The Blues ran in seven tries to overwhelm Moana Pasifika 45–19 at North Harbour Stadium, recovering from a slow start and an ill-disciplined first half to produce a dominant second-half display that moved them into second place on the Super Rugby Pacific table and officially ended the hosts’ playoff hopes with three matches remaining before the franchise disbands.
Key moments
14′ – TRY MOANA: After sustained pressure near the Blues line through tap penalties, Moana launched a midfield lineout from a quick tap — borrowing from the Springboks’ playbook — and set up a maul for Millennium Sanerivi to power over. Havili’s conversion drifted right. (Moana 5–0 Blues)
24′ – TRY BLUES: Sam Darry carried strongly near the line from a lineout before Marcel Renata spotted space around the ruck and barged over. Perofeta converted. (Moana 5–7 Blues)
34′ – TRY MOANA: Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa carried from another tap penalty before the ball was switched to the short side, and Sanerivi got through Sam Darry to barge over for his second. Havili converted. (Moana 12–7 Blues)
39′ – TRY BLUES: Patrick Tuipulotu drove close before the Blues spread it wide right. Perofeta found Sullivan, who delivered a wide ball to Kade Banks for a finish in the corner. Perofeta converted from the touchline. (Moana 12–14 Blues)
Half-time: Moana 12–14 Blues. Moana’s most spirited half of the season. Their Springbok-inspired set-piece innovation and direct carrying troubled the Blues, who conceded eight penalties in the opening 33 minutes. Banks’ late try gave the visitors an undeserved lead at the break.
41′ – TRY BLUES: From the first play of the second half, the Blues capitalised on a Moana free kick. After multiple carries, Tuipulotu powered over near the posts. Perofeta converted. (Moana 12–21 Blues)
48′ – TRY BLUES: Caleb Clarke carried, Mason Tupaea made a punching run, and James Mullan powered over from close range for his first Blues try. Perofeta converted. (Moana 12–28 Blues)
58′ – TRY BLUES: After Sanerivi’s attempted clearance kick inside his own 22 was gathered by Mullan, Stephen Perofeta dummied and went straight through the defence to score. Conversion missed. (Moana 12–33 Blues)
68′ – TRY BLUES: Banks lost the ball backwards, collected it again and drove towards the line before offloading to Beauden Barrett for a neat finish. Conversion missed. (Moana 12–38 Blues)
72′ – TRY MOANA: After winning a penalty near the Blues line, Moana set up a maul. Tupou Ta’eiloa and Faiilagi carried close before Chris Apoua darted left and sneaked under the defence. Havili converted. (Moana 19–38 Blues)
77′ – TRY BLUES: Debutant Terrell Peita picked from the base of the ruck and powered over for his first Super Rugby try. Barrett converted. (Moana 19–45 Blues)
Full-time: Moana Pasifika 19–45 Blues
Match report
The scoreline will say demolition. The first half said something quite different. For 40 minutes at North Harbour Stadium on Saturday night, Moana Pasifika reminded everyone why their departure from Super Rugby Pacific will leave a genuine void — not in the standings, perhaps, but in the spirit and innovation that have characterised the franchise at its best.
Tana Umaga’s side came out swinging from the opening minute, pressuring the Blues into conceding five penalties inside the first 18 minutes and keeping Vern Cotter’s team pinned deep in their own territory. The highlight was a set-piece innovation lifted straight from the Springboks’ playbook — a midfield lineout formed from a quick tap penalty that caught the Blues completely off guard and set up the maul from which hooker Sanerivi crashed over for the opening try. It was a move the players themselves had devised, according to Umaga, and it worked brilliantly.
Sanerivi scored again 20 minutes later after Tupou Ta’eiloa carried from yet another tap penalty and the ball was switched to the short side, with the hooker powering through Darry’s attempted tackle. At 12–7, with the Blues looking rattled and ill-disciplined, the upset was firmly on.
But championship-calibre sides find ways to win when they are not at their best, and the Blues did exactly that. Renata’s close-range try from a well-worked lineout steadied the ship, and Banks’ excellent finish in the corner two minutes before half-time — stepping past his opposite number after Sullivan had delivered a wide ball from Perofeta — gave the visitors a 14–12 lead that flattered them at the break.
Whatever Cotter said at half-time transformed his team. The Blues scored from the very first passage of play after the restart, capitalising on a Moana free kick for offside as Tuipulotu powered over near the posts to extend the lead to nine. When Mullan drove over from close range seven minutes later for his first try since joining from Canterbury, the floodgates were open.
Perofeta capped an impressive evening with a moment of individual brilliance, dummying from the base of a turnover ruck inside the Moana 22 and sprinting through an unguarded channel to score in the corner. The six-test All Black had controlled proceedings with his boot and distribution all night, and Cotter will have been pleased with his authority at first five-eighth in Barrett’s absence from the starting lineup.
The depth of the Blues’ resources was underlined when Barrett replaced Perofeta and crossed with one of his first touches, backing up after Banks had fumbled but recovered to drive towards the line. Apoua’s consolation try for Moana — the second of his career — briefly lifted the home crowd, but debutant Terrell Peita’s try from the base of the ruck sealed the bonus point and confirmed the Blues’ superiority.
For Moana, the emotional weight of their situation was never far from the surface. This was their first home match since the announcement that the franchise would disband at season’s end, and the crowd — their best home attendance of the year — brought colour and energy that stood in poignant contrast to the reality of what lies ahead. Umaga spoke afterwards about the uncertainty facing his players and staff, acknowledging morale was a long way from where it had been when this same venue hosted their famous victory over the Blues 12 months earlier.
Blues captain Tuipulotu, whose younger brother Tito plays for Moana, described the cross-city relationship as a sibling rivalry and admitted it was difficult to watch the franchise face its end. He spoke of his concern for the players having to find employment elsewhere and the loss of development opportunities that Moana had provided for Pacific Island players in New Zealand.
On the field, the Blues’ second-half dominance — six tries to one after the break — was built on the platform of their forward pack, led by Tuipulotu and fellow All Blacks lock Darry, while Anton Segner was excellent at the breakdown after shifting to openside in Dalton Papali’i’s absence. Xavi Taele impressed on his move to centre, and the returning Clarke looked sharp on the left wing after missing the past fortnight with a calf injury.
The result moves the Blues to second on 38 points, two clear of the Chiefs and two behind the Hurricanes, with an 8–3 record. They face the Crusaders under the roof at One New Zealand Stadium next Friday in the first of three consecutive derbies that will define their season. Moana Pasifika, bottom with four points and a 10th consecutive defeat, host the Hurricanes next Saturday in what will be another emotionally charged evening at North Harbour Stadium.
Match details
Moana Pasifika 19 (Tries: Sanerivi 14′ 34′, Apoua 72′; Conversions: Havili 2/3)
Blues 45 (Tries: Renata 24′, Banks 39′, Tuipulotu 41′, Mullan 48′, Perofeta 58′, Barrett 68′, Peita 77′; Conversions: Perofeta 4/5, Barrett 1/2)
Half-time: 12–14
Venue: North Harbour Stadium, Auckland
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Reuben Keane, Louis Trisley
TMO: Brett Cronan
Teams
Moana Pasifika: 15 Glen Vaihu, 14 Israel Leota, 13 Solomon Alaimalo, 12 Tevita Latu, 11 Tuna Tuitama, 10 William Havili, 9 Augustine Pulu, 8 Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, 7 Semisi Paea, 6 Miracle Faiilagi (c), 5 Jimmy Tupou, 4 Allan Craig, 3 Atu Moli, 2 Millennium Sanerivi, 1 Malakai Hala-Ngatai.
Replacements: 16 Mamoru Harada, 17 Abraham Pole, 18 Chris Apoua, 19 Veikoso Poloniati, 20 Dominic Ropeti, 21 Siaosi Nginingini, 22 Jackson Garden-Bachop, 23 Faletoi Peni.
Blues: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 Kade Banks, 13 Xavi Taele, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Stephen Perofeta, 9 Sam Nock, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Anton Segner, 6 Torian Barnes, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 3 Marcel Renata, 2 Kurt Eklund, 1 Ben Ake.
Replacements: 16 James Mullan, 17 Mason Tupaea, 18 Flyn Yates, 19 Laghlan McWhannell, 20 Terrell Peita, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 AJ Lam.
What’s next
The Blues face the Crusaders under the roof at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch next Friday, with a win potentially putting them top of the table before the Hurricanes take on Moana Pasifika a day later. Moana Pasifika stay at North Harbour Stadium to host the Hurricanes next Saturday.
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