(Reuters) – The Wellington Hurricanes moved into the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals with a 47-20 win over the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday with a dominant second-half performance that dropped the curtain on the 14-year existence of the Australian outfit.
Five tries after the interval earned the Hurricanes victory over a Rebels side playing in the quarter-finals for the first time in the team’s final season since their long-expected demise was confirmed this month.
“We got disrupted a little bit in that first half but we were under no illusion the challenge (we) were going to come under from the Rebels this week,” said the Hurricanes’ Jordie Barrett. “They’re an emotional side, a lot to play for and (they) were always going to be up for it in that first 20 or 30 minutes.”
It took the Hurricanes until the 25th minute to break through a stubborn Rebels defence after Carter Gordon had given the visitors an early lead with a penalty from over 40 metres.
The New Zealanders put the Rebels’ defence under pressure on their own try line, and the Australians were eventually breached when TJ Perenara offloaded to Pasilio Tosi from a metre out.
A second Gordon penalty reduced the deficit but the Rebels’ hopes of remaining within a point at the interval were dashed as Josh Moorby scored in the last play of the half.
Moorby’s try proved pivotal, and the Hurricanes increased their advantage in a dominant opening to the second half, Barrett setting up Brayden to score his side’s third try four minutes after the restart.
Asafo Aumua and Devan Flanders added further tries before two tries in two minutes from Lachie Anderson gave the Rebels’ hope for an unlikely comeback as the clock ticked down on their final Super Rugby Pacific game.
But Du’Plessis Kirifi extinguished any dreams of a Rebels resurrection nine minutes from time, and Kini Naholo put the seal on the win with two minutes left.
“We had high hopes of going further but when you give quality opposition like the Hurricanes opportunities like that it’s hard to come back,” said the Rebels’ Rob Leota.
The Waikato Chiefs had already moved into the semi-finals after notching a 43-21 victory over the Queensland Reds on Friday.
The Auckland Blues will host the Fijian Drua and the ACT Brumbies take on the Otago Highlanders in the two remaining quarter-finals on Saturday.
(Reporting by Michael Church; Editing by Gerry Doyle)
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