The comprehensive scoreline seemed unthinkable when the Hurricanes raced into a 17-0 lead inside 15 minutes but the Rebels forwards built a platform and, roared on by a 16,809 strong Rebel Army, outscored their opposition six tries to four.
The Rebels forwards, who collectedly dominated the game, scored four tries between them. Debutant, Rodney Blake, scored the first, Al Campbell scored twice, with Michael Lipman also crossing. Copper Vuna and Nick Phipps collected the other 5-pointers, with an uncharacteristically inaccurate Danny Cipriani kicking 12 points.
The first half started with a blur and saw the Hurricanes three tries up before everyone had taken their seats.
Scrumhalf Chris Eaton got things up and running after just six minutes. He was fed by Conrad Smith down the Hurricanes’ left but the opportunity came from a cheap Rebels turnover just inside their own 22.
5-0 quickly became 10-0 when Victor Vito’s barnstorming run took him through, and at times over, the Rebels’ midfield into the same left corner that Eaton found earlier. The only good news for the Rebels in the opening quarter was that Daniel Kirkpatrick did not have his kicking boots on, missing both early conversions.
Fortunately for the Hurricane’s five-eighth, he was wearing his running boots. After 17 minutes he waltzed through a broken Rebels defence to score the New Zealanders’ third try. The 22-year-old added the extras from in front of the posts.
The Rebels inched back into the match on 24 minutes, with their first meaningful attack. After finally building a series of attacking phases, debutant Rodney Blake drilled his way over from close range. The TMO was called upon to adjudicate with the grounding but the big Wallaby prop would not be denied his five points. Danny Cipriani’s extras pushed the Rebels closer to parity.
A Kirkpatrick penalty seemed to have quashed any hopes of the Rebels shifting the momentum their way but the determined Rebels pack would not be denied. Another dominant spell of forward possession resulted in a ferocious tussle on the edge of the Hurricane’s line. As each Rebel joined the maul they forced the ball forward before Al Campbell finally peeled off and touched down, with the aid of the supporting Hugh Pyle.
To a man, the Rebels seemed to grow in confidence, and a minute before halftime the third Rebel forward crossed. It was the returning Michael Lipman who went over for the score to drive the Rebels squarely back into the contest.
Cipriani missed both conversions but struck an imperious 49-metre penalty on the halftime siren to take the sides to the break level at 20-20.
Incredibly, after being so far behind so early, another 40-metre plus Cipriani penalty gave the Rebels the lead.
Even more incredibly, Al Campbell scored his second try of the night on 49 minutes, converted by Cipriani, to give the Rebels a 10-point lead and a four-try bonus point. The Rebels pack, which had dominated the opening of the second half went on drive after drive en route to the Hurricane’s line and after first Lachlan Mitchell, then Stirling Mortlock looked destined to score, it fell to the big second-rower to haul himself over the line and the TMO to confirm the score.
The Rebels, rampant now, extended their lead further. A clinical counter-attack, led by the incisive Phipps resulted in Cooper Vuna one-on-one with Ma’a Nonu on the left wing and the former NRL star did not stand on ceremony as he straightened to score.
Cipriani missed the extras, and then a long-range penalty, but they were quickly forgotten as the Rebels notched their sixth try of the night. Cooper Vuna was again at the heart of it; his bulldozing run close to the left whitewash created space inside for Nick Phipps, who Vuna found with a terrific looping pass. The young scrumhalf did the rest, with Cipriani converting to stretch the lead out to 22 points.
The Hurricanes threw everything they could at the Rebels thereafter but the home side held firm until the 78th minute when reserve hooker, Dane Coles earned the Wellington-based side a bonus point.
The Rebels would not be denied though and the AAMI Park crowd went wild as the home side made it two wins from their opening six rounds.
RaboDirect Rebels
1. Rodney Blake, 2. Ged Robinson, 3. Greg Somerville, 4. Alister Campbell, 5. Hugh Pyles, 6. Jarrod Saffy, 7. Michael Lipman, 8. Gareth Delve (vc), 9. Nick Phipps, 10. Danny Cipriani, 11. Cooper Vuna, 12. Stirling Mortlock (c), 13. Lachlan Mitchell, 14. Luke Rooney, 15. Richard Kingi
Reserves: 16. Luke Holmes, 17. Laurie Weeks, 18. Adam Byrnes, 19. Tim Davidson, 20. JP Du Plessis, 21. Peter Betham, 22. Afusipa Taumoepeau
Head Coach: Rod Macqueen
Hurricanes
1.John Schwalger, 2. Andrew Hore (c), 3. Neemia Tialata, 4. Jeremy Thrush, 5. Jason Eaton, 6. Faifili Levave, 7. Jack Lam, 8. Victor Vito, 9. Chris Eaton, 10. Daniel Kirkpatrick, 11. Andre Taylor, 12. Ma’a Nonu, 13. Conrad Smith, 14. Julian Savea, 15. Cory Jane.
Reserves: 16. Dane Coles, 17. Anthony Perenise, 18. James Broadhurst, 19. Serge Lilo, 20. Tyson Keats, 21. Aaron Cruden, 22. Jayden Hayward.
Head Coach: Mark Hammett
Referee: Jaco Peyper
RaboDirect Rebels v Hurricanes
7.40pm, March 25 2011
AAMI Park
Report with thanks to our friends in the Rebels Media Unit.
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