Winger comes off bench and scores four tries as Super Rugby leaders blown away in second half
This article originally appeared on Stuff and is reproduced with permission
Bailyn Sullivan scored four second half tries off the bench in a sensational individual display to lead the Hurricanes to an upset 35-17 victory over Super Rugby Pacific leaders the Chiefs.
The Hurricanes fought back from 17-9 down at halftime with 26 unanswered points to deliver a statement performance that has solidified their place in the top six.
Sullivan stole the headlines from Chiefs centre Dona Rona, who scored two first half tries, including a 50m intercept that put the visitors eight points up at halftime.
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Sullivan was thrust into the game early after the Hurricanes lost left winger Kini Naholo to a serious looking knee injury.
Naholo was assisted off the field inside the first eight minutes after going down in agony.
The Hurricanes shaded the Chiefs 9-7 thanks to three penalties from Ruben Love but the visitors scored 10 points in the final two minutes of the first half to flip the game on its head.
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Josh Jacomb slotted a penalty to put the Chiefs in front before Rona grabbed a loose pass from Billy Proctor and sprinted 50m to score under the posts.
But the second half was all the Hurricanes as Sullivan ran riot on the right wing.
His four tries were scored in the space of just 27 minutes.
Peter Lakai and Callum Harkin of the Hurricanes celebrate the try of Bailyn Sullivan. Getty
The pick of Sullivan's tries was his third, to complete his hat-trick.
Love spotted Sullivan free on the right wing and delivered a pin-point cross kick for the No.23 to score.
Sullivan completed the second half rout when he won the race to a perfectly weighted kick in behind from Riley Higgins.
Love was another instrumental figure in the victory, looking at home in his third straight start in the No.10 jersey.
On top of setting the try of the game, Love also contributed 15 points from the tee.
The big picture
Despite the defeat, the Chiefs continue to lead the Super Rugby Pacific, shading the Crusaders on points difference, while back-to-back victories have solidified the Hurricanes' place in the top six.
Bailyn Sullivan of the Hurricanes takes a selfie with fans. Getty
What's next?
The Chiefs take on the Crusaders in a top of the table clash in Christchurch next Saturday.
The Chiefs triumphed 49-24 when the two frontrunners met in Hamilton in round two.
The Hurricanes have the bye and don't play again until their May 16 clash with the Highlanders in Wellington.
