Late Cortez Ratima try snatches victory for Chiefs against Blues in Super Rugby Pacific opener
Saturday, 14 February 2026
At Eden Park, Auckland: Blues 15 (Zarn Sullivan 35’, Dalton Papali'i 53’ tries; Stephen Perofeta con, Zarn Sullivan pen) Chiefs 19 (Tupou Vaa’i 32’, Samisoni Taukei’aho 63’, Cortez Ratima 76’ tries; Josh Jacomb 2 con). HT: 5-5. Yellow card: Kaylum Boshier (Chiefs).
The Chiefs snatched an ugly win to kick off the Super Rugby Pacific campaign with Cortez Ratima’s late try stunning the Blues at Eden Park.
Watched by new Chiefs coach Jono Gibbes, the All Blacks halfback came off the bench with the perfect run to complement Samipeni Finau’s break for the match-winning score on Saturday night.
The 19-15 success in Auckland was a dream start for Gibbes and the Chiefs, who begin another season desperate for their first title since 2013, after three consecutive defeats in the final under Clayton McMillan.
Gibbes said their opening win “wasn’t pretty” and was determined by the “smallest of margins”.
“We absorbed a hell of a lot of pressure in that second half, so what it took was us staying in that moment,” he said.
“The boys just hung tight until the final minute, even under pressure. They dealt with what was in front of them and got that opportunity to win the game.”
Fresh legs were key. Finau’s introduction in the 54th minute was eerily similar to the 25-14 win against the Blues in last year’s first round, also at Eden Park.
The Chiefs threw on their All Blacks to win that game, too. Ratima and Finau struck for Saturday night’s magic moment.
“They were great,” Gibbes said.
“The guys on from the start were close to 150 tackles for that first period. It was a hell of a physical investment from those guys.”
It was a tough pill for the Blues and coach Vern Cotter to swallow. They had the game in the bag, then the All Blacks loose forward marched through tired defenders and timed a pass perfectly for Ratima.
Cotter said it was a “quality” game that ultimately left him and most of the 20,000-strong crowd frustrated.
“We got them in the corner in the final 20 minutes. We got a maul turned over, then two penalties, and we find ourselves marched down the paddock 50 metres,” Cotter said.
“We had the impression that we gave it to them.”
He added: “There were positives. There’s also a desire to get back on the paddock on Monday and put things right.”
Stephen Perofeta (Blues) and Josh Jacomb (Chiefs) had good and bad moments in place of Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie respectively. The two No 10s have big seasons ahead and will be better for their starts.
Neither pack gained control for them to attack with freedom. The Chiefs, with Luke Jacobson troubling around the rucks, stopped the Blues motoring forward at times.
The hosts weren’t cohesive from the outset — their players missed a guard of honour from the class of 1996, their first team, when coming out of the tunnel — and couldn’t capitalise on their attacking pressure.
Long spells were a mess. Lineouts went astray and few attacks stirred the Auckland crowd. New Chiefs recruit Kyren Taumoefolau barely touched the ball. Neither did All Blacks wing Caleb Clarke.
The visitors asserted more scrum dominance, even with last year’s semifinalists adding All Blacks prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi to their front row after his recovery from neck surgery.
Blues fullback Zarn Sullivan, beset by injuries last year, looked sharp on his welcome comeback. His outstanding left boot will be more potent than ever with more kicks flying around.
Sullivan’s most straightforward kick was a penalty goal under the posts in the final minutes, although Ratima try wiped out that advantage. The Blues were left to rue an overthrown lineout from which the Chiefs launched their late assault.
Counterpart Etene Nanai-Seturo was effective like Sullivan, albeit with few opportunities to run into space in a tight, tense contest.
As well as McKenzie, the Chiefs were missing All Blacks Emoni Narawa, Wallace Sititi, Leroy Carter and Simon Parker. McKenzie’s spark might have exploded the game into life.
Quinn Tupaea stepped into the void with good maturity in midfield, although blotted his night with loose passing. Lock Tupou Vaa’i was back to his pestering best on his return from an ankle injury.
The Blues were without All Blacks lock Sam Darry after half-time because of a head knock, losing some presence in a physical grind.
Dalton Papali'i and Samisoni Taukei’aho squeezed over with close-range efforts for the opposing packs to strike one another.
This was typical of a first-round contest. Both looked anxious in possession and were huddled in the middle third. Neither attacked the opposition’s 22 until the 19th minute.
Jacomb and Perofeta fluffed simple penalty goals. Handling was poor. Kicks in behind or launched high were thumped and dinked without conviction.
Tupaea’s nudge couldn’t find Vaa’i in space for what should have been the first points for the visitors.
Jacomb’s swish 50/22 would give Vaa’i the opening try, as the All Black dived through the Blues’ defence with great athleticism.
One-man carries were in vogue, none more enthusiastic than debutant Blues loose forward Torian Barnes’ charge. Veteran midfielder Pita Ahki went one better with an excellent offload for Sullivan’s support run to bring the hosts level.
The Blues might have led had hooker Bradley Slater brushed the line with his willing lunge against his former side. They were one man up before half-time after Kaylum Boshier was sinbinned for catching Joshua Fusitu’a’s noggin.
There was almost nothing between the teams until Ratima completed the classic halfback surge to steal the win after replacing Xavier Roe for the second stanza.
What’s next
The Blues trek across to Perth to face the Western Force next Saturday night. The Chiefs travel south to play the Highlanders in Dunedin on the same day.