After seemingly denying them of victory seven days earlier, the Super Rugby gods have smiled on the Hurricanes, gifting them a nailbiting 22-21 victory over the Highlanders at Dunedin.
Last Saturday, their 24-21 loss to the Crusaders ended with captain Ardie Savea begged match officials for a penalty, claiming he was taken out of play in midair during the game's last play - a lineout on the Crusaders line.
Despite his scathing review of the referee's no-call, the result stood - but perhaps this latest result can be regarded as payback of sorts, with the contest again decided by a contentious goal-line decision in their favour.
Clinging to a three-point lead with the final siren already sounded, the Hurricanes were struggling to repulse one last foray from their opponents, barely bringing down winger Scott Gregory short of the tryline, after he had stepped Julian Savea.
As forwards poured onto the scene from all directions, Highlanders replacement prop Saula Mau picked up the ball and charged towards the line, but was also dragged down centimetres out. As more forwards piled on, the Highlanders began appealing for the try, with Mau and the ball now over the line.
The question was how did he get there?
In his first Super Rugby appointment, referee Angus Mabey referred his no-try call to video officials, who could find no evidence to overturn his initial ruling. No try, game over, Hurricanes win.
"I think that call could have gone either way," Savea told Sky Sport, a very different post-match interview to seven days earlier. "We're just grateful we got the call.
"I think we put ourselves under that pressure - we had a decent lead, but our discipline let us down and let them back in the game.
"The 'Landers never go away and we're lucky we got away today."
In truth, the Hurricanes probably should have put this game away much earlier, but they have developed a worrying trend of leaving the result of games to last-minute heroics - one way or the other. Remember Savea's last-gasp matchwinning against the Blues?
Remember their 'golden point' capitulation to Moana Pasifika?
In this case, they seemed well in control, leading 14-6 at halftime, after first-half tries to winger Salesi Rayasi and centre Bailyn Sullivan. They probably should have been further ahead, after Highlanders lock Josh Dickson was red-carded for shoulder contact to the head of Hurricanes prop Tevita Mafileo midway through the half.
But the home side enjoyed a period of dominance in the second half, when Andrew Makalio scoring a typical hooker's try from a lineout maul and lock Max Hicks - who replaced Dickson after 20 minutes - put the Highlanders up.
They still held that lead with five minutes left, when the Hurricanes sparked an attack that saw right wing Julian Savea enter the backline to give Rayasi space down the left. As he was bundled towards touch in the corner, Rayasi found Aidan Morgan in support and the replacement first-five scored the matchwinner.
The outcome leaves the Hurricanes in seventh on the combined Super Rugby Pacific table, with a trans-Tasman showdown with the Reds looming next Saturday, while the Highlanders face top Aussie side Brumbies on Sunday.
Hurricanes 22 (Sullivan, Morgan & Rayasi try, Barrett 2 conversions & penalty) Highlanders 21 (Makalio & Hicks try, Banks 3 penalties & conversion)
