Hurricanes player ratings: Cam Roigard ‘absolute class’ as rising star’s standout moment shows why All Blacks will ‘regret’ his departure
Cam Roigard and Fehi Fineanganofo in action for the Hurricanes.
Following a 38-31 victory over the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Pacific clash at Hnry Stadium on Friday, here are the player ratings for the Hurricanes.
15 Callum Harkin: Not a huge amount of opportunity to show his playmaking skills but he was solid under the high ball, which was key when you consider the struggles the Crusaders had aerially. 6
14 Josh Moorby: Injected himself into the game with a superb line for his try but Moorby didn’t get his hands on the ball too much outside of that. 6
13 Billy Proctor: His touches were limited but they were still influential, including his work for Moorby’s try as he pressurised in the air before collecting the ball and sending Peter Lakai free, who duly provided the scoring pass for the wing. 7
12 Jordie Barrett (cc): Not quite at his brilliant best, but Barrett was still in fine form as he proved to be a focal point in the backline. Ruben Love might be the 10 but the All Blacks centre still dictates a lot of what they do. 7
Standout moment
11 Fehi Fineanganofo: Always looked threatening when the ball came his way but the game was generally played closer to the ruck and Fineanganofo didn’t get the space he enjoys in the opening hour. However, exploded into life with a superb run before he collected Isaia Walker-Leawere’s return pass to touch down. A player the All Blacks will regret losing. 7
10 Ruben Love: Struggled a bit early in but grew into the game and showed some nice touches. Whether it’s All Blacks worthy, we’re not quite so sure with Love a facilitator rather than the main decision-maker – that was chiefly Barrett and Roigard. 6
9 Cam Roigard: Superb for the most part. It was his battle with Noah Hotham proved to be a crucial differentiator between the sides. Roigard was absolute class, controlling play at the base and injecting tempo into the game when necessary, while his vision enabled him to touch down late in the first half. 9
8 Peter Lakai: Was one of the Hurricanes’ primary carriers as he did job his well enough. Made metres with ball in hand, set up Moorby’s score and altogether had a decent impact on the encounter. 7
7 Du’Plessis Kirifi (cc): Got it wrong early on at the breakdown but Kirifi’s influence grew as the game wore on, earning a crucial penalty turnover in the second period. 7
6 Brayden Iose: A lovely kick through for Roigard’s try but Iose was the quietest of the starting lose trio so it was no surprise to see him replaced early in the second half. 6
Solid shifts
5 Warner Dearns: Has enjoyed a superb season since moving from Japan, but this was one of Dearns’ least influential games. Some good work close to the ruck as the Brave Blossom did his core duties well enough, but he’s had more spectacular displays. 6
4 Caleb Delany: Similar to Dearns, the nuts and bolts helped set a platform for the Hurricanes in what was a solid shift, but there weren’t any big moments. 6
3 Pasilio Tosi: The scrum was barely a factor which meant Tosi’s good work came around the field. The tighthead’s breakdown turnover helped set up Kirifi’s try as he did some good work on both sides of the ball. 7
2 Asafo Aumua: Fundamentals were strong and that was shown when Raymond Tuputupu came on, with the replacement struggling in the lineout. Aumua was surprisingly quiet elsewhere, however, and only made it to half-time. 6
1 Xavier Numia: Mostly made his presence felt after the interval with some powerful carrying and that was important in helping the hosts keep the Crusaders at arm’s length. 7
Replacements: As intimated, it was mixed from Tuputupu, who had his set-piece issues but was explosive in the loose. Elsewhere, Devan Flanders continued his fine form while Ere Enari kept the tempo high, but they were the best of a relatively mediocre bunch. 6