Hurricanes v Waratahs Stat Attack

Asafo Aumua scores his try against the Waratahs.

Round 7 v Waratahs: Won 57-12

The Hurricanes and the Waratahs have now met 28 times. The Hurricanes have won 18 matches to the Waratahs 10.

The Hurricanes have won their last eight matches on the trot against the Waratahs. They were last beaten (29-24) at Wellington on 18 April 2015.

Perhaps unbelievably, the Hurricanes have now won their last 20 home matches against Australian teams. This sequence actually started immediately after their loss to the Waratahs as mentioned above. Since that match the Hurricanes have gone on to beat the Brumbies four times, the Force three times, the Rebels six times, the Reds three times and the Waratahs four times. Fourteen of those victories have been at the Westpac/Sky Stadium, four in Napier and two in Palmerston North.

The Hurricanes winning margin of 45 points is a new record against the Waratahs bettering the 29 point difference in their 41-12 victory at Wellington last season.

This is the first match (in 413 played) the Hurricanes have registered 57 points.

It is also the 23rd time they have scored 50 or more points in a match. Eight of those occasions were against Australian sides: four times against the Rebels and twice against the Brumbies and Waratahs. The Hurricanes highest score in all matches against Australian sides is 71-6 against the Rebels at Wellington in 2017 and their highest score against the Waratahs is 64-48 at Sydney in 2021.

The Hurricanes made five changes to the starting XV from that which started in the previous match against the Highlanders. There was one change in the backs and four in the forwards.

This was the first time in their six matches played this season the Hurricanes were the second side to score points.

It was also the first time this year the Hurricanes did not kick off the match.

The Hurricanes had had a bye in the previous round.

The Hurricanes scored nine tries in their match against the Waratahs.

In 154 matches at the Westpac/Sky Stadium, the Hurricanes have scored 600 tries. The total now sits on 606.

In those same matches the Hurricanes have conceded 400 tries with the total now at 401.

At all home venues the Hurricanes have reached another milestone: they have passed 800 tries with the current total on 806. That total is made up of 606 at the Westpac/Sky Stadium, 41 at the old Athletic Park, 62 at Napier, 43 at New Plymouth and 54 at Palmerston North.

And speaking of tries. The Hurricanes have scored a record 102 against the Waratahs, one more than their previous record of 101 (the Brumbies) against an Australian team.

The Hurricanes were awarded a penalty try. This is their eighth in Super Rugby and third seven-pointer. The Chiefs and Reds have both contributed two times with the Blues, Free State, the Highlanders and the Waratahs one time each.

Six different players scored the other eight tries between them.

Kini Naholo scored a hat-trick and now has 19 tries in 28 matches for the Hurricanes. He had previously scored two tries in a match on three occasions. He scored twice against the Waratahs in 2023.

As in the Hurricanes previous match against the Highlanders, Naholo was the first scorer for his team. His try against the Highlanders was after four minutes; against the Waratahs it was in the eighth minute.

Cameron Roigard scored his 15th try in his 38th match. He also scored a double in the same match against the Waratahs as Naholo had done.

Ngatungane Punivai and Brad Shields scored their second and 13th tries in their eighth and 118th Super Rugby
match respectively.

Of the other two try scorers Asafo Aumua’s try was his 15th in 69 matches and Bailyn Sullivan’s try was his eighth in 31 matches. Both players had previously scored a try against the Waratahs.

After making his previous seven appearance for the Hurricanes off the bench, Riley Hohepa started a match for the first time. In the Round 5 match against the Highlanders he had had one attempt at kicking a conversion, without success. After missing his first two attempts against the Waratahs he succeeded with his last four kicks at goal and now has a total of eight points for the Hurricanes.

Ruben Love kicked a conversion and now has 49 points for the Hurricanes. He had two kicks at goal: his first attempts in any match since succeeding with five from six against Moana Pasifika at Wellington on 12 April 2022.

Asafo Aumua and Du’Plessis Kirifi were appointed as co-captains for the first time.

Having appeared off the bench for the first time this season in the previous match against the Highlanders, Tyrel Lomax and Aumua both started against the Waratahs.

Jordi Viljoen made his first appearance in 2025. In the match against the Highlanders he had been listed on the bench but did not go onto the field.

Waratahs captain Joey Walton, picked up a yellow card.

Australian referee Damon Murphy was in charge of his fifth Super Rugby match which involved the Hurricanes.

They have won all five matches.

Before the match a moment’s silence was observed for the recent passing of former Canterbury and All Black player Alex “Grizz” Wyllie.

Overall, the Hurricanes have now played 413 Super Rugby matches. They have won 238 (57.6%), lost 169 and drawn six.