‘We heard a lot of things’: Why Moana Pasifika were unhappy with Blues
Monday, 19 May 2025
ANALYSIS: Tana Umaga knows how to stir the pot.
Having watched Moana Pasifika create history by beating the Blues 27-21 in their Super Rugby Pacific clash in Albany on Saturday night, Umaga pulled a long wooden spoon out of his holster and brandished it about in a vigorous manner.
With a few swings, he added more stripes to the opposition's already glowing hides.
The Blues, suggested Moana Pasifika coach Umaga, did themselves no favours after beating Moana Pasifika at Eden Park in the round-nine game on April 12.
Some members of the Blues team, it seems, had mouthed off.
What? How? Who? The exact details of the slights, perceived or otherwise, remain a mystery.
Umaga, having teased everyone with a couple of tasty tidbits, pulled back. He said it was up to others to unearth the information.
But he did reveal that before the cross-town fixture at North Harbour Stadium, he and captain Ardie Savea discussed how to get the players up to the level required to beat the Blues for the first time.
No brain storming was required.
Some individuals at the Blues, it seems, had seriously annoyed Umaga and his squad.
'We heard a lot of things after the last game, and … we had a talk about how do we motivate ourselves?'' Umaga said.
'We don't really need it, because they [the Blues] are writing it for us.
'And we heard some of the narratives that were coming out of their camp, around things. But Ardie said to be 'we just have to look to the light, be the light'.
'And I think tonight, we shone bright.''
Reporters asked for clarity from Umaga. They didn't get it. He told them to do their own digging.
When it was Savea's turn to offer insights into what Umaga was talking about, he was vague.
Savea said he was good mates with Blues players Rieko Ioane and Hoskins Sotutu and 'all the brothers''. Savea said he enjoyed the chirping.
'I think rugby needs that,'' Savea said. 'That's part of the game and it's up to the players to use it how they want. And some of us used it in a good way.''
If there had been sledging by the Blues - good natured, or otherwise - after their win at Eden Park, it was a moment of madness.
Moana Pasifika clearly took that as a sign of disrespect. And they are proving that if teams want to get mouthy, they should expect a clout in return.
So here's the obvious follow-up question.
What will Umaga, Savea and the rest of the Moana Pasifika crew use to motivate themselves ahead of their match against the Chiefs in Hamilton next Saturday night?
If any Chiefs players were lippy after beating Moana Pasifika in Pukekohe on March 21, they should surrender any hope of their comments not being dredged up in the days ahead.
Umaga may not have been forthcoming about the details of what the Blues did to rankle his team, but he's got a long memory in regards to grievances.
The Chiefs can’t say they haven’t been warned.
1 Moana Pasifika has done the competition a huge favour
Savea's men, who have now beaten the Highlanders, Crusaders, Hurricanes and the Blues, fear no-one.
Unpredictability is the magic ingredient that supercharges tournaments and Super Rugby Pacific badly needed that ahead of this season.
'If you looked at that crowd, and you looked at the spectacle,'' Savea said. 'We talked about rugby dying in New Zealand, if you have a look at that tonight, it was certainly alive tonight.''
When 12,000 turned-up for the match in Albany, the Moana Pasifika players must have felt as if their drink bottles had been spiked with Kryptonite. They rewarded their supporters in the best way possible.
With their tireless No 7 Savea repeatedly finding new ways to inspire his men, Moana Pasifika have been galvanised into a hardcore tackling, rucking, mauling members of a gang that don't want to let them down.
Savea's performance against the Blues was exceptional. But there's no guarantee they will make the finals.
Their remaining games against the Chiefs and Hurricanes in Wellington will determine whether they qualify for the top-six for the playoffs, or are forced to lament costly defeats earlier in the season.
Moana Pasifika currently sits sixth on 28 points, ahead of seventh-placed Blues (28) on points differential. The latter have played one more game, and have the bye before hosting the Waratahs in their final round-robin game.
Can Moana Pasfika add the final New Zealand scalp - that of the Chiefs - to their changing shed wall? Maybe.
2 What will All Blacks coach Scott Robertson do with Savea?
Savea is the best openside flanker in the competition.
With Sam Cane now in Japan, Savea is outperforming every other openside in New Zealand. That will do nothing to dampen suggestions from supporters that he should be switched from the No 8 spot with the All Blacks to the side of the scrum,
Test rugby is a big step-up from Super Rugby Pacific, but if the All Blacks encourage Savea's to keep delving into his deep bag of tricks to outfox opponents the positives may outweigh the negatives.
He can do it all, right now, and Moana Pasifika's game plan has helped take his game to a higher standard.
Savea's turnover at the death, which won his side the crucial penalty as the Blues pounded the tryline, may have been iffy - if referee Angus Gardner had ruled the ruck had formed and that Savea should have released his tentacles from the ball, he could have awarded the Blues a penalty.
But he didn't. His interpretation of the law favoured the Blues.
Given Moana Pasifika had earlier had a try to hooker Millennium Sanerivi ruled out, that could be viewed as justice.
3 Is there a better captain in the competition than Savea?
Here’s the answer, below.
Savea said he would run through brick walls for his team. Inspirational stuff.
Such tireless efforts would make him an excellent All Blacks captain - if the job was vacant. Which it isn't.
It would be a bombshell moment if Robertson jettisoned Scott Barrett, given they worked together with the All Blacks in 2024 and with the Crusaders prior to that.
But the outside noise is only going to get louder.
Barrett's performances have been decent but not mind-blowing since David Havili replaced the lock as captain of the Crusaders at the start of the season.
Barrett was forced to miss the Crusaders' fixture against the Waratahs in Sydney because of a hand injury. Whether he will return to play the Highlanders in Christchurch next Friday night is unclear.
When Barrett arrives back on the launch pad, it would be timely to send a message to the world that the All Blacks captain is revving his engines.
4 How important were the bonus points?
The Crusaders must have cursed their inattention when they leaked a late try as they cruised to victory against the Waratahs in Sydney on Friday night.
It cost them an extra competition point. Every one is worth gold as the sun sets on the round robin.
That could ruin their hopes of finishing top of the table after the round-robin, and the chance to host in front of their own fans a grand final - should they get that far.
While the Brumbies sit at the head of the table on 43 points, ahead of the Chiefs and Crusaders (both 41), they have played one extra game.
The Brumbies have the bye this weekend, and will host the Crusaders in Canberra in the final round.
The Chiefs, who will be fresh off the bye ahead of their upcoming game against Moana Pasifika, will play the Highlanders in their final round-robin game in Dunedin.
It won't be of much consolation to the Blues, who must now rely on other results to make the finals, but their losing bonus point could yet save their skins when it comes to determining whether they will get a chance to defend their title.
5 Which teams are toast?
It's all over for the Waratahs, Western Force, Fijian Drua and the Highlanders.
The Highlanders sorry season ended with coach Jamie Joseph explaining how the team from Dunedin struggles to recruit talent, a consequence of, among other things, the bigger franchises extracting talent from their academies.
Even as they sank to the bottom of the ladder, his team scrapped and clawed against the Hurricanes before conceding a late try to halfback Cam Roigard.
But there’s no bouquets for being brave.
Results:
At Sky Stadium, Wellington: Hurricanes 24 (Cam Roigard 2, Bailyn Sullivan tries; Ruben Love 3 con, pen) Highlanders 20 (Jonah Lowe 2 tries; Taine Robinson 2 con, 2 pen). HT: 7-14.
At Allianz Stadium, Sydney: Crusaders 48 (Johnny McNicholl, Braydon Ennor, Ioane Moananu, Chay Fihaki, Cullen Grace, Sevu Reece, Tom Christie tries; Rivez Reihana 3 con, James O’Connor 2 con, pen) Waratahs 33 (Langi Gleeson 2, Miles Amatosero, Darby Lancaster, Triston Reilly; Tane Edmed 3 con, Jack Bowen con). HT: 31-7.
At Churchill Park, Lautoka: Fijian Drua 38 (Elia Canakaivata 2, Philip Baselala, Iosefo Masi, Selestino Ravutaumada tries; Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula 2 con, pen, Caleb Muntz 3 con) Force 7 (Sio Tomkinson try; Alex Harford con). HT: 17-7.
At North Harbour Stadium, Auckland: Moana Pasifika 27 (Kyren Taumoefolau 3 tries; Patrick Pellegrini 4 pen) Blues 21 (Patrick Tuipulotu, Hoskins Sotutu tries; penalty try; Beauden Barrett 2 con). HT: 11-14.
At GIO Stadium, Canberra: Brumbies 24 (Tom Wright, Allan Alaalatoa, Andy Muirhead tries; Ryan Lonergan 3 con, pen) Reds 14 (Tim Ryan, Josh Nasser tries; Harry McLaughlin-Phillips 2 con). HT: 7-7.
Super Rugby Pacific points (games played): 1 Brumbies 43 (13), 2 Chiefs 41 (12), 3 Crusaders 41 (12), 4 Reds 32 (12), 5 Hurricanes 30 (12), 6 Moana Pasifika 28 (12), 7 Blues 28 (13), 8 Waratahs 22 (12), 9 Force 22 (13), 10 Fijian Drua 20 (13), 11 Highlanders 19 (12).