Chiefs Manawa claim inaugural Aupiki championship
The backs get the credit on the scoresheet but Chiefs Manawa have reinforced the old adage that defence wins championships.
The Chiefs claimed the inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki title with an impressive 35-0 win over the Blues in Hamilton last night, locking down the visitors in the first half before running away in the second.
Throughout the competition, the Chiefs had shown their defensive nous, weathering the early storm, then grinding down opponents and finally taking advantage through their attack. Their match against the Blues followed a similar storyline.
Neither team did themselves many favours in the first half. The Blues penalty count went from zero to six inside 10 minutes, and while they reined it in a touch, they still ended the half on the wrong side of a 13-7 count.
But while the Blues were giving the Chiefs opportunities to work an attack or get out of danger without pressure, the Chiefs were unable to maintain possession and conceded 12 turnovers to the Blues’ four.
It was a matter of which team would take their opportunity in the first half, and it was the Chiefs who did so — with hooker Luka Connor going over from a lineout drive after fullback Hazel Tubic found the corner from a penalty. Adding to the disappointment for the Blues, centre Theresa Fitzpatrick was forced off with a head injury assessment inside the opening 20 minutes and was ruled out of the game.
A Kelly Brazier penalty before halftime saw the Chiefs take an 8-0 buffer into the break, which she extended to 11 soon after the restart.
Things began to unravel for the Blues five minutes into the half with tighthead Dora Itunu sin-binned for her team’s repeated infringements. She was followed moments later by fellow prop Krystal Murray when the referee deemed she had committed a foul at the breakdown to slow a Chiefs break.
With two props missing, there was no secret as to what the Chiefs would do from penalties for the next 10 minutes — with scrum after scrum packed down. With an eight versus six advantage, the Chiefs milked penalties and essentially worked free plays from the back of them.
Ruby Tui was the first to cash in when Brazier got the ball in some space and put a deft kick in behind the line. Tui just needed the bounce, and she got it.
That saw the game open up for the Chiefs. Tui, fellow winger Portia Woodman and centre Stacey Fluhler picked gaps and used their speed.
Ultimately, the Chiefs ran the Blues off the park, with tries to Tubic, Woodman and Langi Veainu pushing the margin out.
While the Chiefs had to back their defence early, the Blues ended up ahead in the tackle count 87-80, but the story was told in the penalty count — which the Blues lost 25-9.
In the earlier game, Hurricanes Poua claimed their first win of the competition, topping Matatū 18-6.
Chiefs Manawa 35 (Luka Connor, Ruby Tui, Hazel Tubic, Portia Woodman, Langi Veainu tries; Kelly Brazier 2 cons, 2 pens) Blues Women 0 HT: 8-0 Hurricanes Poua 18 (Ayesha Leti-I’iga 2 tries; Carys Dallinger con, 2 pens) Matatū 6 (Kendra Cocksedge 2 pens) HT: 11-6