KEY POINTS:
Amid the hanky waving and eulogising there was 80 minutes of rugby at Westpac Stadium last night.
It might have been wise if the two sides had just sent their respective warriors off in style.
That would have allowed everyone to head off to the boozer on an
emotional high, knock a few back to toast soon-to-be absent friends and be in bed way before there was any danger of turning into a pumpkin.
Alas, the formalities could not be dispensed with so the crowd just had to hope somebody would take pity and deliver one little moment of something to make the time go quicker.
The Hurricanes appeared paralysed by the emotion - saying goodbye to Tana Umaga, Paul Tito, Luke Andrews and Lome Fa'atau - while the Waratahs look like a team that could be locked in a brewery wondering how they were going to have a good time.
By the second half, the Canes seemed to realise what a stinking job they were making of the grand farewell.
Jerry Collins became more involved, the set-piece was slicker and Piri Weepu began to take control.
But even then nothing ever really flowed. There was no Hurricanes derring-do of old. There was no Ma'a Nonu smashing up the guts, Umaga at his side, all flying dreadlocks and snorting testosterone.
Even the crowd could only muster a half-hearted attempt at chanting "Oh-ah-Umaga".
Maybe they, like the Waratahs, could sense that it was not going to be a night for the men in yellow.
Dean Mumm cruised over unopposed in the first half and then good fortune led to Lachie Turner and Lote Tuqiri coasting over.
It was a sweet moment for the Wallaby wing as it ended a year-long try drought.
Early in the first half, Umaga provided one last reminder of his ability to defend when he got everything behind a hit on Tuqiri and lifted the giant wing before depositing him horizontally.
The ref didn't like it and Tuqiri didn't appear to like it either. The next time he took possession he looked up, saw yellow jerseys on the advance and promptly hoofed the ball straight out.
It was proof how far Tuqiri's star has fallen in the past 12 months and his darkest days are not yet behind him.
And the Waratahs will also know that just because they won convincingly, they too have some way to go to find the promised land.
They are still a side short of a genuine playmaker at No 10 and short of imaginative, attacking flair.
This time last year, the Hurricanes and Waratahs fought out back-to-back epics to establish who would dog it out against the Crusaders for a crack at the title.
How both teams must wish they could return to that period and reconnect with their former selves.
Hurricanes 14 (J. Gopperth, J. Collins tries; P. Weepu 2 cons)
Waratahs 38 (D. Munn, L. Turner, L. Tuqiri, B. Jacobs tries; P. Hewat 3 cons, 4 pens)
