We're back in Christchurch now, but our trip away hasn't been as fruitful as that of the Hurricanes; Stuff reports:
Halfback TJ Perenara has scored a hat-trick of tries to punctuate the Hurricanes 46-19 bonus point win over the Western Force in Perth.
It seemed fitting that in his first Super Rugby start the 20-year-old played beyond expectations, the theme of the Hurricanes bright start to the season.
Few would have picked coach Mark Hammett's side to post two wins from a tough three match road trip.
Against the Force, the tourists again played with huge energy, strong to the end of a match played in 39 degree temperatures.
The Hurricanes scored six tries in all with outstanding fullback Andre Taylor, lock Jason Eaton and replacement back Charlie Ngatai all on the score sheet.
The Force managed just one try, to No 8 Matt Hodgson despite a massive advantage in possession and territory throughout the match.
Given that their first three matches have been away from home, the Hurricanes have made a fantastic start to the 2012 season after having been written off by many. Critics lamented the loss at the end of the season of the likes of Piri Weepu, Ma'a Nonu and Andrew Hore. But after fading after a competitive hour against the Stormers, the 'Canes have strung together two strong team efforts.
The test will come soon enough once the Hurricanes have to front up week in and week out, especially against the other teams in the New Zealand conference. But for the moment they are playing a good brand of rugby, and they are winning on the road. It's too early to be carried away about this being the Year of the Hurricane, but we're more optimistic about this season than we have been for some time.
No comments:
Post a Comment