Nonu sees red for Hurricanes
All Blacks centre Ma'a Nonu was sent-off as the Hurricanes started the new Super Rugby season with a 14-9 defeat to the Highlanders.
By Tony Curtis
Last Updated: 18/02/11 9:33am
All Blacks centre Ma'a Nonu was sent-off as the Hurricanes started the new Super Rugby season with a 14-9 defeat to the Highlanders.
Nonu had been sin-binned by referee Stu Dickinson in the first half following repeated infringements by the Hurricanes.
And Nonu was then shown a second yellow - and a subsequent red - after a shoulder charge on Jimmy Cowan ten minutes after the break.
Nonu's dismissal was the main talking part of an error-strewn and disappointing encounter at the Westpac Stadium.
Lima Sopoaga scored the only try of the game, with the 20-year-old fly-half also adding two penalties from six attempts, while his replacement Robbie Robinson also added three points.
Pleased
Sopoaga's try came after 19 minutes and followed a great run from Cowan after good line-out ball off the top. Cowan glided away from Jack Lam and Andrew Hore before popping the pass to Sopoaga.
Aaron Cruden replied with three penalties of his own for the Hurricanes but the home side couldn't break the Highlanders defence.
And despite being pleased with the win, Highlanders captain Jamie McIntosh felt his side should made more of their extra-man advantage.
"We should have closed it out after Ma'a was sent to the bin," McIntosh said.
"We made hard work of it, but that's character-building I suppose."
Hurricanes captain Andrew Hore felt the dismissal of Nonu had been pivotal.
"You try and play a team with 14 men for 30 minutes and make that many mistakes and you're never going to win a game," Hore said.
