Hurricanes Use 47-24 Eden Park Form to Face Blues — Hurricanes Vs Blues

The Hurricanes vs blues semi-final in Wellington arrived with form on their side and history in hand. The top qualifiers had won 12 of 15 games in 2026, and they carried a nine-match home winning streak into Hnry Stadium.

Du’Plessis Kirifi and Peter Lakai

Du’Plessis Kirifi brushed aside the Blues’ recent slide and pointed instead to the Hurricanes’ own habits. He said, “I’m not reading too much into their recent form,” and added, “Regardless of past results, it’s about which team shows up on the night.”

Peter Lakai was set for his 50th Super Rugby match, another marker of how settled this Hurricanes group has become. Kirifi called him “a quiet man who goes about his work” and said, “His greatest qualities as a teammate and a man are his accuracy and reliability.”

Eden Park and the Blues

The Hurricanes had already handled the Blues 47-24 at Eden Park on May 16, a result that sits directly behind this meeting. The Blues came in after four straight losses and 194 points conceded in that span, but Kirifi said they had still done enough to reach the semi-final.

That previous meeting gives Wellington a clear reference point. The Hurricanes scored more than 50 points in half of their victories this season, while their last nine home matches were won by an average margin of 28 points.

Hnry Stadium Stakes

This match decided a place in the Super Rugby Pacific final, and the Hurricanes were chasing their first title since 2016. Kirifi, set for his 105th appearance, said, “We draw confidence from our form this season, but we expect the Blues to throw the kitchen sink at us.”

He added, “We know who we are and how we want to play,” and “For us, it’s about sticking to our game plan, resetting, and treating it like any other week.” The blend of experience matters too: Isaia Walker-Leawere had played 91 matches, Tyrel Lomax 73, Brayden Iose 65, and Jone Rova was the least experienced player in the squad with 14 games.

That leaves the Hurricanes with a familiar choice at home: lean on their season-long rhythm, or let the Blues turn the game into a scrap. Kirifi’s own view was plain enough, because he said experience makes it easier to regulate emotions, and this semifinal demanded exactly that.