A wrap-up of all Saturday's Super rugby action as the Hurricanes had to work hard to claim a victory over the Stormers in Wellington, the Lions beat the Sunwolves in Singapore and the Chiefs claim their first win of the season as they demolish the Bulls.
Hurricanes 34-28 Stormers
Winger Wes Goosen scored two second-half tries and Beauden Barrett contributed 14 points as the Hurricanes rallied to beat the Stormers 34-28 in Super Rugby on Saturday.
The match presented a stark contrast in styles between the Hurricanes who lacked a reliable set-piece and tried to play the game at pace and the Stormers who sought to slow play and control possession through its powerful forward pack.
The Hurricanes finally emerged on top, snatching the lead with a try to Barrett 10 minutes from full time and outscoring the Stormers by five tries to three.
The Stormers turned repeatedly to their rolling maul which brought them tries but deserted them in the final minutes of the match when they had territory and repeated opportunities to score.
A penalty against the Stormers as they tried to set a lineout drive in the final moments of the match decided a close contest in the Hurricanes' favor. They were able to hold the ball for the last three minutes and run out the clock.
Sunwolves 24-37 Lions
The Lions heaped more misery on the Sunwolves with a comfortable 37-24 victory at Singapore's National Stadium on Saturday, a day after it was announced the Japanese side would be cut from Super Rugby after the 2020 season.
Hooker Malcolm Marx scored a first-half brace as the Lions led 12-7 at the break, while Nic Groom, Elton Jantjies, Lionel Mapoe and Hacjivah Dayimani all crossed in the second half for the Johannesburg-based side.
Rahboni Warren Vosayaco managed to muster two second-half scores for the Sunwolves to add to an early penalty try, but the performance brought little optimism for rugby in Japan as the nation prepares to showcase its development in the sport as hosts of the World Cup.
Sharks 28-14 Rebels
Fly-half Robert du Preez scored 18 points as the Sharks returned to winning ways following back-to-back defeats with victory over the Rebels in Durban.
The home side led 16-14 at half-time but pulled away in the second period as they used their forward muscle to dominate the collisions and win the battle up front.
The Du Preez brothers, number eight Dan and Robert, crossed for tries along with wing Makazole Mapimpi, who also had a late score ruled out for a dangerous tackle in back-play.
The Rebels scored first-half tries through wing Tom English and full-back Jack Maddocks as they stretched the Sharks defence, but did not manage a single point past the half-hour mark in the game.
Bulls 20-56 Chiefs
Captain Brodie Retallick led from the front with two tries as the Waikato Chiefs secured their first Super Rugby win of the season with a seven-try blitz of the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.
Solomon Alaimalo and Alex Nankivell also bagged a brace of tries each, and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi grabbed the other as the New Zealand side cut through the home team almost at will.
Full-back Damian McKenzie was the architect of much of their good play, with clever kicks and incisive line-breaks keeping the visitors on the front foot.
He also contributed 21 points with the boot as the Chiefs finally found form after four losses and a draw in their opening five games of the campaign.