Hurricanes v Force Stat Attack

Above: Jordi Viljoen became the 300th different player to make his debut for the Hurricanes in a Super Rugby match. He also became the third instance of a father and son to both play for the Hurricanes, following his father Joggie’s seven appearances in 2000. 

• By Peter Marriott

Some facts and figures from the Hurricanes’ Super Rugby opener against the Force this past weekend

Week 1 v Force: Won 44-14

The Hurricanes and the Force first met in 2006 and have now played 15 matches against each other.

The Hurricanes have won 13 times to the Forces two. Both of their wins were at home in Perth: in 2007 and when they last met at HBF Park in 2022.

The two sides did not play each other in 2014 and 2018-2020.

This was the seventh match in Perth and the second played at HBF Park.

In the 15 matches the Hurricanes have scored in the 40s on seven occasions, providing an interesting sequence of results as follows. They won 41-6 in 2016, won 42-13 in 2015, won 43-6 in 2021, won 44-14 in 2024, won 45-42 in 2023, won 46-19 in 2012 and won 47-22 in 2010.

This is the 29th year of Super Rugby but it is only the 10th time the Hurricanes have won their first match of the new season. Of those 10 wins just one has been at a home venue, the other nine have been away. They have now played nine times first-up in Australia, for four wins and five losses.

For the 14th time in a Super Rugby match the Hurricanes kept their opposition scoreless at halftime. This was the third instance in which they have done so against the Force: it was 22-0 in 2006 (the first-ever match against each other, it was 12-0 in 2017 and 22-0 (again) in 2024. On eight other occasions the Force has been limited to fewer than 10 points in the first half.

The Hurricanes have never lost a match when their opposition failed to score in the first 40 minutes.

Asafo Aumua and Jordie Barret were made co-captains for the match. This is the first time either of them has been involved in leading the side. They became the 22nd and 23rd different players to captain the Hurricanes. In 2020 Dane Coles and TJ Perenara co-captained the Hurricanes in six matches.

Jordi Viljoen became the 300th different player to make his debut for the Hurricanes in a Super Rugby match and the ninth in total against the Force.

Viljoen is just the fifth player in 29 seasons to have made his debut actually starting at halfback. Those who went before him are: Jon Preston (1996), Ofisa Tonu’u (1999), Chris Smylie (2007) and Finlay Christie (2018).

There have now been 21 halfbacks who have started a Super Rugby match but 16 of them had appeared off the bench in their debut match.
In the match against the British & Irish Lions in 2017, Kemara Hauiti-Parapara started at halfback but that turned out to be his only appearance for the Hurricanes.

Jordi Viljoen also provided the third instance of a father and son/s playing for the Hurricanes. Stephen Bachop played in 1997-98 followed by his son Jackson Garden-Bachop (2018-22). Kevin Barrett played in 1997-98 followed by son Beauden (2011-19) and then second son Jordie (2017-24). Jordi Viljoen was preceded by his father Joggie who appeared in seven matches (all off the bench) in 2000.

For just the second time in 29 seasons, only one player made his debut in the opening match. The other occasion was in 2021. On three occasions there have been two players: in 2001, 2005 and 2013.

Jordi Viljoen scored a try on debut. He is the 30th Hurricanes player to do so.

Josh Moorby scored the first Hurricanes try of the new season. It was his 15th touchdown in 25 appearances. He also scored a brace against the Force in 2022.

Caleb Delany scored his second try in his 22nd match.

Asafo Aumua’s try was his 11th in 57 appearances. He also scored against the Force in 2021.

Peter Lakai scored his second try in his eighth match.

Salesi Rayasi now has 23 tries in 40 appearances for the Hurricanes. In 2021 he scored twice in the match against the Force and one during the 2022 encounter.

Brett Cameron kicked 14 points to take his total in eight matches for the Hurricanes to 55.

Billy Proctor played his 50th match for the Hurricanes and is the 60th to reach this milestone. Proctor made his debut off the bench against the Waratahs at Sydney in 2019. He has scored 14 tries.

Proctor picked up the first yellow card to be awarded to a Hurricanes player this season.

The back three combination of Kini Naholo (11), Ruben Love (15) and Josh Moorby (14) had not been used in a Super Rugby match before.
Likewise, the front row of Xavier Numia (1), Asafo Aumua (2) and Pasilio Tosi (3) also combined for the first time. It was Tosi’s first-ever start, in his 11th match.

The Force also used co-captains in the match. One was Nic White, making his first appearance for the franchise. He had previously played for the Brumbies and was in fact their captain when they met the Hurricanes in last year’s Quarterfinal.

Nic White scored a try for the Force and it was his second against the Hurricanes. Way back in 2013 he had scored for the Brumbies. During his time with that side he also kicked 11 points against the Hurricanes.

White had the honour of scoring the 300th try for all Australian teams against the Hurricanes.

The Force’s other try scorer was Chase Tiatia. He also scored a try against the Hurricanes in 2021 when playing for the Chiefs. In 2019-20 Tiatia turned out in 16 matches for the Hurricanes.

Ben Donaldson kicked four points. It is his first season with the Force, he having previously played for the Waratahs for which he scored a total of 18 points against the Hurricanes.

Overall, the Hurricanes have now played 392 Super Rugby matches. They have won 223 (56.9%), lost 163 and drawn six.