The Hurricanes didn’t just beat the Queensland Reds in Wellington—they tore them apart.
A 52–14 scoreline tells part of the story, but not all of it. This was a game where every Reds mistake felt costly, and the Hurricanes made sure it stayed that way.
Any time the Reds tried to build something, a loose pass or breakdown error would creep in. And almost immediately, the Hurricanes would turn that into points. It wasn’t flashy for the sake of it—it was sharp, alert rugby, played at a tempo the visitors just couldn’t live with.
By the end, eight tries had been scored. Several of them came straight off Reds turnovers.
The win keeps the Hurricanes firmly at the top of the table and stretches a remarkable dominance over the Reds—11 straight wins overall, and 12 in a row at home dating back to the late 90s. For a Reds side that had won four on the bounce coming in, this was a reality check.
Fehi Fineanganofo was everywhere. The winger grabbed a hat-trick before the hour mark, popping up at the right time, more than once finishing moves that started with Reds errors in midfield. He didn’t have to force it—the game kept coming to him.
And yet, for a moment, it looked like the Reds might hang around.
A Jordie Barrett try was ruled out, and soon after Isaac Henry somehow juggled his way over from a lineout play. That little swing kept things interesting, with the Hurricanes leading 24–14 at the break.
But whatever hope the Reds had didn’t last long.
The Hurricanes came out in the second half and went straight back to work. Warner Dearns produced one of the standout moments, snatching a loose pass and charging over after a messy, broken passage of play down the sideline.
From there, it unraveled quickly.
Fineanganofo added two more in quick succession—both again from Reds mistakes in midfield—and that was the game done with about 20 minutes still to play.
Even then, the Hurricanes weren’t finished. Vernon Bason’s rolling maul try near the end pushed them past 50, another reminder of how comfortable they are piling on points this season.
There was also a moment late on that summed up their mindset. Du’Plessis Kirifi, back from injury and making his first start of the season, chased back and ripped the ball free to stop what looked like a certain Reds try. The game was already won, but he still went after it.
For the Reds, there wasn’t much to hold onto. Tom Lynagh came on for his first run of the season but couldn’t get into the game as things slipped further away.
In the end, it came down to composure. The Hurricanes had it. The Reds didn’t.
And right now, the gap between them looks pretty wide.
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