Australian referee judged 'man of the match' after being flattened by big Highlanders forward

Leading Australian referee Angus Gardner shook off a painful shoulder injury and completed the game after being flattened by Highlanders No.8 Hugh Renton on Friday night.

Gardner got cleaned up accidently by Renton as the pair tried to get into position in the Super Rugby Pacific match in Dunedin.

"He's in real trouble," commentator Grant Nisbett said.

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The match against the Hurricanes stopped for several minutes and it looked like the refereeing team would be forced into a reshuffle.

"He's in some pain and can hear it quite clearly on the referee mic there," Justin Marshall said on Stan Sport's coverage.

"Jeez, he did well to blow his whistle, to be fair, to stop the game, because it was flying on ... Hugh Renton, shoulder on shoulder. He didn't see it coming, couldn't protect himself. Obviously in a lot of pain."

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But after some medical attention, Gardner bounced back to his feet and declared he was going to continue.

"One of the very best with the whistle," Nisbett said.

"This is the best news of the night. He's up and he said, 'I'm going to carry on'. Fantastic."

Marshall was impressed with Gardner's toughness.

"Good on you, Angus. He's obviously got a massive stinger there because it would have been shoulder blade or shoulder bone on shoulder bone when he didn't see it coming," he said.

"The good thing is he's not going to have to make a tackle. He's brushed off what would be quite a painful injury, and he's just got on with it. The man of the match."

The Hurricanes ran out 50-7 winners to solidify their spot at the top of the standings.

Winger Fehi Fineanganofo scored a hat-trick of tries while halfback Cam Roigard nabbed a double as the Hurricanes extended their winning streak over the Highlanders to 10 games.

Roigard was at his sniping best throughout as the Hurricanes ran in eight tries to leave the Highlanders in their dust in a bonus-point runaway victory that improves them to a table-topping 4-1, and 20 competition points.

The Landers, with a second defeat on the bounce, fall to 2-4 and remain on 9 points, with daylight starting to emerge between them and the top six.

It was an outstanding performance from the Hurricanes – their best of a pretty impressive early season – as they taught the southerners a lesson in quality finishing, slick handling and sustained attack.

Roigard lit the fuse for them with a first-half try double, but there were any number of standouts for the visitors in a comprehensive performance.

Ruben Love was fabulous in his first start of the year at No.10, hinting at some exciting things to come in the first-receiver role, skipper Jordie Barrett and Billy Proctor excelled in midfield and Fineanganofo produced another masterclass in finishing with his second hat-trick of the season.

Up front the Canes back did the job splendidly, big Warner Dearns dominant in the lineout, Peter Lakai leading an outstanding effort in the loose, and capping it with a try at the death to bring up the half-century, and the visiting scrum edging that battle against a quality foe.

The injury-hit Landers fired a few shots early, with Caleb Tangitau and try-scorer Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens looking threatening, but faded as the contest wore on.

They were a distant second in this contest, and have a bit to think about now.

It had been the Highlanders who settled best early, fullback Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens across for the first score, after just five minutes, on the back of a Tangitau break, and quality Jona Nareki support line.

But then Roigard struck twice in quick succession to put the Canes into the 14-7 lead at the first-quarter mark, and Fineanganofo rounded out a trio of first-half tries for the visitors as they surged into a 19-7 halftime lead.

Both teams created their share of chances, but it was the Canes who were the more efficient at converting pressure into points as they kept their side of the scoreboard ticking over.

Three lineout steals, led by Dearns' proficiency at the set piece, also aided the visitors' cause.

Roigard, of course, was right at the forefront, his quick thinking and sniping ability around the ruck continuing his run of personal success against the southerners.

His two first-half scores, the first when he made the defence pay for floating off him near the line and the second a simple tap and go off a scrum penalty, took his try tally to seven in the last five games against the Landers.

The home side went close round the half-hour mark when a brilliant Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens pickup and run looked to have set up Jonah Lowe for the finish, only for it to be rubbed out by a Folau Fakatava knock-on.

Naturally, the Canes made them pay for their profligacy, a fabulous, flat crossfield kick from Love allowing Fineanganofo to cross in the corner, for the 12-point halftime advantage.

The Highlanders needed to respond early in the second spell, but it was the Canes who struck first with Devan Flanders' finish of a surging move created by Love, Proctor and Fineanganofo putting them out to 26-7.

From there it was pretty much one-way traffic around a couple of yellow cards and a nasty shoulder injury for Gardner who picked himself up off the deck to see out the last dozen minutes.

Fineanganofo brought up his hat-trick with a couple of simple finishes out wide and Bailyn Sullivan and Peter Lakai rounded out the scoring for a rampant visiting side who were unleashing the full array of skills.

Some had wondered how the Hurricanes would measure up in their first Kiwi derby of the season.

They answered that question emphatically.

- with Stuff