Hurricanes shatter Moana dreams and send Blues into Super Rugby playoffs

SYDNEY - The Wellington Hurricanes shattered Moana Pasifikas dreams of a maiden Super Rugby Pacific playoff campaign with a crushing 64-12 victory on Saturday that sent the defending champion Auckland Blues into next weeks quarter-finals instead.

The Hurricanes cemented fourth place in the final standings and will travel to Canberra next Saturday to play the ACT Brumbies, while the Blues, who earlier beat the New South Wales Waratahs 46-6, will visit the table-topping Waikato Chiefs.

In the other playoff, the 12-times champion Canterbury Crusaders will host Queensland Reds, who concluded the regular season on Saturday night with a 52-7 win over Fijian Drua on the back of four first-half tries from winger Lachie Anderson.

Moana had hoped to be there too on the back of a breakout season but even redoubtable skipper Ardie Savea was unable to inspire them to the bonus-point victory they needed to edge out the Blues and claim the sixth and last playoff spot.

Number eight Semisi Tupou Taeiloa gave Moana the perfect start at Wellington Stadium with a try after six minutes but Hurricanes were 14-7 up before a quarter of an hour had expired.

Hooker Jacob Devery went over on the back of a rolling maul before flanker Devan Flanders showed his footballing skills with a chip and chase for the second try.

Savea grabbed a couple of turnovers but it only delayed the inevitable as Hurricanes scrumhalf Cam Roigard went over from an intercept and centre Peter Umaga-Jensen rampaged through the Moana defence to give the home side a 28-7 halftime lead.

Umaga-Jensen barged over for his second try 10 minutes after the break before Raymond Tuputupu, Pouri Rakete-Stones, Billy Proctor, Ereatara Enari and Tjay Clarke completed the 10-try rout.

Really pleasing, not only that we got the result, but that we played