The Chiefs rallied from 26-7 down at halftime to beat the Hurricanes 35-29, ending an 11-match losing streak in Super Rugby’s New Zealand competition.
The Hurricanes scored four tries to one in a dominant first half, then managed only a single long-range penalty to fullback Jordie Barrett in a second half in which the Chiefs scored four tries.
Barrett’s penalty, from a wide-angle near halfway, gave the Hurricanes a 29-28 lead with seven minutes remaining. But backrower Luke Jacobson crashed over three minutes later for the match-winning try, converted by fullback Damian McKenzie who was influential in the Chiefs’ second-half revival.
Scrumhalf Luke Campbell scored for the Hurricanes in what proved to be flurry of tries from the 11th to the 16th minutes of the first half.
The Chiefs hit back quickly through Kaleb Trask, then the Hurricanes scored again through hooker Ricky Riccitelli to take a lead which endured well into the second half.