Western Force 'let slip' another match in huge blow to finals hopes in one-try game - but it's not all bad news
Nic White summed it up. It was a step forward but “you’ve got to feel like that’s just another one that we’ve let slip…
The Wellington Hurricanes have rounded out their Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign with a second win, beating the Otago Highlanders 41-22 in an entertaining match in the New Zealand capital.
Playing only for pride, the Hurricanes ran in six tries through Dane Coles, centre Ngani Laumape, winger Salesi Rayasi and flankers Devan Flanders, Du’Plessis Kirifi and Brayden Iose.
Lock Josh Dickson, winger Jona Nareki and hooker Ash Dixon crossed for the Highlanders, who led at 17-15 halftime but were unable to contain the free-running Hurricanes after the break.
Hurricanes skipper Coles had an eventful evening, at the centre of a considerable number of niggly incidents and yellow carded with Highlanders flyhalf Mitch Hunt for a first-half shoving match.
“We haven’t had a great year and it was good to show we could do it,” the All Blacks hooker said.
“We didn’t put up the white flag, we kept fighting and we got the win tonight.”
The four points were not enough to move the Hurricanes off the bottom of the standings.
The Highlanders finished fourth in the five-team competition with three wins from eight matches.
The Canterbury Crusaders will host the Waikato Chiefs in the final on May 8.
© AAP
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The commentators were amazed the ref didn't send the Highlanders prop off the field to have work done on his boots.
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