Following the Hurricanes’ thrilling 24-20 triumph over the Highlanders, we break down five key talking points from Friday’s Super Rugby Pacific contest at Sky Stadium.
Key Outcome
It was a devastating result for the Highlanders but sheer joy for the Hurricanes, as the home side secured a victory in Wellington that was, by many accounts, hard-fought rather than fully merited. With time expired, Cam Roigard powered over the line from short distance, significantly enhancing their play-off aspirations while simultaneously dashing the visitors’ hopes of a top-six finish.
Throughout the match, the Highlanders demonstrated the urgency of a team aware that their season hung in the balance. In the initial stages, their attacking play was superb, culminating in two excellent tries for Jonah Lowe, the second of which was a product of brilliant collective effort.
Post-interval, the focus shifted to staunch defence, with Timoci Tavatavanawai delivering a series of impactful tackles as the Hurricanes increased their intensity following a subdued first half, where Bailyn Sullivan’s converted try represented their sole points.
The Hurricanes exerted considerable pressure on their opponents in the second half, taking the lead towards the end of the third quarter via Roigard’s try and a Ruben Love penalty. However, lapses in discipline allowed Taine Robinson to slot two quick penalties, restoring the Highlanders’ lead.
This set the stage for a nail-biting conclusion, with Jamie Joseph’s squad defending resolutely in the final 10 minutes. Nevertheless, the defensive wall eventually gave way, and Roigard was the one to break through, clinching a crucial win.
Shifting Game Control
Love began his professional journey as a fly-half, but in recent years has established himself at full-back, earning an All Blacks call-up in the process. However, a shortage at the number 10 position necessitated a tactical adjustment, with Love filling in quite capably as the Hurricanes drew with the Western Force before achieving notable victories against the Brumbies and the Chiefs.
His relative unfamiliarity with the fly-half role was somewhat apparent on Friday, as he and All Blacks scrum-half Roigard struggled to dominate the game’s flow. Errors were frequent, with Roigard uncharacteristically being a significant contributor. They occasionally overcommitted in their play, falling into the Highlanders’ trap, who possess several adept players at the breakdown, leading to visible frustration for the hosts.
Love might have benefited from using his boot more frequently, considering the Highlanders’ midfield was effectively neutralizing their wider attacking channels, which allowed the visitors to dictate terms in the first half. The fly-half undoubtedly gained valuable experience from this match, especially as the returning Brett Cameron demonstrated effective game management after halftime.
Cameron was not anticipated to feature this season following an ACL rupture seven months prior, but the playmaker has made an astonishing recovery. In his first game back, he successfully altered the match’s momentum.
His kicking strategy put the Hurricanes in advantageous field positions, and he also provided an additional playmaking option to a backline already featuring Love, Callum Harkin, and Billy Proctor. This enabled the home team to stretch the Highlanders’ defence in the second half and created more opportunities for Roigard to exploit gaps around the rucks, ultimately leading to the game-winning try.
Formidable Midfield Presence
Despite the challenges Joseph’s team has faced this season, the physicality of their centre pairing has been a consistent strength in their 2025 campaign. Co-captain Tavatavanawai has been a mainstay at inside centre, partnered by either Tanielu Tele’a or Thomas Umaga-Jensen.
On Friday, Tele’a started at outside centre after a month-long hiatus, and the combative player demonstrated his impact on both attack and defence. In one-on-one situations, the 26-year-old was explosive in contact, a fact the Hurricanes discovered during Lowe’s second try, where Tele’a’s powerful run down the right flank created the scoring opportunity for the winger.
Defensively, he was equally robust alongside Tavatavanawai, consistently disrupting the Hurricanes’ offensive plays. The skipper, however, was undoubtedly the pivotal figure. While the inside centre made one error, resulting in a yellow card for head-on-head contact, his performance over the other 70 minutes was immense. His breakdown penalty win in the 79th minute should have been the decisive moment, but a subsequent lineout failure let them down.
Lineout Difficulties
This brings us to the subsequent point. For a significant portion of the match, Asafo Aumua had trouble connecting with his jumpers as the Highlanders effectively dismantled the Hurricanes’ set-piece. This has been an area of concern for the dynamic hooker throughout his career and will likely be a point of attention for Scott Robertson leading into the 2025 Test season.
Although Aumua showed improvement in this aspect in 2024, on Friday, the 28-year-old was frequently outmaneuvered in the air, preventing the home team from capitalizing on their territorial advantage, especially in the second half.
This could have cost them the match, but, ironically, it was the Highlanders who ultimately lamented a crucial lineout mistake late in the game. As previously noted, Tavatavanawai did exceptionally well to secure a turnover and win a penalty, relieving intense pressure from the Hurricanes. However, they failed to execute the ensuing lineout, and from that error, the hosts went on to win the game in the subsequent phase of attack.
All Blacks Prospects
Friday’s match offered numerous players for Robertson to consider – some seized their opportunities, while others did not. As the regular season nears its conclusion, competition for national team spots is intensifying, and Roigard was the standout performer for the Hurricanes.
His first-half performance was somewhat lackluster, but this changed dramatically after the break, where his two tries and varied attacking play proved crucial. For others, it was a mixed bag: Aumua struggled with his set-piece duties, and Love had a notably poor first 40 minutes. Proctor also made a few mistakes and didn’t deliver the kind of performance that would put significant pressure on Rieko Ioane, though he did step up when it counted in the second half.
Peter Lakai, who made a strong impression against France last year, was active but not dominant. In truth, the most impressive among the back five was veteran Brad Shields, who was commanding in close-quarter engagements.
Ultimately, some of the Highlanders’ key players shone brightest. Tavatavanawai enhanced his reputation with a commendable performance, particularly in defence, while Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens was arguably the best player on the field in the first half. Lock Fabian Holland also delivered a strong showing, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him involved with the All Blacks.
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This breathless finish in Wellington serves as a potent reminder of Super Rugby Pacific’s capacity for high drama, though one that carries different lessons for each side. For the Hurricanes, while Roigard’s late heroics keep their title hopes alive, the preceding struggle and the ‘barely deserved’ nature of the win, as noted, might temper celebrations with a dose of realism about playoff pressures. Conversely, for the valiant Highlanders, their season ending on such a cruel turn after a monumental defensive effort—particularly Tavatavanawai’s near-match-winning turnover undone by that fateful lineout—is a harsh illustration of how entire campaigns can pivot on the smallest of execution errors.