Hurricanes Maintain Perfect Start with Hard-Fought Win over Drua
The Wellington Hurricanes extended their unbeaten streak to eight matches in the Super Rugby Pacific competition with a hard-fought 38-15 victory over the Fijian Drua in Suva. Despite conceding three yellow cards in the second half, the Hurricanes maintained their perfect start to the season by outscoring the hosts five tries to two.
The match began with a frenetic pace, with both teams trading early tries. Hurricanes center Billy Proctor capitalized on a loose ball to score the first try, but the Drua responded swiftly with a try from 19-year-old fly-half Isikeli Rabitu.
The Hurricanes gradually asserted their dominance, scoring three unanswered tries before halftime. No. 8 Devan Flanders crashed over from a scrum, center Jordie Barrett crossed after a break by Proctor, and hooker James O’Reilly scored after breaking from a maul.
The Drua fought back in the second half, with flanker Kitione Salawa scoring a try from a driving maul. However, the Hurricanes’ defense held firm despite being reduced to 13 men due to yellow cards for Du’Plessis Kirifi, Isaia Walker-Leawere, and Caleb Delany.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Hurricanes managed to score the final try of the match through prop Xavier Numia. The victory extended the Hurricanes’ lead at the top of the Super Rugby Pacific table, while the Drua suffered their first home defeat of the season.
Hurricanes captain Brad Shields praised his team’s character and resilience in overcoming the challenges posed by the Drua and the sin-binnings. “It was a good test of our character. We talk about new challenges and this was definitely one of them,” Shields said. “We didn’t think we would be down to 13, but it shows good character. I’m really proud of our effort.”
