The Hurricanes have firmly established themselves as title favourites with a 42-19 win over the Blues in Wellington.
Fullback Callum Harkin and scrumhalf Cam Roigard were among the standouts as Clark Laidlaw’s team continues to run riot in Super Rugby Pacific.
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Returning fullback Harkin sliced through for the opener, running a great line in the fourth minute.
The hosts smothered the Blues and eventually had a 14-0 lead after Billy Proctor dived over.
The Blues were hungry for a road win, sporting either shaved or dyed blonde hair in honour of retired teammate Cam Suafoa, who called time on his career due to cancer.
They composed themselves and eventually rallied through in-form centre AJ Lam to get on the board.
Lovely work from the backline sparked the Blues as Codemeru Vai’s hands set up his fellow winger Caleb Clarke in the corner.
Clarke finished brilliantly in the corner for his 39th try in his Blues career, reducing the margin to two.
Fehi Fineanganofo steadied the ship for the hosts, with Roigard’s break creating enough chaos for the damaging winger to do what he does best and cross the line.
It gave the Hurricanes a 21-12 lead heading into the break, which they quickly extended after the break via Asafo Aumua.
Aumua found himself piloting an unstoppable rolling maul, breaking clear at the end for the try.
Roigard’s kicking game started to cause all sorts of chaos, producing a masterclass for his chasers as they kept the Blues under pressure.
But just as the ‘Canes looked as if they were threatening to run away with it, the game was flipped on its head when Fineanganofo was yellow-carded for a clear high shot on Mason Tupaea.
It flipped the field completely, and instead of defending their line, the Blues were crashing over the Hurricanes as Malachi Wrampling kept the visitors in the fight.
In the end, the class of the Hurricanes was on full display as Harkin restored the lead when he scooped up Ruben Love’s deflected grubber and dived over for his second.
Cam Roigard sealed the win with a quick tap try with ten minutes to go.
Remarkably, it sets up another top-of-the-table clash for next week, with the Chiefs leapfrogging the Blues after their win over Moana Pasifika.
