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March 14, 2025 12 mins

The Hurricanes have put their season back on track with a determined defensive effort to sneak past the Highlanders 20-18 in Dunedin. 

It was a much-needed rearguard – the Hurricanes came into the contest last on the table with a bottom-four defence – and one led by a standout display from Du’Plessis Kirifi. 

Adam Cooper was joined by Hurricanes assistant coach Jamie Mackintosh to look back on the win, who revealed an astonishing statistic about Kirifi's game. 

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here's eleven past eight here on the ill Sport Breakfast
or Super Rugby's latest rounds began down in Dunedin last night.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Dame Is, however, and the Heartlands heartbreakingly cannot make up the.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Extra two points. The Hurricanes have won thee Bait twenty
points to eighteen. Yeah, great result for the Hurricanes. Important
win ahead of the bye week. They've jumped off the
bottom of the Super Rugby ladder. The twenty to eighteen
winners he heard there on gold Sport over the Highlanders
in Duneed and cam roy Garden, Ruben Love getting the
tries in the second half to turn around the eleven

(00:32):
eight half time deficit and of course it got pretty
tense towards the end there Highland Is fullback Sam Gilbert
missing a dropped goal I dropped goal attempt to win
at the death, also a penalty point going attempt going
astray from the Highlanders as well later on in the game. Well,
let's head to the Hurricanes camp now down in Duneda
and I'm sure a pretty happy assistant coach Jamie Macintosh

(00:53):
is with us now. Morning to you, Jamie, how's everyone
feeling after that one last night?

Speaker 3 (00:59):
You're welcome.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
It was a pretty intense last fifteen minutes, so everybody's
pretty happy with the result. But yeah, look it was
it's been a it's been a big five weeks and
heading into the buy to get that result it meant
a lot to everybody.

Speaker 3 (01:15):
So it was nice to wind down for the night and.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Get back up to round today and see the families
for the week on the bye week.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Yeah, indeed, how much work had you done on the
defense in particular following the first few rounds of the competition.

Speaker 3 (01:29):
Yeah, I think the first.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, I'm reflecting on the first block, you know, including
preseason games, and it's been seven weeks. It's been it's
been a lot of work, and you know, we've had
our challenges with different sort of you know, we've had
lots of injuries, we've had lots of all blacks coming
in late. So yeah, look, to get the result last night,
it meant you know, a lot to the team, a

(01:55):
lot of the boys, a lot to the coaching staff,
and you know, it certainly wasn't pretty at times, but
you know, to get that, you know, to get the result,
Like I've only been coaching for sort of five or
six years, but that last fifteen minutes is about as
tough as I've had it in the box, very tense,
very tight, and we're pretty pretty rapped to get away

(02:17):
with the result.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Took us through the mood of the coaching staff. When
you see Sam Gilbert take the ball and line up
a drop gold to possibly win the game later on,
how do you guys sort of process that in the
coach's box at the time.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
Well, look, I had to move out the back.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
I'm normally pretty relaxed, but yeah, just sort of yeah,
the boys were a speeder. But like everything in the
first five weeks, we managed to defend really well in
that last twenty minutes and we got a penalty and
we kicked out and we went to the line out
and we just didn't get.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
The line out quite right.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
And seventy minutes from our line, I thought, you know,
the boys can defend here in the whole on his
boys just edged their way up the field into that
sort of pealed his zone where just just I think
people at home, people at the stadium can feel just
any mistake, anything that happened, that whole result could have

(03:15):
been something different. So you know, we're certainly well aware
of that, and yeah, I think I think we're on
a few more gray hairs than we had.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Actually, yeah, I'm sure a few fans do too. But
how we got there, the result came through, and I
think most people who are watching the game will point
out Duplessi's heroics on defense, especially as you mentioned, through
that nerve wracking final ten minutes. Can you just tell
us what you made of the performance of your co
captain duple see last night.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah, I think both him and Brad have been outstanding,
but in particular, you know, DUP's just the way he
has held himself and I guess the whole preseason when
we've played, Yeah, I think he's just in a special.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
Bit of form. We so physical.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
And we always sort of probably reflect on Dupes as
the guy who makes all the tackles, can get up
on the ball and challenge on the ball. But the
way he carried the ball last night, you know, the
maturity and the way he is leading our team, speaking,
leading with his actions is something pretty special.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
So I was just wrapped for him. He worked so
hard and last night, Yeah, to get that, to.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
Get that result, it was special for the team, but
I thought it was really special for Dupes. I think
he's had an incredible start to Super Rugby and I
couldn't be happy for him.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
And I know it's early in the season and it's
probably not the forefront of his mind, but how close
do you think he is from getting a NOD and
the All Blacks later in the year.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, so it's a heart runner. It's like having your
own kids, you know, you see the best of them.
But I don't think there won we be too many
people not turn the heads of what he's doing at
the moment. And yeah, I think I just straight back
and reflect on what I said before, is not only
is he playing because he's always been a fantastic player,

(05:10):
learn is he like just really dominating his ear on
the field.

Speaker 3 (05:13):
But.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
His leadership, as I said, the way he's interacting with
both referees, with the media, with our players, he's been
very inspiring and he's Yeah, we couldn't be happy.

Speaker 3 (05:28):
With him as a coaching group. And last night it
was a pretty special performance.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
As you said, I think we we're our mouthguards, which
ping off with our contacts last night and said and
touring the class last night, I think Dukes's mouthguard had
had over one hundred contacts in the game of rugby,
which has almost never been seen before in a SEVERER game.
So it's pretty special.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
Wow, that's incredible what that has. That's that's remarkable, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
Well, when you think tackling, cleaning, rucks, mowing, you put
that all together, it's a pretty freakish number. And yeah,
just as I said, I think it's a testament to
how much he's actually just giving his giving his mind,
body and soul to the group at the moment. And
certainly boys can see that and feel that. So no,

(06:20):
as I said, if I was in the All Black side, yeah,
he'd have to be in the frame. But I think
Duch is just in a really nice spot in his
life where he's really settled and playing good rugby. And
I guess if he keeps performing b that then he'll
get where he wants to be.

Speaker 1 (06:40):
I think absolutely other areas of the park, Jamie, and
you're sort of one of your areas of expertise is
the front row. And obviously we welcome back to the
All Black pair of Tyrol Lomax and a suffer More
last night. I think you could see the scrums immediately
improved for the Hurricanes where when those two came on,
did you get exactly what you wanted out of that
pair upon their return?

Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yeah, Look, it's been a.

Speaker 2 (07:03):
Been a really big challenge for the team and the
coaching group from one year to the next.

Speaker 3 (07:08):
I think last year, we you know, we almost had
thirty six guys.

Speaker 2 (07:13):
Training together for ten weeks and the only people who
were in in our.

Speaker 3 (07:16):
Squad and the build up with Jordi.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
And Lowie, and you know, this year it's a completely
different ball game. You know, we're fortunate enough to have
a lot more all blacks, but yeah, look we've been
undred under Andrew Cloud and certainly up front. But yeah,
I'm just reflected as a coach before I talked around

(07:38):
the software Lowey coming back. There's been some pretty special,
I guess starts of the season for people in our
front row.

Speaker 3 (07:48):
You look at like a guy.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Like Davida Muffalao playing his fiftieth game, last star up
to the Oar against you know, he's really taking control
of our tight hair jersey and played really well.

Speaker 3 (08:01):
But you know, it was nice seeing those boys come on.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
They're a messive part of our team, and you know,
I think with about thirty minutes ago. We managed to
make some subs that looked like a sophomore Torello Max
as the walker and Brady's all.

Speaker 3 (08:19):
To come on at the same time, and I think
it was a.

Speaker 2 (08:21):
Real momentum shift for us as a team, and to
get that for us at a scrumpenalty was nice. And
I think oh Lwy and Sastra blowing a little bit,
so yeah, it's not easy coming back in the front
row and pushing and running, so I think they were
feeling after game.

Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah, But in the game itself, some of the kicking.
I guess a few fans might might have seen some
of the the end game kicks from Harry Godfrey and
Rubert Love. Did you have feel the side got what
you wanted from the kicking for territory through the game.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
Yeah, it's a tough one. It seems to be.

Speaker 2 (08:56):
You know, if you're watching Rugby Super Augby in depth
that you know if you're defending, it seems to be
very easy to give away penalities currently you know where
and and it's critical that you play in the right
bit of the field, and it's critical that you know
you really make good decisions on defense. So I think

(09:18):
last night. You know, some of that kicking, you know,
wasn't where we wanted it to be.

Speaker 3 (09:24):
But yeah, it's such an important bit of the game.

Speaker 2 (09:29):
You know, we want to be able to create, you know,
create some opportunities with the born hand.

Speaker 3 (09:34):
We want to be able to create some opportunities and
score tries.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
But unfortunately, if you get it wrong in your bit
of the field, it just looks like you're stacking up
penalties on top of penalities. So yeah, there's something that
we've been working.

Speaker 3 (09:48):
Really hard on around where we play.

Speaker 2 (09:50):
And you know, it looked like last night at times
we were just throwing the wall back to Harry and saying,
can you please get us out of here? So there's
the there's a lot that goes into exiting and rugby.
You know, you've got half backs, you've got tens, you've
got wingers, you've got forwards that have got a responsibility
to create a platform or.

Speaker 3 (10:09):
Something to get us out of there.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
And at times it did look a little bit frustrating
around how we were kicking. But yeah, look, it was
certainly a plan not to play too much rugby in
our half.

Speaker 1 (10:23):
Yeah, indeed, and just for you go Jamie, you mentioned
that it's now time for everyone to get back to family,
enjoy a bit of a breather for the bye week.
But just in the context of the season, given some
of the results earlier on in the campaign, how important
was it heading down there and getting the win tonight,
no matter what fashion it came in.

Speaker 3 (10:41):
Yeah. Huge.

Speaker 2 (10:43):
You know, it's a tough hole on this team that
have been training physically very hard, always in the front
end of the season.

Speaker 3 (10:51):
In battle, harder than ready to go. But yeah, as
I said, I.

Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah them in coaching for a long time, five or
six years. But the feeling that we had in the
box more for the amount of effort that the boys
are putting in and we probably and we still haven't
clicked and by no means, but the many effort that
went into our week last week after a really disappointing
performance against Marnel, it was just it was special, just

(11:20):
for the boys to create a bit of belief and
a bit of trust in each other. And yeah, as coaches,
as players, we're els at all one where just.

Speaker 3 (11:31):
Delighted that we got the result.

Speaker 2 (11:32):
We could have gone the other way at the end,
and we're all well aware of that. But yeah, I
can't wait to have the week off and spend the
time with the family and debrief and then get back
into it against Warrior Cars in about two weeks time.

Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, brilliant, Well Jamie, Safe travels back home. Huge congratulations
to the team for a hard fought went after a
tough week. I'm sure so ready. Appreciate your time and
your analysis. Love that duples kfi stat that'll be talked
about a bit through the week, I think, so. Have
a great weekend, mate, Appreciate your time.

Speaker 3 (12:00):
Well.

Speaker 2 (12:01):
The yeah, the stead had coming out on the team,
remember at about one o'clock, so I'll reconfirm it and
you can give me a ring.

Speaker 1 (12:07):
Bit brilliant Jamie. Appreciate your time, mate, Safe travel time.
Hear Matte Catcher Jamie McIntosh, their assistant coach of the Hurricane.
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