Hurricanes 33 Chiefs 27
At a time when they will take all the positives they can, the All Black coaches will have been delighted to see Ma'a Nonu emerge as the hero last night.
With the Hurricanes forced into catch-up rugby - forced into digging as deep as they have all season - they
needed something magic to get past the surprisingly resilient Chiefs.
That magic something was Nonu. His two tries were everything to the Hurricanes, especially his second four minutes from time which nudged the hosts a point in front.
It was a try the collective effort deserved. As harsh as defeat was on the Chiefs, who made a brave bid to win on the back of a first-half blitz that saw them lead 24-8 after 25 minutes, the Hurricanes played the kind of football that merited victory.
Having gone so far behind, they had to do it the hard way. Catch-up rugby is risky but the Hurricanes pulled it off and this win will have done huge amounts for their confidence.
The final 20 minutes were about the most tense and feisty witnessed this season. There was some venom in the close exchanges - that's what mate versus mate brings. And there was some real skill to the way the Chiefs operated at the tackled ball.
They were all over it - so much so, it was like the old days. Remember them, when pesky loose forwards foraged for the ball and made life difficult for opponents?
That brought the best out of the Hurricanes - no one shining more than Nonu. While some senior All Blacks have stayed in third gear, Nonu has come alive at just the right time. He was the critical point of attack for the Hurricanes, using his power and fend to take the ball behind enemy lines.
It's such a huge weapon to have a player who can smash the second and third tackles and Nonu's try on the cusp of halftime was the one that restored faith that it was still game-on.
Having found themselves a long way behind, the Hurricanes needed heroes and they got one with Nonu. He was so effective last night because he hit the ball at pace. When he has momentum before the gain line, he's lethal, especially when the man marking him was the talented but relatively slight Jackson Willison.
Nonu wasn't the only senior player to come good. Andrew Hore is one of the few New Zealand forwards who battles that vital half-second to stay on his feet. His real value is his ability to hit a dynamic drive and keep the ball off the floor so those coming in behind can latch on in similarly good positions.
Hore also brings a self-assured composure. The Hurricanes stayed cool while other teams may have felt the angst of being so far behind. And the value of that was immeasurable.
Leadership is the buzz word most readily abused by coaches but Hore really gives it. He's not a shouter or a gesticulator - just a tough, old dog who reeks of old-school values.
It's easy to see the Hurricanes now as the best-placed of the New Zealand teams to make the playoffs. But there are a few things they will want to fix up before they feel overly confident about fulfilling that destiny.
Their lineout was far from convincing and hasn't been all year. They were also easily counter-rucked on too many occasions. The Chiefs were aggressive coming into the contact zone and did well to put bodies in front of the ball and secure an unusually high number of turnovers.
Liam Messam was also able to expertly work his way into the centre of the Hurricanes' driving maul on a few occasions and pilfer ball he had no business being anywhere near.
Some of their first-up tackling needs to be better, too, with Tim Nanai-Williams able to make some great gains with his thrilling step. Still, the Hurricanes are alive and for now, that's all that matters.
Hurricanes 33 (C. Jane, M. Nonu 2, N. Tialata tries; A. Cruden 2 pens; P. Weepu pen, con), Chiefs 27 (J. Willison, S. Taumalolo, T. Nanai-Williams, L. Messam tries; C. Bruce 2 cons, pen).
