Hurricanes v Force Stat Attack

James Blackwell (above) was on the field for the most minutes (848) followed by Jordie Barrett with 836 minutes, in the just completed 2022 Super Rugby Pacific round-robin. The Hurricanes finished fifth and meet the fourth placed Brumbies in their quarter-final in Canberra this coming Saturday. 

The Hurricanes missed out 22-27 to the Force in Perth this past Saturday night. Some facts and figures from the game below, by Peter Marriott.

Round 15 v Force: Lost 22-27

The Hurricanes and the Force first met in 2006. Of the 13 matches played between the two sides the Hurricanes have won 11 and the Force, now two. This victory by the Force brought to an end the Hurricanes record sequence of 10 successive wins against another Super Rugby franchise.

The Forces first win (18-17) had been at Perth on 9 March 2007, some 15 years and 80 days previously. That victory had been the fourth-ever for the Force and the Hurricanes were the first New Zealand side to be beaten by them.

This was the third match this year in which the Hurricanes scored 22 points. On the previous two occasions that total had been a winning total for them.

This was the Hurricanes 100th match played against Australian sides: Brumbies (28 matches), Force (13), Rebels (10), Reds (24) and Waratahs (25).

After his previous two starts were at Lock, Caleb Delany started this match as a Flanker. Along with Brayden Iose and Du’Plessis Kirifi, they made up the eighth different Flanker/No 8/Flanker starting combination used by the Hurricanes this year.

Owen Franks made his first start for the Hurricanes after having come off the bench in his three previous appearances. The last time he had started a match was for the Crusaders against the Jaguares at Christchurch on 6 July 2019. Franks actually made his Super Rugby debut against the Force, at Christchurch in March 2009. He is the 35th different player to start as a Prop for the Hurricanes.

Owen Franks, Dane Coles and Pouri Rakete-Stones made up the ninth different starting front-row combination this year. Coles has now started a Super Rugby match between 26 different propping partnerships. Dane Coles also started his first match of the year. His previous start had been against the Brumbies at Canberra in June 2021.

Of those who scored tries, Josh Moorby scored his sixth and seventh: the second time this year he has scored two or more tries in a match. He also scored a “hat-trick” against the Fijian Drua at Wellington earlier in the month.

Salesi Rayasi scored his 15th try and third against the Force. He scored two against them at Napier in 2021, exactly a year ago to the day.

Rayasi received a yellow card, his third for the season, and was required to appear before the SANZAAR Foul Play Review Committee. He was issued with a caution and therefore free to resume playing.

A total of eight yellow cards were awarded to the Hurricanes in their 14 Round Robin matches. Brayden Iose scored his third try.

For the Force tries were scored by Santiago Medrano (his second), Andrew Ready (11th) and Byron Ralston
(seventh).

Jeremy Thrush, who had previously made 110 appearances for the Hurricanes between 2008 and 2015, received a yellow card just eight minutes into the match.

Ian Prior led the Force in his 100th Super Rugby match and celebrated by kicking 10 points. He almost had the perfect record but missed one of five attempts at goal when his second kick hit the upright.

The Hurricanes ended Round Robin play with 64 tries, top-equal with the Blues and the Crusaders. With 28 of those tries being scored in the first half they are equal with the Crusaders but are behind the Blues (33) and the Chiefs (29). However, their 36 second half tries are top-equal with the Crusaders.

James Blackwell was on the field for the most minutes (848) followed by Jordie Barrett with 836 minutes.

Three players appeared in 12 matches: Jackson Garden-Bachop, Tevita Mafileo and Bailyn Sullivan but Barrett, Blackwell and Tyrel Lomax made the most starts (11).

Jordie Barrett scored the most points (103) during Round Robin play which placed him in third position after Stephen Perofeta (107 for the Blues) and Bryn Gatland (Chiefs 106).

Josh Moorby and Salesi Rayasi shared the top spot for most tries scored with seven apiece. Only five players scored more tries with the Crusaders Leicester Fainga’anuku topping the list with 10, including three against
the Hurricanes in their first match of the season at Dunedin.

The Hurricanes conceded 330 points during Round Robin play made up of 42 tries, 29 conversions and 20 penalties. They have had just one drop goal kicked against them in the last six years.

The Hurricanes used a record 50 players in their 14 matches and a total of 268 players from the other franchises appeared against them.

The Hurricanes finished the regular season in fifth place on the ladder with 39 points, behind the Brumbies in fourth place on 44 points. These two sides will meet in a Quarter-final at Canberra on 4 June. The Hurricanes have been involved in four previous Quarter-finals: against the Sharks in 2016, the Brumbies at Canberra in 2017, the Chiefs in 2018 and the Bulls in 2019. To date, the Hurricanes have never lost a Quarter-final match.