Hurricanes 'special' pack and game-changing bench praised after win

Hurricanes captain Brad Shields has credited the ‘game changing’ bench for lifting the side to a 36-23 win over the Chiefs to remain undefeated on the season.

The Hurricanes start fast building a 17-7 lead but after lapse during a 10 minute period after the half, the home side found themselves down by 23-17.

The reserves featured plenty of firepower including two loose forwards, Du’Plessis Kirifi and Devan Flanders, who helped overcome the deficit.

Having such a powerful bench was a luxury that few teams in Super Rugby can say they have, one that Shields believes gives the Hurricanes a distinct advantage.

“It’s not often you can roll a bench on that changes the game like that,” Shields told Sky Sport NZ.

“I think each week now our impact players that come on are taking the game to another level.

“There was a couple of real key moments in the game that I’m really pleased about.

“We’ve been thinking pretty hard about this game, it was a pretty big target for our next block. We are stoked to come away with a good win.

“I’m pretty happy with the way we defended down there at times, and our bench came on and changed the game for us.”

The Hurricanes forwards were typically dominant with hooker Asafo Aumua causing destruction out on the fringes, No 8 Braydon Iose and openside Peter Lakai carrying hard in the middle.

Iose crashed over for a try off the back the scrum, while he laid the platform for the first try for Perenara with a similar carry. Aumua had a try denied in the first half but scored another late in the second half.

The scrum dominance once again took a toll, with the Chiefs unable to stabilise their set-peice as Xavier Numia, Aumua and Tyrel Lomax put the squeeze on.

Veteran halfback TJ Perenara called this current Hurricanes pack ‘special’ and said their confidence is riding high with the best set-piece in the competition.

“Our forwards are special. They way they lay a platform for us, and our confidence to go to different set pieces around the field,” he said.

“We’ll go ‘do you want this one?’ and they’ll go ‘yeah bro, give it to us’ so we take a lot of confidence as backs, as 9s and 10s, having a forward pack that wants big moments, and wants to put an opposition team under pressure, we thrive off that.”