Hurricanes v Fijian Drua and Crusaders Opening two rounds Stat Attacks

The Hurricanes have met the Fijian Drua four times since they were introduced to Super Rugby in 2022. The first encounter in Wellington was won by the home side 67-5 but the second match, in 2023, was won by the Fijian Drua 27-24 in Suva. The last two matches have both been won by the Hurricanes: 38-15 and 38-34.

The Hurricanes have now played 14 of their matches in Napier but this was the first time since 2021. Their record is 11 wins and three losses.

The Hurricanes made just one change to their starting XV from that which appeared against The Crusaders in  the opening round. That change was in the forwards.

Hugo Plummer made his debut in 2023 but this was just his third appearance for the Hurricanes. He played once in 2023 but missed all of 2024. In this match he made his first start.

Will Tucker made his debut for the Hurricanes having previously played for the Highlanders. He is the brother of James who made five appearances for the Hurricanes last season.

Du’Plessis Kirifi scored the Hurricanes first try with the match just 38 seconds old. It was one of the fastest tries recorded in Super Rugby history but well short of the record eight seconds it took for the Chiefs Rameka Poihipi to score after intercepting a pass against Moana Pasifika at Melbourne in 2023.

Kirifi has now scored 12 tries including two against the Fijian Drua.

Brayden Iose also scored his 12th try.

In his second match Fatafehi Fineanganofo touched down for his maiden Super Rugby try.

Cameron Roigard scored his 13th try.

Bailyn Sullivan’s try was his eighth, seven of which have been for the Hurricanes and the other for the Chiefs.

Harry Godfrey scored his second try for the Hurricanes and with eight points from the boot had a tally of 13 points in the match: his best return so far.

Du’Plessis Kirifi and Will Tucker picked up the first yellow cards for the Hurricanes in 2025.

The five try scorers for the Fijian Drua all scored for the first time against the Hurricanes. One of them was  Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula who also kicked nine points to give him a match total of 14. This is a new record tally for most points in a match by a Fijian Drua player against the Hurricanes beating the 10 points Taniela Rakuro amassed with his two tries scored in 2023.

The five tries is also a new record for the Fijian Drua in a match against the Hurricanes bettering the three they scored in 2023.

The Fijian Drua could have had a sixth try if Taniela Rakuro’s on-field try had not been ruled out by the TMO.

James Doleman refereed his 15th Super Rugby match which involved the Hurricanes. They have won 13 times and lost just twice when he has been in charge.

Overall, the Hurricanes have now played 409 Super Rugby matches. They have won 236 (57.7%), lost 167 and drawn six.

The Hurricanes and the Crusaders have now met on 46 occasions. The Hurricanes have won 15 of those matches and the Crusaders 29. There have been two draws.

Of the 26 matches hosted by the Crusaders, the home team has won 18 times and the visitors seven. There was a drawn match in 1999.

This is the 30th year of Super Rugby and the Hurricanes continue to struggle to start their new season on a winning note. The score is now 20 losses first-up and just 10 wins. Two of those wins were in the previous two years which equalled their record of successive victories at the start of 2005 and 2006.

During those 30 years the Hurricanes have played their first match at home on just eight occasions: 22 times they have been away from home including the last four seasons in succession.

The Hurricanes lost their 50th away match to another New Zealand side. That figure is made up from 12 losses in 22 matches against the Blues, 11 losses in 21 matches against the Chiefs, 18 losses in 26 matches againstthe Crusaders and nine losses against the Highlanders in 21 matches.

Brad Shields and Du’Plessis Kirifi co-captained the Hurricanes for the first time. Shields had previously led the side on his own, including eight times last year, but this was the first time Kirifi has been in charge. He is the 25th Hurricanes player to “wear the captains’ arm-band”.

This is the first season since 2010 in which a Barrett, either Jordie or Beauden, has not made an appearance for the Hurricanes.

There were three debutants in the Hurricanes side: Fatafehi Fineanganofo and Callum Harkin started the match and Ereatara Enari came off the bench. Enari had previously played for the Crusaders and Moana Pasifika.

Both Riley Hohepa and Hugo Plummer came off the bench for their first appearance since 2023.

Jacob Devery scored two tries in a match for the first time. He now has a total of three in eight appearances.He did not play in 2024.

Kini Naholo scored his 14th try in his 23rd match. It was his first try against the Crusaders.

Harry Godfrey made his debut as the chief Hurricanes goal kicker scoring seven points.

Callum Harkin replaced Godfrey as the kicker and landed a penalty with his first attempt.

On debut for the Crusaders, Wellington Lions player, Kyle Preston, scored a hat-trick of tries. He is just the third Crusaders player to score three tries in a match against the Hurricanes after Scott Hamilton in 2005 and Leicester Fainga’anuku in 2022.

Preston, who scored the fifth and final try took the number of tries scored by the Crusaders in all matches against the Hurricanes to 149.

Cullen Grace scored his second try against the Hurricanes having scored the first in last year’s match.

Sevu Reece touched down for his sixth try against the Hurricanes. He scored two in the 2019 Semi-final match, one in each of the two matches played in 2020 and a fifth in 2021. Reece has now scored 59 tries in Super Rugby.

The Crusaders scored two on-field tries which were ruled out by the TMO.

Referee Nic Berry was in charge of his 15th Super Rugby match which involved the Hurricanes. They have won 10 times and lost five when he has had the whistle.

Overall, the Hurricanes have now played 408 Super Rugby matches. They have won 235 (57.6%), lost 167 and drawn six.