The Hurricanes maintained their unbeaten record in the 2005 Vodacom Super 12 with a polished 45-32 victory over the Cats at Ellis Park on Friday night. The Hurricanes led 21-10 at the break.
The Hurricanes ran in six tries — all converted by flyhalf Jimmy Gopperth — to four for the Cats as the home team was left with much food for thought for the rest of the season.
For the Hurricanes, Ma’a Nonu — playing on the left wing — was sensational, while the loose trio gave the Cats the kind of lesson they dished out to the Bulls last weekend.
The defence of the Cats that was so tight against the Bulls was on Saturday virtually non-existent.
The tsunami victims benefit match at Twickenham in London necessitated the uncharacteristically late (for a Saturday) kick-off at Ellis Park for this round two Super 12 encounter. Once proceedings got underway, however, it seemed the Cats and Hurricanes were playing a charity match of their own.
First, flyhalf Andre Pretorius missed a relatively easy pot at goals after three minutes, then his opposite number Gopperth returned the compliment only for Pretorius to skew his second attempt as well. It was Gopperth’s only miss of the match.
The visitors then found a patch where they controlled possession for several phases only for Gopperth to gift Pretorius the easiest of intercepts and he obliged to go over close to the poles to make his own conversion simpler.
And with that the Cats led 7-0 after 15 minutes. And for a period the niceties were forgotten as the Hurricanes got stuck into the Cats in search of a reply. And reply they did — in emphatic fashion — with big Ma’a Nonu bursting through a porous Cats line to crash over for a converted try and draw his team level after 22 minutes.
The visitors then made use of their hosts’ hospitality when Pretorius tried to be too clever in his 22 and Gopperth charged down his kick, gathered and scored after 30 minutes for the lead.
Further tries either side of halftime by Nonu and No 8 Rodney So’oialo –after a superb turnover by Nonu gave the visitors a comfortable 18-point cushion.
The Cats though were sick and tired of being charitable and aided by some shrewd substitutions by coach Chester Williams they clawed their way back into the match.
Two pieces of individual brilliance — by replacement prop CJ van der Linde and Pretorius — combined to set wing Ashwin Willemse up for a try. And when captain Wikus van Heerden scooted over after concerted pressure the Cats were back in it at 25-31 and 17 minutes on the clock.
Those scores were sandwiched by a massive all-in brawl that saw all charity left on the sidelines. The catalogue of errors that had plagued their play throughout the 80 minutes continued to haunt the home team. Dropped passes, poor decisions and far too many turnovers meant the Cats never gave themselves a real chance.
And when replacement fullback Riki Flutey skipped past numerous pathetic tackles for the Hurricanes fifth try, the match was over bar the shouting.
The Hurricanes managed another try — from Lome Fa’atau — in the dying moments before Conrad Jantjes scored on the hooter for the bonus point for the Cats.
Point-scorers
CATS 32 (10): Tries: Andre Pretorius, Ashwin Willemse, Wikus van Heerden, Conrad Jantjes. Conversions: Pretorius (3). Penalties: Pretorius (2)
HURRICANES 45 (21): Tries: Ma’a Nonu (2), Jimmy Gopperth, Rodney So’oialo, Riki Flutey, Lome Fa’atau. Conversions: Gopperth (6). Penalties: Gopperth (1).
Referee: Andrew Cole (Australia)