Fijian winger Salesi Rayasi scored two tries in Hurricanes’ 29-14 win over the Highlanders in Round 7 of the Super Rugby Pacific on Saturday.
Both sides fielded their best 15 men army and tussled hard for 13 minutes trying to hold each other from scoring.
The Highlanders gave away a penalty advantage to the Canes and Rayasi quickly picked up the ball and went between the Highlanders’ defenders to score but Jordie Barrett failed to convert in the 14th minute.
The Highlanders re-grouped and it was Hugh Renton who brought the side into the match with a try and Sam Gilbert converted to give them a narrow 7-5 lead.
Minutes before half time, Barrett slotted a penalty to make it 8-7 for the Canes at the break.
Again in the second spell, the Highlanders continued to give away penalty play which allowed the Canes to score back-to-back tries from James Blackwell and Cameron Roigard while Barrett converted both for a 22-7 lead.
The hard work and efforts of Ethan de Groot giving a wide cross to Foalu Fakatava went to waste as Fakatava knocked the ball forward near the try line.
The Hurricanes set a ruck 15 meters in from the left sideline which Aidan Morgan snapped and offloaded it to Rayasi, who barged into the try line to get his second and Barrett booted the conversion.
Just three minutes to go, flanker William Harmon scored a consolation try for the Highlanders and Gilbert converted.
