Replacements Roy Kinikinilau and Piri Weepu combined for a try and conversion four minutes from full-time to give Wellington a 26-26 draw with the Auckland Blues in Super 12 rugby on Friday.
The draw left the Blues, last year’s champions, locked only one place from the bottom of the championship ladder at the competition’s midway point and the Hurricanes, with two wins and a draw, in seventh place.
It was the only match on Friday. In other sixth-round matches, the Waikato Chiefs meet the New South Wales Waratahs, the Canterbury Crusaders play the Otago Highlanders, the Stormers meet the Bulls at Cape Town, and the table-topping ACT Brumbies meet the Queensland Reds on Sunday at Canberra.
The Blues scored three tries to two and the lead changed hands five times in a thrilling match that brought the Hurricanes close to their first win over Auckland in the nine years of the Super 12.
They led 13-11 at half-time and dimmed memories of their 60-7 loss to the Blues when the teams last met in Wellington.
Both teams followed policies of unbridled attack but backed that approach with vigorous defences.
Blues replacement flyhalf Orene Ai’i, in a desperate search for a win to revive the Blues’ troubled campaign, twice drifted dropped-goal attempts wide of the uprights in the last minute of play.
”We’ll take a draw but I don’t think any team likes one,” said Hurricanes captain Jerry Collins. ”Both teams had their chances, we had a few and I guess two points is better than nothing.
”We don’t have many wins behind us at this stage and the Super 12 is starting to run out. We were lucky to get away with a draw tonight but we need some wins.”
The Hurricanes opened the scoring on Friday with a fourth-minute intercept try to centre Tane Tuipulotu, who dashed 50m and plunged over the line in the desperate tackle of Rupeni Caucaunibuca. David Holwell converted and went on to kick five goals from six attempts.
Auckland took the lead with a penalty to Ben Atinga and a try after 18 minutes to lock Brad Mika, who crossed after sustained Blues pressure.
Holwell penalties in the 26th and 30th minutes, the second from a professional foul that saw Auckland halfback Steve Devine sin-binned, helped the Hurricanes to their narrow half-time lead.
The lead changed hands twice in the first eight minutes of the second half as Atinga and Holwell exchanged penalties. Holwell’s final goal before he was replaced by Riki Flutey put the Hurricanes ahead 19-14.
Auckland captain Xavier Rush returned from injury to spur on his team with a 55th-minute try, capping a move that began with a Doug Howlett burst from broken play. Atinga’s conversion gave Auckland a 21-19 lead.
Caucaunibuca scored wide out in the 71st minute, his main contribution in a quiet game, to give Auckland a seven-point lead at 26-19.
The Hurricanes fought back and Kinikinilau ran off Tuipulotu’s midfield break in the 76th minute to score near the posts and help Weepu’s tying conversion. — Sapa-AP