Much of the pre-match talk was of how big the Stormers' pack was, and they certainly drained the home forwards of energy. The Hurricanes backs could get little productive going, though Ngani Laumape's brace raised him to 11 for the season, leading the competition.
As it was, the Beauden Barrett cross-kick was again the Hurricanes' most potent attacking weapon, yielding three first half tries and one in the second, in the process exposing the short Stormers' backline defence line.
Jordie Barrett struggled off the tee, but scored two tries and showed his full array of skills, which included stripping Stormers' flanker Nizaam Carr of the ball for a bizarre try in the in-goal. Maybe now is the time, however, to hand back the tee to older brother.
Similarly impressive was Brad Shields. If Shields is not featuring in All Blacks loose forward conversations, then he should be. The industrious No 6 powered through the work and was a sought after presence at No 2 in the lineout as the Hurricanes looked good for patches of the first half before falling off their game. He also played a small but important part in the first try, to right wing Cory Jane, charging down a clearance and tapping the ball onto second five Laumape. However, he did cop a second stanza yellow card for collapsing a Stormers' maul. But with injuries to Kieran Read and Jerome Kaino, Shields is keeping his name out there.
Next Saturday the Hurricanes travel to Christchurch to face the Crusaders, while the Stormers, still well atop the Africa 1 conference, will lick their wounds and regroup on the bye week.
Hurricanes 41 (Jordie Barrett 2, Ngani Laumape 2, Cory Jane, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett tries; J. Barrett 3 con)
Stormers 22 (Ramone Samuels try; Robert du Preez con, pen; SP Marais 4 pen)
HT: 22-16
