Out of the blue: Epic comeback seals Blues Aupiki title
The Blues are Super Rugby Aupiki champions for the first time after an improbable, herculean 24-18 victory over Chiefs Manawa at Eden Park.
With 15 minutes remaining ominous clouds became unremitting rain and the hosts were down 5-18, wobbling towards the canvas.
What followed was a genuine Houdini act sparked from a most precocious source. Kahlia Awa in her debut season produced a cameo so assured and influential it might pique the interest of Black Ferns selectors.
Rallying her beleaguered forwards, the Blues mauled within inches of the visitors’ try line in the 65th minute. Suddenly the ball was disappearing quicker from the ruck. The body position, urgency, muscle, and precision of the carries greater. Awa scored from close range, and it became 18-10. Krysten Cottrell missed, what typically for her would be, a regulation conversion.
Awa got the Blues marching again with a dart and dash that ended with a slight fumble by Niall Williams-Guthrie just outside the 22. A mighty Blues scrum resulted in a penalty. Awa tapped quickly as the Blues peppered again.
With battered bodies strewn left, Awa switched right to an unmarked Katelyn Vahaakolo. Reese Anderson chased smartly, ushering Vahaakolo wider but the Black Ferns flyer had enough room to finish. Cottrell nailed the sideline conversion: 18-17.
The Blues were hesitant from the restart. Passes were bobbled as the Chiefs hunted. Patricia Maliepo sensed the danger and smashed a kick down the middle of the field which dribbled into the Manawa in-goal area. Chelsea Semple gathered, surveyed the options, and then BANG. She was belted by Maliepo and knocked on.
The winning try had a sense of inevitability about it. Manawa mana was unquestionable, but the Blues were possessed. The collisions were gladiatorial, Awa’s clearances swift. Eventually, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, sporting a golf ball-sized black eye, euphorically crashed over.
Tension amplified when the try was investigated by the television match official. The Black Ferns Player of the Year in 2023 said afterwards:“Man, that was a tough game. We knew it would take whoever was on our team to get us to the final whistle. It’s what dreams are made of. From the first camp, I knew we had something going in this team.”
“The try is for my sisters, yeah, that’s what finals footy is about, push until the 80th minute.”
Much of the first half was played between the 22s. Though the Blues enjoyed 57% of possession and two-thirds of territory, it was the Chiefs who turned with an 8-5 advantage at the interval.
The Chiefs scored the first try in the fifth minute. Grace Steinmetz skidded on her knees to retrieve a dipping pass and then cannoned a skip ball to Ruby Tui who delicately chipped for Renee Holmes to gather the bounce. It was a reversal of their roles from the classic try Tui scored in the Black Ferns’ dramatic Rugby World Cup semi-final win against France in 2022 at Eden Park.
It would take 25 minutes for the next points to be scored, Holmes kicking a penalty to make it 8-0.
The Chiefs try was conceded after a novel penalty the franchise invented. In 2022 Pita Gus Sowakula jumped over Aaron Smith for a spectacular try against the Highlanders. World Rugby ruled soon after that jumping over opponents would be deemed illegal.
The prospect of Pita Gus Sowakula crash landing on you is something perfectly reasonable to try and prevent. Tui’s fly, don’t they? Ruby sailed through the air like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone which would have delighted photographers but was pinged for the graceful infraction.
From the tap, the Blues sent four passes in the direction of Vahaakolo who finished after early incisions threatened similar outcomes.
Manawa stamped their authority on proceedings after the break. The suffocating maul started to purr, and the Blues discipline disappeared conceding six consecutive penalties. In the 52nd minute, Maliepo saved a certain try with a lunge and jersey pull on Reese Anderson. The Blues finally wilted two minutes later when Mia Anderson barged with venom.
Manawa Lock, trojan Black Fern, and policewoman Charmaine Smith appeared shell-shocked speaking with Sky half an hour later.
“It was a battle. We expected nothing less. The Blues are an awesome side, but I couldn’t be prouder of the Manawa. We’ve overcome a lot of adversity,” she said.
The pain of this defeat will be an adversity that endures. Manawa lost the final from 0-19 ahead in 2023. Captain Kennedy Simon headlined an effort that’s hard to fault but fell short again.
The Blues transformation from last to first started with Auckland in the Farah Palmer Cup last year. The Storm’s surprising and spectacular upset of Canterbury in September’s Premiership final in Christchurch shattered Canterbury’s apparent invincibility.
Twice the Blues conquered reigning Aupki champions Matatu in 2024. Matatu features several players who’ve set the benchmark in the FPC for the past several seasons. The Blues coaching staff of Willie Walker, Linda ‘Bindi” Itunu, Carlos Spencer, and Census Johnston deserve enormous credit for unpicking the Chiefs superiority. With 11 wins Manawa still holds the record for most victories in the brief history of the competition.
An unfortunate feature of Aupiki, in contrast to England where record crowds are flocking to the Six Nations, is the multitude of empty seats inside stadiums. There must be a concern at New Zealand Rugby (NZR) that only family and friends of those involved, and a few hearty diehards, are the only ones attending matches. Why?
It can’t be the rugby. Aupiki lacks the incessant kicking of its male counterpart. A desire to keep the ball in play and use it expansively makes for a refreshingly vibrant spectacle.
Comments on RugbyPass
Safas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
68 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
68 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
68 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
68 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
68 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
68 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
68 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
68 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
68 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
68 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
68 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to comments