The Blues hosted the Chiefs with a bonus level win wanted to assert the highest spot on the Tremendous Rugby Pacific desk in 2024.
Quite a few late modifications or each groups modified the look of every backline for the competition, with three All Blacks – Rieko Ioane, Emoni Narawa and Shaun Stevenson – ending up on the sidelines.
With simply 40 seconds remaining, Josh Ioane denied the Blues the highest seed by scoring. It secured the Hurricanes’ bragging rights and meant the Brumbies have been confirmed as third-placed finishers.
It was nearly a dream begin for the Chiefs who made a break down the center with their first possession earlier than discovering Etene Nanai-Seturo on the wing who got rid of the ultimate defender and scored. Nonetheless, the attempt was disallowed after the TMO discovered the preliminary break was assisted by an unlawful maintain.
After that pleasure, the Chiefs have been penalised for an additional off-the-ball play and duly warned. The Blues then opened the scoring with a lineout drive attempt.
After repeated offside infringements, the Chiefs have been handed a yellow card and the Blues have been fast to punish them for it, going once more to the lineout drive and scoring by means of Hoskins Sotutu.
The Blues had clearly recognized a possibility to assault the Chiefs’ defence with chip kicks and went to that choice a lot of instances within the opening half, with Caleb Clarke and Mark Tele’a busy gathering punts from each Stephen Perofeta and Harry Plummer.
Lastly with some attacking area place, the Chiefs tried a driving maul of their very own however have been pulled aside by the Blues pack. Placing the ball by means of the fingers with benefit, Damian McKenzie put a chip kick by means of however was held again by Hoskins Sotutu who was handed a yellow card for his blatant foul play.
It didn’t take lengthy for the Chiefs to make the most of their man benefit as Aidan Ross made up for his sin-binning by scoring, making it a five-point recreation.
That’s the place issues have been left at halftime, with a scoreline of 12-7 favouring the Auckanders.
The Blues weren’t glad with that margin and got here out within the second interval re-energised with an urgency to get to the road and who else however Mark Tele’a to make a wall of defence look inadequate and rating.
The Chiefs created an opportunity to strike again when an offload discovered Cortez Ratima and Etene Nanai-Seturo ran an ideal line off the halfback earlier than spilling the ball within the sort out of Cole Forbes.
A draw and move from Plummer after the following scrum opened up area for AJ Lam to burst by means of, and the centre ran the ball to midway earlier than discovering Caleb Clarke with a wrap-around whose move was intercepted by one other spectacular defensive effort from Liam Coombes-Fabling.
The scrum dominance the Blues had established within the first half continued when the reserves took the sphere, and Hoskins Sotutu profited from one other robust shove to crash over for his second of the sport and eleventh on the season.
The Blues have been firmly on monitor for claiming that high seed when Akira Ioane powered over from shut vary, extending the result in 5 tries to 1.
Quinn Tupaea wasn’t thinking about that scoreline although and made essentially the most of AJ Lam slipping within the defensive position to get by means of to the road and shut that deficit.
With that treasured lead underneath menace, Mr. Clutch Sam Knock produced a giant turnover and Hoskins Sotutu supplied a chip-kick which Dalton Papali’i recovered.
Simply because it regarded the hosts had performed sufficient, the Chiefs made a break down the sideline and have been dragged down simply meters wanting the road. The ball went vast and with time almost expired, Josh Ioane stepped his means into a spot and scored a attempt that secured the highest spot for the Hurricanes. Fulltime rating: 31-17.
