The weather gods came to the Hurricanes' party in force, the strong winds, the worst of the season, contributing to a plethora of Chiefs mistakes, aiding the home team as they secured their second Super Rugby title, their first in 2016.
For the Chiefs, it was their fourth consecutive final loss.
It was the most emphatic final result in the 30-year history of Super Rugby. The 55-point margin was the greatest in those 30 seasons, and it was the second time the Chiefs had 60 points posted against them in a final. The first was their 60-17 loss to the Bulls in 2019, the second-highest margin in the competition.
The Hurricanes also had wing Fehi Fineanganofo claim his 17th try of the season, the competition record. For a few moments, his fellow wing Josh Moorby was a joint record holder on 16 tries after he scored the opening try six minutes into the game, then he scored a second to claim a joint share of the record. As a team, they smashed the competition try-scoring record in a season with 114 tries.
And Hurricanes' first five-eighths, Ruben Love, seemed undaunted by the conditions, unleashing a man-of-the-match performance with two tries, six conversions and a penalty goal.
Gale-force wind in Wellington made its presence felt from the outset, and both sides struggled as passes died and kicks flew behind them until they got the measure of the conditions.
It was a game overflowing with movement, with 361 tackles attempted, 193 by the Chiefs, who had the misfortune to miss 54, compared to 28 by the Hurricanes in their 168 attempts.
It was a fifth-minute chargedown of first five-eighths Damian McKenzie's kick that created the first scoring chance, a Hurricanes scrum feed five metres from the line, which, after drives into the Chiefs’ defence by second five-eighths Jordie Barrett and flanker Devan Flanders, saw a long ball from halfback Cam Roigard allow wing Josh Moorby to score.
The wind played havoc again, at the restart, with the ball blown into the in-goal, resulting in a scrum back on halfway. The Chiefs in ensuing play produced two strong breaks by flanker Samipeni Finau and wing Kyren Taumoefolau, but they couldn’t build on them.
By comparison, the Hurricanes used their chances more effectively. That was evident when first five-eighths Ruben Love put a grubber kick through, only to have it rebound off a Chiefs player for Roigard to pick up and get it to Love, who broke a tackle and ran in a 13th-minute try.
Ten minutes later, Fineanganofo broke the try-scoring record after early impetus was created by No8 Peter Lakai and Love, whose pass to fullback Callum Harkin allowed him to feed his wing into space to score.
Fate was better for the Chiefs over the next 15 minutes as they put together their phase game, allowing them to mount two strong surges at the Hurricanes’ line. But they couldn’t break down the defence.
Inevitably, the home team absorbed the pressure, and when hooker Asafo Aumua launched a strong burst into the Chiefs’ 22m, the resulting momentum took play across the goalmouth, where Barrett took it to the line and, while held by two tacklers, slipped a pass to fullback Callum Harkin, who scored.
Then, to add pain to the punishment, a scrum penalty conceded on halfway allowed Love to blast a 50m penalty goal to give the Hurricanes a 29-0 half-time lead.
If the Chiefs wanted to put their scrum power to work to try and whittle back the points margin, they suffered a scrum collapse on halfway. Moving the ball through the line, Love doubled his around his centres to create an extra man, step past the defence and give Moorby the time and space to join Fineanganofo with a share of the try-scoring record.
The pace did not lessen, and four minutes later, superb set-up work by Aumua carried the Hurricanes forward again. The ball was moved through the line, and Harken slipped a short pass to flanker Devan Flanders outside him, who ran in for the try from 25m out.
In the 53rd minute, Roigard slipped a low kick into the Chiefs’ 22. McKenzie got to the ball but slipped and was swamped by rampant Hurricanes forwards. From the resulting goal-line mauls, Fineanganofo stood in at halfback to pass to Barrett, whose running line crunched through the defence to score.
Lakai boosted his All Blacks’ squad hopes in the 65th minute when getting his hands on the ball deep in the Hurricanes’ half, taking a gap and sprinting 50m downfield and in the resulting play, Love got the ball on the sideline to dive over a defender to get the ball down in the corner.
Replacement lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi got a consolation try for the Chiefs, but more Moorby set-up work created a chance for Hurricanes replacement Jone Rova to score the final try.
Scorers: Hurricanes 60 (Josh Moorby 2, Ruben Love 2, Fehi Fineanganofo, Callum Harkin, Devan Flanders, Jordie Barrett, Jone Rova tries; Love 6 con, pen) Chiefs 5 (Naitoa Ah Kuoi try). HT: 29-0