Blues storm home with late show to beat Chiefs Manawa for first Super Rugby Aupiki title
Saturday, 13 April 2024
At Eden Park, Auckland: Blues 24 (Katelyn Vahaakolo 35’, 73’, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u 78’, Kahlia Awa 65’ tries; Krysten Cottrell 2 con) Chiefs Manawa 18 (Renee Holmes 5’, Mia Anderson 54’ tries; Holmes con, 2 pen). HT: 5-8.
The Blues scored three tries in the final 15 minutes to win their first Super Rugby Aupiki title.
The Chiefs Manawa lost their second final in a row.
Black Ferns No 8 Liana Mikaele-Tu’u scored the title-winning try in the 78th minute.
The Blues stormed home in the pouring rain to snatch the Super Rugby Aupiki title from the devastated Chiefs Manawa at Eden Park on Saturday.
Trailing by 13 in the final quarter, the Blues scored three tries in the last 15 minutes and only led for the last two after No 8 Liana Mikaele-Tu’u crossed for a late title-winning try in Auckland.
The Chiefs, defeated at the death in last year’s final by Matatū, could hardly believe their luck when the home side capitalised on a knock-on from Chelsea Semple in her own 22, gifting the Blues an attacking scrum to take the lead for the first time and win 24-18.
After brilliant winger Katelyn Vahaakolo completed her double in the final, Mikaele-Tu’u was over to give the Blues their first title since Super Rugby Aupiki was formed in 2022.
In a venue such as Eden Park, which can hold more than 40,000, the occasion felt flat with only a few thousand fans spread out across the North Stand, but it came to life in the closing stages.
The decider was frenetic, riddled with tension between two desperate teams who were also battling Auckland’s typically unpredictable weather. Spells of rain and strong gusts blasted the field to limit their attacking capabilities.
Points were hard to come by. Even an intercept by Blues co-captain Ruahei Demant was snuffed out by the Chiefs’ scrambling defence after the break, when a try looked certain, while the Manawa also squandered a golden chance with an enormous overlap.
The Chiefs looked more effective keeping it simple with short, powerful carries through their forwards and the experienced Charmaine Smith and Kennedy Simon led from the front.
Prop Tanya Kalounivale was hard to stop all evening and the Chiefs, eventually, crashed over for their second try through loose forward Mia Anderson.
As heavy showers hit the final quarter, the hosts responded to falling further behind after a Renee Holmes penalty goal with their own second try to halfback Kahlia Awa.
Demant was a calming influence while Awa made a massive impact off the bench to unsettle the Chiefs.
The Blues also adopted a more pragmatic approach with their pack and trailed by one point after Krysten Cottrell’s first successful conversion for Vahaakolo’s breathtaking second score.
She sprinted around the Chiefs’ defence with an arching run to ensure the grandstand finish before Mikaele-Tu’u’s match-winning score from close range.
A nervous start from both teams was punctured by Ruby Tui’s chipped kick that Holmes swooped on for the opening try.
She added a penalty goal in a scrappy first half before the Blues hit back, pouncing on a bizarre incident where Tui was penalised for appearing to vault a Blues defender.
Vahaakolo was the Blues’ most dangerous player, cutting inside from her right wing, and it was no surprise when she finished in the corner for their first score after a quick tap.
The big picture
The Chiefs have been the most consistent team in three editions of Super Rugby Aupiki, but they have lost two finals in a row after winning the first competition in 2022.
The Blues have been the most improved side of the season and won their first title after topping the standings.
What’s next
The Black Ferns announce their squad for May’s Pacific Four Series in the coming weeks. Players across both teams will be predominant in coach Allan Bunting’s plans for home tests against the United States, Canada and Australia.
As for Super Rugby Aupiki, it’s scheduled to resume next year with the four Kiwi teams in the same round-robin format, with a final between the top two. Its future beyond that is unclear.