Super Rugby Trans-Tasman: Tries galore as Hurricanes survive high-scoring battle over NSW Waratahs

The Hurricanes have survived a 17-try thriller against NSW Waratahs to claim a 64-48 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground. 

Both sides obviously forgot to practice defence in the lead-up to the contest, with 112 points scored in a breathtaking encounter. 

The first half alone produced eight tries and 55 points to entertain the small SCG crowd. 

Hurricanes fans would've been happy Salesi Rayasi chose to stay with the side over chasing Olympic glory, as he was a livewire on the left wing and caused Waratahs defence problems all evening.

They lost young first-five Ruben Love just two minutes into the contest with a bad neck/head injury that held play up for eight minutes, before he was carried off and taken to hospital. 

This could open the door for the return of All Black TJ Perenara, if he's ruled out for the entire competition. 

After the stoppage, Hurricanes wing Julian Savea converted a great backline move to see the visitors score after just three minutes. 

The Waratahs hit back in the seventh minute, when Alex Newsome ran onto a brilliant short pass from Jake Gordon to put the home side in front. 

The helter-skelter start to the contest continued, when Billy Proctor finished a great team try that saw Rayasi showcase his silky footwork to tear the Warratahs defence to shreds.

The seesawing contest continued, when Waratahs prop Angus Bell rumbled over to put the home side back in front, before Jordie Barrett used his speed and size to see the Hurricanes retake the lead. 

The defence continued to go missing for both sides and the Hurricanes stamped their mark on the contest with two tries in five minutes.

Captain Dane Coles had the first, finishing off a lineout drive, and Proctor the second, bursting through weak defence to open up a 16-point lead. 

Just when you thought there couldn't be more scoring in the first half, Waratahs captain Gordon ran through atrocious Hurricanes defence to grab the eighth try of the first half and see the home side trail 33-22 at halftime. 

The tries kept coming in the second half, as Savea grabbed his second of the night from a crossfield kick from Barrett to restore a 16-point lead. 

The storyline of the contest continued, with Waratahs prop Harry Johnson-Holmes reducing the deficit to nine points, when he scored nine minutes into the second half. 

Brayden Iose kept the tries coming with a brilliant show-and-go to grab the Hurricanes' seventh try. 

Johnson-Holmes crashed over for his second of the evening, before Peter Umaga-Jensen responded three minutes later to bring up the Hurricanes half-century. 

The Waratahs wouldn't go away, when Lachlan Swinton scored the home side's sixth try and reduce the deficit to 11 points. 

The Hurricanes put the contest to bed, and ran in two late tries through Pepesana Patafilo and Asafo Aumua to push them into the 60s and claim a bonus-point victory. 

The tryscoring wasn't finished, with Jack Maddocks finishing a brilliant team try to cap off the 17-try thriller. 

Hurricanes 64 (Savea 2, Barrett, Coles, Iose, Umaga-Jensen, Patafilo, Aumua & Proctor 2 tries; Barrett 7 conversions) Waratahs 48 (Newsome, Gordon, Johnson-Holmes 2, Swinton, Maddocks & Bell tries; Donaldson 5 conversions & penalty)

Join us at 7pm Saturday for live updates of the Crusaders v Brumbies Super Rugby Trans-Tasman clash