Update: 9:00PM It’s quite a feat to play as poorly as the Hurricanes did and still get a bonus-point win.

Replace But they managed it all right, producing an inaccurate and impatient display to somehow beat Super Rugby strugglers the Southern Kings 42-20 at Westpac Stadium on Friday night.

The home side had the visitors on toast and then let their game disintegrate to levels they won’t be proud of. They are a team with genuine title-winning potential, but this effort was well down on what’s required to reach that level.

The Hurricanes started the match turning down kicks at goal, but come halftime they were huddled under their posts wondering where their next point was coming from.

It all resembled a frolic early doors. Ngani Laumape had a try after 5 minutes, then Blade Thomson stretched out to score eight minutes later.

It was all downhill from there and the best way to sum the way the match changed is by talking about what happened in the 39th minute.

The Hurricanes, having not shown anything like the amount of patience required to turn possession and territory into points, suddenly found themselves only 19-10 in front. Referee Brendon Pickerill awarded them a penalty, 35-metres out and dead in front, which they thought they better try and kick.

If you ever wanted an exhibit of what can happen when a team expects points to come easily, the Hurricanes were providing you with one. The Kings are not one of Super Rugby’s great teams and, frankly, most folk expected the Hurricanes to beat them by 50 points.

At 19-17 there was still a chance of that happening, but not until the home side got in and grafted for a while. The Kings were playing well, but any team will put points on the board if the opposition keeps giving them the ball.

Results: Hurricanes 42 (Ngani Laumape, Blade Thomson, Ardie Savea, Vince Aso, Beauden Barrett tries; Barrett 4 con, 3 pen) Southern Kings 20 (Steven Sykes, Louis Fouche tries; Fouche 2 pen, 2 con). HT: 19-17.