Matatū rout Poua for first Aupiki win
Born-again Matatū marked captain Alana Bremner’s 100th first-class game by becoming the first Christchurch-based Super Rugby team to chalk up a win in 2024.
Four slickly executed set piece tries in the first half made it a Good Friday indeed for the previously winless Super Rugby Aupiki side in Christchurch.
The Matatū went on to score seven tries in a 37-17 rout of the Hurricanes Poua, whose bad day turned to worse when centre Shakira Baker was red-carded for a reckless shoulder shot on the stroke of halftime.
The long-awaited bonus point victory allowed the Matatū to inch off the bottom of the table, consigning the Poua to the last rung.
The opening first phase score came from a lineout penalty win, with the ball spread surely through the backline. Wing Cheyelle Robins-Reti made a slashing run and Martha Mataele continued her fine work before delivering a deft inside pass to put fullback Rosie Kelly in.
The Matatū then worked a copybook scrum move. Mataele made vital metres before finding centre Amy du Plessis, who created space for standout midfelder Grace Brooker to grab try number two.
Hooker Georgia Ponsonby profited from the Matatū’s dominant driving maul, scoring two tries from lineout rumbles following penalties.
Down to 14, the Poua pounced after the interval when No 8 Layla Sae caught the Matatū napping at a scrum, breaking Kendra Reynold’s tackle before surging 25m to score.
Sae again exposed the Matatū’s scrum defence with a coruscating 45m run. But 16 phases later, Brooker got on the ball at a ruck to earn a potential try-saving penalty.
A brilliant burst by Brooker resulted in a try for the power running Mataele.
Flanker Lucy Jenkins nabbed the sixth try, cutting inside off a superb pass from Ponsonby after a big carry earlier by replacement prop Moomooga Palu.
The Poua kept battling to the end, scoring final-quarter tries to Monica Taogai and Rangimarie Sturmey, but this was the Matatū’s moment in Black Ferns World Cup winner Bremner’s milestone match.