Blues deny Moana Pasifika with late penalty try in Super Rugby Pacific thriller

At Eden Park, Auckland: Blues 31 (Akira Ioane try 20min, Kurt Eklund try 26min, Caleb Clarke try 30min, Sam Darry try 58min, penalty try 81min; Harry Plummer con; Zarn Sullivan con) Moana Pasifika 30 (Timoci Tavatavanawai try 36min, Abraham Pole try 40min, Christian Lealiifano try 47min, Fine Inisi try 68min; Lealiifano pen, 2 con). HT: 17-15.

Yellow card: Marcel Renata (Blues) 47min, Solomone Funaki (Moana Pasifika) 77min, Michael Curry (Moana) 81min.

The Blues’ Super Rugby Pacific win streak has hit four, by the barest of margins on Saturday night as Leon MacDonald’s side required a time-up penalty try to scramble victory over a magnificent Moana Pasifika.

Moana had looked in great shape to score a second significant result for Pacific Islands rugby (following the Drua’s five win over the Hurricanes in Suva) when they led 30-24 into the dying minutes of a good old-fashioned arm-wrestle at Eden Park.

But the Blues, who were far from convincing throughout, steadied when it really mattered to pile the pressure on the visitors at the death. They forced yellow cards for two Moana forwards (skipper Solomone Funaki and lock Michael Curry both watched the final moments from the bin) and then executed at the scrum against the undermanned Pasifika side.

It was, in the end, no surprise to see the Moana scrum go down at the third and final set, and referee Graham Cooper had no choice but to run between the posts and award the match-winning seven-pointer.

It was dreadful luck for Moana who deserved their first victory of the season with their best performance of 2023. They had battled manfully up front all night, and their hard-carrying backs such as Levi Aumua, Timoci Tavatavanawai, William Havili, and Neria Fomai had troubled the home defence with their strength and purpose. Christian Lealiifano provided a deft guiding hand too.

But the Blues, who never found a rhythm throughout, deserve credit. They showed admirable poise when the match went on the line, and were good enough in the championship minutes to execute the game-winning play. Wing Caleb Clarke was probably their standout with a try and 80 metres on the carry, but lock Sam Darry, hooker Kurt Eklund and loosie Akira Ioane all produced positive contributions.

The Blues, who lost Beauden Barrett before kickoff to an Achilles issue, would have been disappointed with their first 40 minutes’ work, especially the two late tries they coughed up to allow the visitors to roar back from 17-3 to just 17-15 at the break.

The hosts had looked to be cruising through the middle stages as they struck three times between the 20th and 30th minutes, with Akira Ioane, Eklund and Clarke all crossing with a degree of ease, to take what appeared a firm grip on proceedings.

Moana, though, may be winless but are certainly not gormless, as they responded when it counted to strike twice late. Burly wing Tavatavanawai caught the home team short when he tapped and went from a ruck penalty after Ereatara Enari got them rolling, and then prop Abraham Pole was on the end of a slickly worked lineout drive to punish the Blues for poor discipline in the shadow of the break.

The contest remained tight through the second 40, with Lealiifano and Darry crossing the line through the third quarter and then Fine Inisi’s 68th-minute score, off a Dalton Papalii error, putting the visitors in the box seat over the run home

The big moment

Darry’s try just short of the three-quarter mark. It was set up by a fabulous Harry Plummer-Clarke crossfield kick and break, and regained the lead for the Blues at a time they desperately needed to find some momentum.

MVP

Anyone from Moana Pasifika could have taken this honour. But let’s go with the veteran Lealiifano who scored a try and directed things beautifully for Moana on a night they deserved so much more. Went the distance too.

Match rating

8/10: The Blues were well below their best, but Moana really fronted big time and turned this into a contest to relish. Hard to see how Aaron Mauger’s team are still without a victory for ‘23.

The big picture

This is four in a row now for the Blues who are up to second on the table, and handily placed as they head into the run home. Next Saturday’s visit to Christchurch now shapes as pivotal in the race for what might be the crucial No 2 spot. For Moana more of this and the dubyas will surely come.