Hurricanes v Crusaders Stat Attack

The Hurricanes and the Crusaders have now met on 47 occasions. The Hurricanes have won 15 matches and the Crusaders 30. There have been two draws.

These two sides played in Round 1 at Christchurch where the home side also won 33-25.

The Hurricanes have now played the Crusaders more often than they have any other side. The Chiefs are in second place on the list with 46 matches.

The Hurricanes have hosted the Crusaders 21 times at home venues for eight wins, 12 losses and a draw.

The Hurricanes failed by one point to bring up 1000 points against the Crusaders. Against the Blues they have scored 1101 points, against the Chiefs 1109 points and against the Highlanders they have scored 1114 points.The Hurricanes played their 300th match in New Zealand. They have won 179 of those matches (59.7%), lost 115 and drawn six. Of their 115 matches played outside New Zealand, they have won 59 at 51.3%.

The Crusaders became the first franchise to score 150 tries against the Hurricanes. Their total now sits on 154.

The Hurricanes have now conceded 550 tries at all home venues with the total now sitting on 551.

The Hurricanes have brought up exactly 50 tries against the Crusaders at all home venues.

Brad Shields (above) appeared in his 120th Super Rugby match to equal assistant coach Cory Jane in ninth place on the list of most matches played for the Hurricanes.

The third of the three tries scored by the Hurricanes took their total in all Super Rugby matches at Wellington to 650. That total is made up of 41 tries at the old Athletic Park and 609 at Westpac/Sky Stadium.

The Hurricanes have lost nine matches by seven points including four times against the Crusaders.

The Crusaders finished Round 9 at the top of the Standings. Incredibly this is the first time they have been in the top position since beating Moana Pasifika in Round 3 of the 2022 championship. They have played 53 matches in the interim and were Super Rugby Champions in 2022 and 2023.

Zach Gallagher was a last-minute replacement for Isaia Walker-Leawere which spoilt the fact it would have been the Hurricanes third match in a row with an unchanged starting line-up. Three matches in a row is a rarity having occurred on just four occasions: in 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2012.

Peter Umaga-Jensen and Pouri Rakete-Stones appeared in their 50th match for the Hurricanes. Umaga-Jensen started the match and Rakete-Stones came off the bench. A total of 66 players have now reached that milestone for the Hurricanes.

Umaga-Jensen and Rakete-Stones are the fifth Hurricanes combination to appear in their 50th match together.

The first was John Schwalger and Conrad Smith against the Force in 2010 (Schwalger had made his debut 21 matches before Smith did). Next were Dane Coles and Victor Vito against the Crusaders in 2013 (Coles made his debut one match before Vito). Third on the list are James Broughton and Julian Savea against the Waratahs in 2014 (Broughton preceded Savea by 12 matches), and then Vaea Fifita and Ricky Riccitelli against the Highlanders in 2019. Fifita made his debut six matches before Riccitelli.

This latest combination has the largest gap between them in terms of their respective debut. Umaga-Jensen had made his debut 26 matches before Rakete-Stones played in his first.

Of the 66 players who have reached 50 matches, 32 of them played in front of a home crowd at Westpac/Sky Stadium: two more did so at Napier and one in Palmerston North. A total of 14 have appeared in away matches in New Zealand, nine in Australia, five in South Africa and one each in Argentina (Jordie Barrett), Suva (Isaia Walker-Leawere) and Tokyo (Ardie Savea).

In scoring two tries against the Crusaders Umaga-Jensen became the 11th Hurricanes player to score at least one try in their 50th match. Christian Cullen was the first to score two tries (against the Stormers at Cape Town  in 2000) followed by Ardie Savea whose “pair” were scored against the Sunwolves at Tokyo in 2017. However,  one player scored three tries in his 50th match and that was Salesi Rayasi against the Highlanders at Wellington last year.

Peter Umaga-Jensen (pictired has now scored two tries in a match three times (all in Wellington) and a total of 11 in his career. Four of his tries have been against the Crusaders: also one in 2020 and 2021.

Umaga-Jensen’s second try of the match was the 350th scored in Super Rugby this year.

Peter Lakai scored his eighth try in his 30th match. It was his first against the Crusaders.

After having appeared for every minute of all seven previous matches, Kini Naholo left the field with 18 minutes  remaining due to a HIA. He still holds the “record” for most minutes played this season: 622 of a possible 640.

Ioane Moananu scored twice against the Hurricanes to become just the second Hooker from the Crusaders to do so. Codie Taylor was the first, at Christchurch in 2021.

Chay Fihaki scored his second try against the Hurricanes. He also touched down at Wellington in 2023.

James O’Connor scored his first try against the Hurricanes and converted it. O’Connor has previously played for two other franchises, both Australian. In 2010 he kicked two conversions and a penalty for the Force at Wellington and in 2015 he kicked two conversions for the Reds at Brisbane. In Round 1 this season he kicked a conversion and now has a total of 20 points against the Hurricanes spread amongst three different sides.

Two Crusaders players namely Ethan Blackadder (69th minute) and Antonio Shalfoon (71st) were awarded yellow cards. The Crusaders played with 13 men for 10 minutes or so but the Hurricanes, who were down 17-31 before then, only managed to score a converted try during that period.

James Doleman refereed his 16th match involving the Hurricanes. It was his second match in charge this season. The Hurricanes have now lost three matches when he has been the whistle blower.

Overall, the Hurricanes have now played 415 Super Rugby matches. They have won 238 (57.3%), lost 171 and drawn six.