robinson slotting the straightforward conversion.
The Hurricanes suffered an early blow when Brayden Iose hobbled off with an ankle injury in the 10th minute, forcing Du’Plessis Kirifi into early action. Despite this setback, the hosts responded brilliantly through their powerful scrum, earning a penalty that allowed them to set up an attacking lineout in the corner.
Zach Gallagher secured possession, and from there, Ruben Love orchestrated a slick backline move. Callum Harkin crashed into the defensive line, busting through a tackle before delivering a perfectly timed offload that Love fired wide to Sullivan. The winger, who had scored four tries off the bench against the Chiefs a fortnight ago, showcased his finishing prowess by stepping inside and crashing over despite the close attention of the Highlanders’ defence. Love’s superb touchline conversion levelled matters.
The visitors stunned the Wellington crowd with a try-of-the-season contender shortly after. When the Hurricanes attempted a chip over the top, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens bumped off Billy Proctor before sending a perfectly weighted cross-field kick on halfway to Tanielu Tele’a. The powerful centre put Ngatungane Punivai on his backside with a show of strength before finding Lowe with an inside pass. Lowe linked with Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, who then returned the ball to Lowe for a spectacular finish that Robinson converted.
The match intensity lifted when Timoci Tavatavanawai received a yellow card in the 22nd minute for head-on-head contact with Love. Though the referee deemed the tackled player was dropping in height, preventing a red card, it gave the Hurricanes a numerical advantage they couldn’t capitalise on. Their best opportunity during this period came when Pasilio Tosi charged infield from a lineout and crashed through a posse of defenders to get to the line, but the TMO confirmed he had dropped the ball before grounding it.
After enduring a 19-phase defensive stand at one point in the first half, the Highlanders took their 14-7 lead into the break, having executed their limited chances with clinical efficiency while the Hurricanes rued their handling errors and faltering lineout.
The second half started disastrously for the visitors with an atrocious restart, and the Hurricanes immediately took advantage. After 47 minutes, Billy Proctor broke through multiple tackles and charged down the left flank before offloading to Fehi Fineanganofo, who had replaced the concussed Sullivan. The winger took play to the 22, creating the platform for Roigard to showcase his sniping abilities. The halfback spotted a gap beside the ruck and burst through, racing away to score near the posts. Love’s conversion squared the ledger at 14-all.
Clark Laidlaw’s men then dominated territory and possession but spurned several golden opportunities to take control. A slick backline move appeared to send Fineanganofo over, but the TMO correctly identified a forward pass from Harkin in the build-up. Moments later, Roigard, who was becoming increasingly influential, broke clear down the middle of the park but his wide pass to Fineanganofo skipped low into touch with a clear runway ahead.
The Hurricanes’ frustration grew when Riley Higgins put a clever kick in behind towards the right corner, but Harkin couldn’t ground the loose ball in a desperate race with Adam Lennox. After these three near-misses, they opted to take the points when awarded a penalty following a dominant scrum, Love slotting from 40 metres to give them their first lead of the match at 17-14 after 61 minutes.
The Highlanders, however, showed remarkable resilience. The momentum shifted just as the match entered its final quarter, with Robinson landing penalties in the 68th and 72nd minutes to edge the visitors ahead 20-17. The first came directly in front of the posts after Walker-Leawere jumped across the lineout, while the second followed a needless obstruction penalty against Billy Proctor.
With the visitors seemingly poised to secure their first win in Wellington since the 2015 Super Rugby final, the drama intensified in the final minutes. The Hurricanes, who had beaten both the Chiefs and Brumbies in recent weeks, refused to capitulate. Love’s break from deep in his own half created one more attacking opportunity, but Tavatavanawai, impressive throughout, won a crucial turnover over Raymond Tuputupu.
Just when it seemed the Highlanders had done enough, replacement hooker Soane Vikena’s wayward lineout throw handed the Hurricanes one final chance. Under penalty advantage for an offside infringement, the hosts hammered away at the Highlanders’ line for 22 phases. As the defence began to fracture, Roigard spotted his opportunity and darted over beneath the posts, launching the ball high in celebration as the home crowd erupted.
Love’s conversion was the final act of a pulsating encounter that consolidated the Hurricanes’ position in the playoff spots. The result leaves them just one point behind the Blues in fifth place with crucial fixtures against the Reds and Moana Pasifika to come, while the Highlanders’ slim finals hopes now appear extinguished, sitting eight points outside the top six with just two matches remaining.
For the Hurricanes, Roigard was the undisputed star, consistently threatening around the fringes and delivering when it mattered most. Kirifi made a significant impact after replacing the injured Iose early, showing his quality at the breakdown, while Zach Gallagher impressed in the lineout and Love’s goal-kicking proved crucial in the tight contest.
Jamie Joseph’s Highlanders will rue their missed opportunities after delivering arguably their best performance of the season. Lowe’s two-try effort deserved better reward, while Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens was electric in attack, combining silky skills with powerful running. The visitors’ defensive resilience was impressive throughout, repelling waves of Hurricanes attacks, but ultimately not enough to prevent their ninth consecutive defeat to their northern rivals.
The Hurricanes now look ahead to a challenging trip to face the Reds in Queensland as they aim to secure a top-four finish and potential home advantage in the playoffs, while the Highlanders must regroup for their remaining matches against the Crusaders and Chiefs.
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