Blues edge Chiefs Manawa in Battle of the Bombays Super Rugby Aupiki thriller

Saturday, 20 June 2026

Katelyn Vahaakolo scored a try on her return to the Blues as they took out a thriller against the Chiefs Manawa in Hamilton on Saturday. (File photo)

**At FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton: *Blues 27*** (Mererangi Paul, Tara Turner, Aldora Itunu, Katelyn Vahaakolo, Jaymie Kolose tries; Braxton Sorensen-McGee con) *Chiefs Manawa 26* (Lonita Ngalu, Carys Dallinger, Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a, Vici-Rose Green tries; Dallinger 3 con). HT: 17-21.

The two-time defending Blues women have shown they are certainly beatable in 2026, it’s just the Chiefs Manawa could not complete the job, in what proved a Battle of the Bombays Super Rugby Aupiki thriller in Hamilton on Saturday.

Coming down State Highway One with a starting XV that featured no fewer than 14 players with Black Ferns experience, and a backline oozing all sorts of class in both 15s and sevens, the Blues were in the end made to hold on for a 27-26 win against their far-less-fancied rivals at FMG Stadium Waikato.

Both sides had started their seasons in contrasting fashion last weekend, the Blues thrashing the Hurricanes Poua 42-7 at Eden Park, and the Manawa dealt to 52-26 by Matatū in Christchurch, while the Chiefs were looking to overturn of four-straight losses to the Blues.

They looked a golden chance to do that here, having shot out to a 21-7 lead, but in the end were made to rue a couple of missed opportunities late in the piece, as the Blues relied on their supreme scrum strength to get them out of trouble, and ultimately take the chocolates, in a five-tries-to-four victory.

In a tit-for-tat final quarter, both teams copped yellow cards after warnings from referee Warwick Lahmert for repeated infringements, and each team profited immediately, the Chiefs re-taking the lead on the hour through Vici-Rose Green from a strong lineout drive, then the Blues five minutes later when their classy backline finally looked slick and Jaymie Kolose was put over in the corner.

The hosts then piled on plenty of pressure, but, with the Blues back to 15, the Chiefs’ rolling maul was halted just short of the line, before a little knock on on the ground from Jade Coates scuppered the chance.

The Blues gifted them further late chances, but after Chiefs prop Lonita Ngalu coughed up possession in midfield, it was her fresh replacement ‒ coach Dwayne Sweeney not injecting his reserve front-rowers till the 77th minute ‒ Amber Mundell who then dropped a ball, and soon later was also penalised for not releasing at the tackle.

It made for a highly-frustrating finish for the home side, who had got off to the perfect confidence-boosting start, opening the scoring in the seventh minute with a breathtaking score that will take some beating for try of the tournament, when Coates pulled off a stunning intercept, then offloads and quick recycling had Ngalu put on a brilliant 35-metre finish.

Former Wallaroos first-five Carys Dallinger was to the fore for the Chiefs, with Blues hooker Atlanta Lolohea again tormented on defence and the No 10 stepping her way through for a try, before crisply setting up another for Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a.

Down 21-7 and desperately in need of some inspiration, the Blues then had Black Ferns co-captain Ruahei Demant send the restart out on the full, only for their scrum to come up with a couple of massive plays, with Tara Turner quick-tapping to score, then, more than two minutes after the halftime siren, Aldora Itunu too strong from a pick and go.

Back in it, behind by just four at the break, the Blues then hit the lead for the first time in the 51st minute when Katelyn Vahaakolo made a brilliant burst upfield, then, on the back of a nice Demant cut-out ball, was also on hand to finish in the corner.