Brett Cameron's late penalty has guided the Hurricanes past the Chiefs 20-17 at Hamilton and back atop the Super Rugby Pacific table in the penultimate week of the regular season.
Despite playing 20 minutes shorthanded, the visitors led 14-0, but had to withstand a strong comeback from their rivals after the break, with Chiefs first-five Damian McKenzie levelled the contest 17-17 with 10 minutes remaining.
The Hurricanes came close to a matchwinning try, ruled out for a knockon, but had their chance to snatch victory, when Chiefs captain Luke Jacobson was penalised at a midfield ruck and Cameron slotted the decisive kick at goal from 40 metres out.
The result sees them sneak past the Blues and one point clear at the top, with the Aucklanders due to visit the champion Crusaders on Saturday.
The Hurricanes lost hooker Raymond Tuputupu to a yellow card, after head contact on Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa'i, who also left briefly for a concussion check, but McKenzie hooked his penalty attempt wide.
Already short in the No.2 jersey, the visitors lost Tuputupu for good, when his card was upgraded to red, but were also forced to send No.8 Brayden Iose to the sideline, to keep their front row intact.
Despite that setback, the Hurricanes scored first, when flanker Peter Lakai put prop Xavier Numia through space, and he rumbled 30 metres to the tryline, with a little closing impetus from second-five Jordie Barrett.
The contest became 14v14 momentarily, when Chiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier was carded for a professional foul, as he seemed to trip halfback TJ Perenara, before Iose restored the Hurricanes to full complement.
The Chiefs were unable to capitalise on almost 20 minutes with an extra man and had, in fact, conceded a converted try to their shorthanded opponents.
Now with the numerical advantage, the Hurricanes almost stretched their lead when winger Josh Moorby dived for the corner, but had his foot on the touchline. Moments later, they ran a set move off a lineout, with Iose freeing Moorby and Barrett running off his shoulder to score.
After the halftime siren, Barrett hit the upright with a penalty attempt from well inside his own half and his team headed to the sheds 14-0 up.
The home side needed to score next and struck from the restart, when midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown sent winger Emoni Narawa away for a try to get them back in the contest.
Cameron restored a double-figure margin for the Hurricanes with a penalty, but winger Kini Naholo was yellow-carded for cynical offside at a ruck, after Narawa broke over halfway.
This time, the Chiefs took instant advantage, when replacement loose forward Wallace Sititi broke a lineout-maul to score. With 10 minutes remaining, the Hurricanes clung to a three-point lead, but McKenzie erased that with a penalty, setting up a tense finish.
Naholo returned and appeared to win the scramble for a loose ball over the tryline, but replays showed replacement halfback Richard Judd had knocked on in the pursuit.
The Chiefs cleared the ball, but conceded a midfield ruck penalty and Cameron slotted the winner, with Jacobson furiously remonstrating his innocence to referee Paul Williams.
In front of a parochial crowd of 22,000, the victory broke a four-year losing run for the Hurricanes at FMG Stadium.
"So special, it's such a tough place to come and win, and we were up against a formidable Chiefs side," reflected captain Barrett. "We gave ourselves a buffer at halftime and we knew there'd be a response.
"We fell over the line in the end."
The Blues can regain the competition lead with a bonus point against the Crusaders, with the Hurricanes scheduled to visit the Highlanders next Saturday.
The Chiefs will host a quarter-final, but would now need some upsets to host a semi. They wrap up their regular season against the Blues next Saturday.
Hurricanes 20 (Numia & Barrett tries; Cameron 2 conversions & 2 penalties) Chiefs 17 (Narawa, Sititi tries; McKenzie 2 conversions & penalty)
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