The Hurricanes proved their championship mettle when they held out for a close-shave 32-31 Super Rugby quarterfinal win over the Chiefs in Wellington on Friday.
Last week, the Chiefs defeated the Hurricanes in a final regular-season match. At one stage the Hurricanes lead 32-17 but eventually, the 15-point deficit proved beyond the Chiefs despite a valiant effort in the closing stages.
Should the Hurricanes continue their winning win in next week's semifinal it will mark their third Super Rugby final appearance in four seasons.