Rugby: Hurricanes entertain in seeing off Stormers

Conrad Smith tries to brush past a Stormers tackler. Photo / Getty Images.

The Hurricanes huffed and puffed before blowing down the Super 14 rugby house of the Stormers.

The Hurricanes won a willing contest 34-11 in the capital after at one stage appearing as if they only needed to look at a Stormer player for him to fall over injured.

The South African franchise lost prop Brian Mujati to injury this morning, while captain and world class second five-eighth Jean de Villiers lasted all of six minutes before a left knee injury forced him from the field.

It was a continuation of a series of injuries to hit the Stormers this season and explains their placing of 11th on 15 points entering tonight's game.

De Villiers' replacement, Dylan Des Fountain made an immediate impression by scoring the game's opening try in the eighth minute after the Hurricanes were slow out of the blocks following a chip kick, allowing the substitute to toe the ball ahead to the line.

Thereafter the Hurricanes began to assert themselves as they spread the ball wide to counter the Stormers' tight defence around the fringes and in the midfield.

A break by winger Davis Smith led to lock Jeremy Thrush having a stroll to the line following the linking work of halfback Alby Mathewson.

Thrush should have been in again within minutes but failed to grasp the final pass from Conrad Smith after the All Blacks centre cut back on the angle to find a huge hole inside the 22.

The Hurricanes extended their lead seven minutes out from halftime when a long, floating pass from second five-eighth Ma'a Nonu left right wing Tamati Ellison unopposed near the touchline.

After showing an adventurous spirit early on the Stormers began to fray around the edges, struggling to keep up with the home team in the possession stakes, and their only other reward in the opening 40 minutes was a penalty to first-five Peter Grant.

His opposite Willie Ripia eased the Hurricanes out to 20-8 within minutes of the restart then Grant returned in kind before Nonu put the result beyond doubt.

The bullocking second-five ran off fullback Corey Jane for a fine try, instigated by the fullback who collected a kick on the first bounce before beating two men in s earing, straight burst.

Nonu then made it a double for the evening with a short range effort when he cut inside then stepped off the right foot to find a hole.

That try, with 15 minutes remaining, sealed a bonus point for the Hurricanes but the game then lost its shape and the intensity levels dropped off as the errors increased.

It was the Hurricanes' sixth win in nine outings and they continue to press strongly to break into the top four.

- NZPA