Mils Muliaina proved right as Hurricanes crush ACT Brumbies in finals warning to rivals

All Blacks great Mils Muliaina called it hours before kick-off. By full-time, the Hurricanes had delivered exactly the statement he predicted.

Despite cold, wet and windy conditions in Wellington on Friday night, the Hurricanes tore apart the Brumbies 66-12 to book a home Super Rugby Pacific semi-final and send a warning to the rest of the competition.

The victory produced the highest score ever recorded in a Super Rugby finals match and reinforced the view that the Hurricanes remain the team to beat this season.

Fans braved the miserable weather expecting a tight contest. Instead, they witnessed an attacking masterclass.

The Hurricanes looked in control from the opening minutes, refusing to let the conditions dictate their style.

They attacked from deep inside their own half, shifted the ball wide, offloaded through contact and punished almost every Brumbies mistake.

No Australian team has won a Super Rugby playoff match in New Zealand and the Hurricanes quickly showed why that record remains intact.

Lock Caleb Delany opened the scoring after a slick counter-attack from inside Hurricanes territory before halfback Cam Roigard crossed for his first try of the night minutes later.

Watch Hurricanes co-captain Du'Plessis Kirifi talk to the team following their 66-12 win over the Brumbies in Wellington on Friday night below.

The Hurricanes never eased up.

Roigard grabbed a double, fellow lock Warner Dearns also scored twice while winger Ngatungane Punivai produced a brilliant impact off the bench with a second-half hat-trick.

Fullback Ruben Love was near flawless with the boot, landing 10 conversions as the Hurricanes turned pressure into points with ruthless efficiency.

The Brumbies managed moments of quality through Corey Toole and Tane Edmed, but they struggled to match the speed, accuracy and intensity of the Hurricanes.

By halftime, the Hurricanes had already built a commanding 38-7 lead and effectively ended the contest.

Halfback Cam Roigard scored two tries as the Hurricanes overwhelmed the Brumbies with a relentless attacking display, shrugging off wet and windy conditions in the capital. Photo/Photosport/Elias Rodriguez

The second half brought more of the same.

Every time the Brumbies looked to build momentum, the Hurricanes found another gear. Their forwards dominated collisions and breakdowns, while the backs repeatedly exposed gaps across the park.

What stood out most was how little the weather seemed to affect them.

Strong winds and rain are often considered the great equaliser in finals rugby but the Hurricanes handled the ball with remarkable precision and confidence.

Their support play, passing and decision-making rarely dropped below elite level.

Hurricanes flanker Peter Lakai forces his way through the Brumbies defence as flyhalf Reuben Love looks on. Photo/Photosport/Elias Rodriguez

Earlier on Pacific Mornings, Muliaina and Tuilagi William Leolahi host of Pacific Huddle backed a New Zealand clean sweep of the opening finals weekend, pointing to the long history of Kiwi dominance in the competition.

Friday night's result only strengthened that argument.

The defending champion Crusaders remain alive and will host the Blues in Christchurch on Saturday while the Chiefs and Reds will round off the weekend's qualifying finals in Hamilton.

But after producing one of the most complete performances of the season, the Hurricanes have reminded everyone why they finished on top of the table.

Watch Mils Muliaina and hear Tuilagi William Leolahi's full interview below.

For the rest of the competition, the message from Wellington was clear.

The Hurricanes are peaking at exactly the right time and stopping them from lifting the Super Rugby Pacific trophy will take something special.

Hurricanes 66 (Tries: Caleb Delany, Cam Roigard 2, Billy Proctor, Warner Dearns 2, Ngatungane Punivai 3; Conversions: Ruben Love 10). Brumbies 12 (Tries: Corey Toole, Tane Edmed; Conversion: Ryan Lonergan).

For more on Super Rugby Pacific, visit https://super.rugby/superrugby/