Hurricanes v Moana Pasifika Stat Attack

The Hurricanes beat Moana Pasifika 64-12 in their last round Super Rugby fixture on Saturday, earning them a trip to Canberra to play the Brumbies in this coming Friday night’s knockout game.

Many of the facts and figures from the fixture in Wellington on Saturday evening by Hurricanes and Wellington Rugby Statistics Manager Peter Marriott.

Round 16 v Moana Pasifika: Won 64-12

The Hurricanes and Moana Pasifika have now met on seven occasions. The Hurricanes have won five matches to the two of Moana Pasifika.

Moana Pasifika joined the Super Rugby Competition in 2022 and their first-ever win was against the Hurricanes (24-19) at Auckland in just their third match. Their second win was at Albany in Round 4 this season (40-31).

This was the 24th time the Hurricanes have scored 50 or more points in a match and the eighth time they have scored 64 or more points. It is actually the third time they have recorded 64 points. They have never scored 63 or 65 points.

The Hurricanes have conceded 12 points in a match on 14 occasions losing just the once: 10-12 to the Brumbies at Canberra in 2021.

The Hurricanes 10 tries are the most they have scored in a match since scoring 11 against Moana Pasifika in their 71-22 win at Wellington in 2023.

In all matches the Hurricanes have scored 10 or more tries on seven occasions: three times 10, three times11 and one times 13.

The Hurricanes 10 tries took their total in all matches against Moana Pasifika to exactly 50. The Hurricanes have scored 50 (or more) tries against 15 of the 19 Super Rugby teams they have played over the last 30 years.

The four sides which have not conceded 50 tries are Fijian Drua, Jaguares, Kings and Sunwolves.The Hurricanes played only four, four, two and four matches respectively against those sides.

The 50 tries against Moana Pasifika have been scored in a record seven matches, two fewer than the nine it took the Hurricanes to bring up their 50th try against the Rebels. For the record the most matches it took them to score 50 tries against any side is 25 against the Crusaders followed by 20 against the Blues and the Highlanders. It took 19 matches against the Stormers and 18 against the Chiefs, Reds and Waratahs.

A total of 32 different players have scored those 50 tries and believe it or not Ardie Savea holds the Hurricanes record for the most with four. His total includes a record three in the match at Wellington in 2023. Next up are Peter Lakai, Kini Naholo and Salesi Rayasi with three apiece.

At the conclusion of the Regular Season the Hurricanes had notched up 63 tries. This is the fourth year in a row they have reached 60 or more tries and the ninth occasion in total. Their best year was in 2017 when in 17 matches they scored a record 97 tries. They were knocked out in the Semifinal and so were denied the chance to score three more tries if they had made the Final.

The Hurricanes winning margin against Moana Pasifika was 52 points: their sixth highest margin in all matches. Their best margin is 66 points in their 83-17 win against the Sunwolves at Tokyo in 2017.

The Hurricanes have also recorded a winning margin of 59 points against Moana Pasifika: in their 59-0 win at Auckland in 2023.

The Hurricanes are currently the form side in the competition having won their last five matches in a row. This sequence was preceded by a draw.

Six of the side did not play for Moana Pasifika against the Hurricanes in Round 4. They took the number of different players from all sides to have appeared against the Hurricanes this year to exactly 250.

The Hurricanes win meant they will progress through to the Qualifying Finals. They finished the Regular Season in fourth place and will play the third placed Brumbies at GIO Stadium in Canberra at 9.35pm New Zealand Time next Saturday.

Tyrel Lomax brought up a major milestone in this match. It was his 100th combined appearance for New Zealand Super Rugby teams. Prior to joining the Hurricanes he had played 31 matches for the Highlanders and the match against Moana Pasifika was his 69th for the Hurricanes. However, as one of his Highlanders appearances was against the French Barbarians in 2018 it was, strictly speaking, “only” Lomax’s 99th Super Rugby match for New Zealand franchises.

By the end of the match Du’Plessis Kirifi had become the first to play 1000 minutes of game time. His actual total is 1037 minutes and he is followed by Peter Lakai (991 minutes) and Cameron Roigard (945 minutes).

These two are the only ones who can realistically also bring up 1000 minutes. At a pinch Ruben Love and Bailyn Sullivan could also reach 1000 minutes but that very much depends on the Hurricanes making the Semifinals at least.

Ruben Love limped off the field in the 77th minute and was not replaced. The Hurricanes played the final three minutes or so with 14 men.

Tjay Clarke made his Super Rugby debut off the bench to become Hurricanes Player #325. He took the number of players to have made at least one appearance in 2025 to 39 including nine debutants.

Clarke became the 32nd player to score a try on debut for the Hurricanes and the second this season after Jone Rova did so also against Moana Pasifika in Round 4. Apart from the failed conversion attempt Clarke’s try in the 81st minute was the final on-field action of the match.

Both Clarke and Rova played their first match at Westpac/Sky Stadium and took the number of players who have appeared in a Super Rugby match for the Hurricanes at the ground to exactly 250.

Ereatara Enari at last scored his first Super Rugby try, in his 53rd match. His career includes nine matches for the Crusaders, 33 for Moana Pasifika and 11 for the Hurricanes.

Jacob Devery scored his fourth try in 16 matches. It may be remembered he scored the Hurricanes first two tries in the opening match of this season’s competition against the Crusaders. All of his tries were scored within the first quarter of an hour: his two against the Crusaders were in the sixth and 15th minute and against Moana Pasifika in the ninth minute. Devery also scored against this side at Wellington in 2023.

Devery’s try was the first by a forward since Peter Lakai’s try against the Crusaders in Round 9 and brought to an end a sequence of 21 consecutive tries scored by the backs.

Devan Flanders touched down for his ninth try in his 55th match. It was his first try against Moana Pasifika.

Raymond Tuputupu also scored a try, his second in 16 matches. His first was also against Moana Pasifika: at Wellington in 2024.

Cameron Roigard has now scored 19 tries in his 46 appearances for the Hurricanes. He has scored tries in the last three matches. This was his second try against Moana Pasifika: the first was at Auckland in 2023.

Billy Proctor’s try was No 20 in his 67th match. He also scored against Moana Pasifika at Wellington in 2023.

Pouri Rakete-Stones scored for the second time in 52 matches. His first try was against the Highlanders at Wellington in 2022.

Peter Umaga-Jensen scored two tries in the match, either side of halftime. It was the fourth occasion he has scored twice in the same match and his overall tally in 53 matches is 13. He also scored a pair against the Crusaders at Wellington in Round 9. They were his first tries against Moana Pasifika.

Ruben Love contributed 14 points to take his total in 42 matches past the 100 mark to sit on 108 of which 32 have been scored against Moana Pasifika.

Hurricanes legends Ardie and Julian Savea played their second match against their former side but it was the first time together. They had between them appeared in 283 Super Rugby matches for the Hurricanes scoring a total of 92 tries.

Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga is another legend having made 122 appearances for his old team and in the process scoring 47 tries.

Their were three other ex-Hurricanes who played in this match: Jackson Garden-Bachop, Pepesana Patafilo and Jonathon Taumateine.

Moana Pasifika scored two tries against the Hurricanes. The first was by Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, who also scored in Round 4 and the second was by the captain himself, Ardie Savea.

Patrick Pellegrini had one attempt (successful) at goal and with his 10 points from the earlier round this season has a total of 12 in two matches against the Hurricanes. Pellegrini finished the season with 81 points, a new Moana Pasifika record for most points scored in a season. The previous record holder was William Havili who scored 78 points in 2024.

Lotu Inisi, who had played 19 matches for Moana Pasifika over the first three years of their existence, made his first, and last, appearance for 2025.

Replacement Abraham Pole, who had been on the field for nine minutes, received a yellow card in the 60th minute.

Moana Pasifika’s loss meant they will not progress to the Qualifying Finals. However, they have had their best season ever with six wins having won just seven matches during the preceding three seasons.

Angus Gardner took charge of his 18th match involving the Hurricanes, his third this year and first Hurricanes/Moana Pasifika match.

Gardner is now just one match shy of equalling the three referees who have each controlled a record 19 Hurricanes matches. They are Stuart Dickinson, Glen Jackson and Jonathan Kaplan: from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa respectively.

If rumours are correct, this was the Hurricanes last match to be played at the “Sky Stadium”. I will leave it at that.

Overall, the Hurricanes have now played 421 Super Rugby matches. They have won 243 (57.7%), lost 171 and drawn seven.