A 30m dash to the line by veteran lock Paul Tito saw the Wellington Hurricanes snatch victory from the Waikato Chiefs 39-32 right on full time in a Super 14 rugby match on Friday.
Both sides were rewarded with bonus points in the high-scoring game with nine tries scored, five to the Hurricanes and four to the Chiefs.
But it was heavily flawed rugby, and both sides wasted ample scoring opportunities through basic errors.
Tries to the Hurricanes by Ma’a Nonu and Tana Umaga both came from the Chiefs botching tap penalties, while Umaga was guilty of missing a second try when he dropped the ball while trying to touch down one handed.
The Chiefs fluffed tries when an unmarked Sosene Anesi was delivered a forward pass, and Roy Kinikinilau lost the ball just short of the line.
The errors began at the kick-off when the Chiefs won the ball and promptly turned over possession.
Minutes later they conceded a penalty, which led to Alby Mathewson, in his first run-on game for the Hurricanes, opening the scoring.
Jimmy Gopperth landed the conversion on his way to a personal tally of 14 points from the boot.
After Anesi lost his scoring opportunity and both Niva Ta’auso and Kristian Ormsby dropped the ball with the try line begging, the Chiefs finally put points on the board with a try to rookie halfback Brendon Leonard.
Stephen Donald, who missed all his kicks last week, landed the conversion to level the score.
Serge Lilo replied with the Hurricanes’ second try before the Chiefs came back with a Donald penalty and a try to Liam Messam to hit the front for the first time at 15-14 just before half-time.
But there was little time to celebrate before Chiefs flanker Steven Bates took a tap penalty and flung the ball to his right in hope, only to see Wellington wing Nonu take the loose ball and run 35m to score and put the visitors up 19-15 at the turn.
Donald narrowed the gap to one point with a penalty soon after the resumption of play, but the Chiefs had to wait until the 70th minute before they hit the front again.
Following Umaga’s try and a Gopperth conversion and penalty, the Chiefs countered with tries to Kinikinilau and Tom Willis, converted by Donald, to lead 32-29.
But again it was a short-lived lead as Gopperth levelled the score two minutes later with a penalty, leaving it to Tito’s final burst to break the deadlock.
The Chiefs now face a difficult three-match trip to South Africa, and will probably be without inspirational skipper Jono Gibbes, who was forced from the field with a groin injury.
The Hurricanes, with their first win on the board, now have three home games against the Blues, Brumbies and the Stormers. — AFP
