Hurricanes Hit by First Five Crisis After Cameron’s Knee Injury in Dominant Season Opener
The Wellington Hurricanes have been dealt a significant blow to their fly-half stocks just one game into the Super Rugby Pacific season, with first-five Brett Cameron stretchered off with a serious knee injury during their commanding 52-10 victory over Moana Pasifika. The win, which saw wingers Josh Moorby and Fihe Fineanganofo cross for a combined five tries, was otherwise a resounding statement of intent from the Hurricanes.
Moorby, making a welcome return to the side, was in scintillating form, bagging a hat-trick within the first 43 minutes. Teammate Fineanganofo also contributed a brace of tries, showcasing the attacking prowess that has the Hurricanes looking formidable. Moana Pasifika, who had arrived in Wellington with confidence following a 40-26 win against Fijian Drua, were brought crashing back to reality in a sobering performance.
The Hurricanes’ preparations were already disrupted with incumbent first-five Ruben Love ruled out due to a training injury, expected to sideline the All Blacks playmaker for an estimated four to six weeks. Cameron, 29, was thus handed the No. 10 jersey at Sky Stadium. However, his tenure in the crucial position was cut short in the 23rd minute when he sustained a knee injury while attempting to tackle Moana midfielder Faletoi Peni following a scrum.
Despite an initial attempt to play on, Cameron was clearly in distress and unable to put weight on his right leg. The severity of the injury became immediately apparent, and play was halted for several minutes as medical staff attended to him. He was eventually carried from the field, a particularly cruel blow for a player who missed a significant portion of the previous season with a ruptured ACL.
Head coach Clark Laidlaw confirmed post-match that the injury was to the opposite leg of his previous ACL tear. Cameron was en route to hospital for further assessment and treatment.
Navigating the Fly-Half Void
The Hurricanes’ lack of a specialist No. 10 on the bench presented an immediate challenge. In Cameron’s absence, fullback Callum Harkin was shifted into first-five, with Billy Proctor coming on to cover the midfield.
A Dominant Performance Marred by Injury
The Hurricanes were already asserting their dominance when Cameron’s injury occurred. Fineanganofo opened the scoring with a sweeping scrum move, finishing in the corner thanks to a final pass from Cameron. However, it was Moana Pasifika who had initially stunned the home crowd, with Tuna Tuitama chipping over Harkin within the opening five minutes to give the visitors a surprise lead.
After a somewhat shaky start, which included a couple of early lineout fumbles from debutant lock Warner Dearns, the Hurricanes found their rhythm and established a commanding 24-5 lead by the half-hour mark.
Fineanganofo demonstrated exceptional unselfishness in the 29th minute, opting to feed Moorby on the try line rather than crossing himself for what would have been a first-half hat-trick. This decision proved beneficial as Moorby struck again early in the second half, racing under the posts after a strong midfield break from Bailyn Sullivan.
Late Tries Seal Emphatic Victory
Number eight Brayden Iose added two tries to the Hurricanes’ tally in the closing stages. His first came from a simple overlap, exploiting Moana’s stretched defence while replacement William Havili was receiving treatment for a neck injury sustained in an awkward collision.
Iose’s second try was a standout moment of the match. He received an offload from Dearns and showcased blistering pace, sprinting 45 metres to score. Proctor rounded off the comprehensive victory with a try at fulltime, propelling the Hurricanes to the top of the Super Rugby Pacific table after the opening round. However, this dominant performance was undeniably overshadowed by the significant cost of losing their key playmaker to injury.
