In a high-scoring Round 5 Super Rugby Pacific clash at Palmerston North the Melbourne Rebels faced a tough challenge against the table-topping Hurricanes, slumping to a 54-28 defeat.
The Hurricanes extended their unbeaten streak to five in the competition, despite 14 changes to their squad.
From the outset the Hurricanes showcased their dominance, quickly amassing a 33-0 lead by the 34th minute and concluding the first half with a huge 33-7 advantage. The early lead was built on the back of five tries, with winger Salesi Rayasi and team captain Brad Shields, marking his return from a European stint with a try in his season debut after overcoming a foot injury.
The Rebels struggled to counter the Hurricanes’ onslaught in the first half, managing to put points on the board just before the break thanks to a try from lock Angelo Smith. That did little to alleviate the pressure of a dismal first half that highlighted the challenges facing the Melbourne team, currently awaiting a decision from Rugby Australia regarding their competition future due to off-field financial woes.
Rebels coach Kevin Foote was frustration with the team’s recurring issue of poor starts to matches, despite a resilient second-half performance where the scoreline was a more competitive 21-21.
The Rebels showed signs of life in the second half with tries from centre Lukas Ripley and a notable Super Rugby debut try from Mason Gordon, who replaced Andrew Kellaway at fullback. But the Hurricanes extended their lead, finishing the match with eight tries, including scores from veteran halfback TJ Perenara and Jordie Barrett, who returned from suspension to score twice.
After the game All Blacks centre Jordie Barrett praised the Rebels for their tenacity and acknowledged his team’s effort to maintain control despite numerous squad rotations.
