Hurricanes blow away Reds to snap four-game Super run

Murray Wenzel | March 28, 2026

The Hurricanes have run rampant in Wellington to extend their dominance over the Queensland Reds and justify their top Super Rugby Pacific billing.

Reds turnovers in attack and the midfield were punished by the free-wheeling hosts in Saturday’s 52-14 win.

It was the Hurricanes’ 11th successive win over the Reds and 12th consecutive as hosts, dating back to 1998.

The bonus point result snapped a four-game Reds (4-2) winning streak and pushed the Hurricanes (5-1) further ahead at the top of the ladder.

And it left coach Les Kiss with plenty to ponder, given the fourth-placed side will need to find joy in New Zealand this season to be any hope of a top-three finish to earn a home final.

“The scoreboard is the reality of that performance,” Reds captain Fraser McReight said, admitting there would be plenty of homework ahead of next Saturday’s home clash with the Western Force. 

“We were great in that 15 minutes after conceding early points, then went against our game plan and a good team is going to hold you to it.”

Winger Fehi Fineanganofo had a hattrick inside the hour as the Hurricanes ran in eight tries, often from Reds turnovers when they were pushing for points.

A disallowed runaway Jordie Barrett try and Reds centre Isaac Henry’s juggling effort from a lineout set piece soon after created a 14-point swing that kept the Reds in it, trailing 24-14 at halftime.

But the Hurricanes, who had already rung up three 50-plus scores this season, were unrelenting.

Warner Dearns plucked a pass and surged over to complete an opportunistic play down the sideline from a loose ball from the lineout.

Then Fineanganofo iced the contest with his second and third tries in quick time, both from midfield Reds turnovers, with 20 minutes still to play.

Vernon Bason’s rolling maul try with five minutes to play brought up the half century, the hosts mixing it up in attack to carve up what has been a tidy Reds defence this season.

Hurricanes cult hero and captain Du’Plessis Kirifi was instrumental in his first start of the season after recovering from a calf injury.

The flanker was ecstatic when he pilfered to stop a near-certain Reds try when the game was already won late in the second half.

“We knew they’d be fast and physical and move us around the park … we used our shoulders to do the talking tonight,” Kirifi said.

“We want that (defence) to be a cornerstone of our game.

“We all have the ability to change the game with our shoulders, then we get the ball in hand.”

Wallabies flyhalf Tom Lynagh was unable to make an impact in his first action of the season, replacing Harry McLaughlin-Phillips after 62 minutes.