Chiefs win last pre-season game on Ardie Savea’s Moana Pasifika debut

Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe was treated to an entertaining game of Super Rugby Pacific pre-season action on Saturday afternoon, with the Chiefs taking out the last New Zealand pre-season game, beating Moana Pasifika 31-19.

Clayton McMillan was able to give his first minutes of pre-season to Emoni Narawa, Jacob Norris, Samipeni Finau, Anton Lienert-Brown, Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia, Quinn Tupaea, and Malachi Wrampling.

Ardie Savea made his first appearance in Moana Pasifika colours, coming on in the second half to debut for Tana Umaga’s side.

Both sides started strongly, spreading the ball wide to the backs and trying to open up the defence from wide positions.

Chiefs first five Josh Jacomb went to the boot early, putting up multiple kicks to get the Chiefs down the right end of the field.

Moana Pasifika’s defence held strongly in the first ten minutes before Jacomb ran off a slight muscle niggle to kick a superb 50/22, giving the Chiefs the ball back in prime position to strike first.

The following lineout worked perfectly, eventually setting up replacement fullback Oscar Koller to cross the line for the game’s first try in the 13th minute. Jacomb converted Koller’s try, giving the Chiefs a 7-0 lead.

Jacomb was at the heart of the action once again, putting a long kick from his own 22 that ended up back in his hands after a brilliant bounce.

The Chiefs continued going forward with the ball in the Moana Pasifika half, with Leroy Carter finding some open space on the wing before firing a pass back in field for Xavier Roe to score ten meters in from the touchline.

Jacomb once again converted the try, extending the Chiefs lead to 14-0 going into halftime.

Moana started brightly in the second half, as exciting young winger for Moana Pasifika Kyren Taumoefolau was able to regain his chip and chase, threatening the Chiefs defence yet again.

It was the Chiefs who opened the scoring in the first half, and they did the same in the second half, with Taine Kolose bundling over the line at the back of a well-worked lineout move to score the Chiefs’ third try of the afternoon.

Tuna Tuitama cut the margin to under 15 for Moana Pasifika, after a nice cutout pass from Tongan first-five Patrick Pelligrini that gave Tuitama an easy finish close to the posts.

One-Test All Blacks winger Emoni Narawa then showcased his brilliance, crossing the line off the back of a nice offload from New Zealand U20 loose forward Malachi Wrampling, which set Narawa free before the winger put a kick in for himself, dotting down for his first try of 2025.

Clayton McMillan’s All Blacks were then involved in a long-range try, as Tupou Vaa’i put Manaaki Selby-Rickit perfectly through a gap in the Moana Pasifika defence. Selby-Rickit was able to find Damian McKenzie, who unselfishly offloaded the ball to teammate Samipeni Finau to stroll over the line in the corner.

Moana Pasifika’s replacement first-five Pelligrini went from provider to scorer, finding some space in the tired Chiefs defence as he crossed the line late in the second half. Pellingrini’s try brought the score to 31-12 with 15 minutes to go.

Pelligrini was one of the best players for Moana Pasifika on the day, showcasing the depth they have at the first five position with Wellington’s Jackson Garden-Bachop also an option for Tana Umaga.

Nearing the end of the pre-season outing, Ardie Savea showed his class close to the try-line, creatively setting up reserve prop Semisi Tupou Tailoa who barged his way over the line.

Final score at Navigation Homes Stadium in Pukekohe, 31-19 to the Chiefs over Moana Pasifika.