By Jim Kayes
It was Neemia Tialata who led the Hurricanes out, his 100th super game overshadowed this week by the sacking of skipper Andrew Hore and All Blacks collegaue Ma'a Nonu.
“The emphasis was on Neyza. We didn't want to take the lime light out of that. Myself and Horey apologised to him for creating that fiasco,” Nonu says.
Fiasco neatly describes how the Hurricanes started the match, Stephen Donald added three valuable points on top of a converted Chiefs try before Hore showed how hard he is to stop close to the line.
But a typical Hurricanes brain fade on attack finished with a Chiefs try. The Chiefs led 15-5 at the break till the Hurricanes showed how much their injury hit All Black backs have been missed.
Losing Richard Kahui didn't help the Chiefs as the Hurricanes mounted a comeback, soon drawing level. They were still even as the hooter sounded, a stray arm preventing a Chiefs injury time win. The Hurricanes were happy to take the draw.
“There were a few boos but it was too close a game and too special a game for [Tialata] to throw it away and let them win,
“It's obviously been well documented what the team's been through this week and it proves there that for the 22 players or the 22 on the field, the Hurricanes jersey, it still means something to them,” Hore says.
They have one more chance to show that, against the Crusaders next Saturday.
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