All Blacks utility Jordie Barrett has returned to inspire his short-handed Hurricanes outfit to their first win of Super Rugby Aotearoa, fending off the Chiefs 25-18 in Hamilton.
Reduced to 14 players for almost half an hour of the second half, the men from the capital defended stoutly throughout and managed to hold off a late rally from their rivals, who are still looking for their first success of the revamped competition.
The visitors rode a strong tailwind to a 20-3 halftime advantage, highlighted by Barrett's massive 58m penalty strike on the break.
He also provided the final passes for both tries from winger Kobus Van Wyk and ate up territory with his big boot to keep pressure on the Chiefs, both with and against the wind.
Van Wyk opened the scoring after just four minutes, when Ardie Savea peeled off the back of an attacking scrum and provided a massive overlap - Barrett's long pass found his wing 20m clear of any defender.
Leading 10-3 with halftime approaching, the Hurricanes probably still hadn't used the wind to full advantage, but seized control of the contest with two scoring plays in three minutes before the break.
First, Du'Plessis Kirifi dived over by the posts, after fine lead-up work from skipper Dane Coles and Savea again.
Then Barrett extended the advantage with his huge penalty goal from inside his own half.
Soon after the restart, Hurricanes lock Scott Scrafton was penalised for jumping across the lineout and drew a yellow card, as referee Ben O'Keeffe lost patience with constant offending from both sides.
As Scrafton was about to rejoin play, Van Wyk scored his second try from another Savea surge and a clever no-look backhander from Barrett. At 25-6 with 20 minutes left, the rout seemed on.
But momentum changes dramtically a few moments later, when the Hurricanes were penalsied on their own goal-line, Damian McKenzie took a quick tap from behind the mark and charged into the defence.
O'Keeffe ruled the defenders were offside, awarded the penalty try, and singled out Scrafton for his second yellow card and automatic ejection from the game.
With 16 minutes remaining, the Chiefs found a second wind, but couldn't capitalise until only three minutes remained on the clock, when Lachlan Boshier crossed to put his side within striking distance.
McKenzie missed the conversion from near touch and time ran out before the Chiefs could push for the first golden-point finish of the new local-derby format.
They now enter a bye week with no reward for their efforts over the past month, while the Hurricanes have a chance to build on their momentum, when they host the Highlanders next Sunday.
Hurricanes 25 (Van Wyk 2 & Kirifi tries; Barrett 2 conversions & 2 penalties) Chiefs 18 (Boshier try, penalty try; McKenzie 2 penalties)
