Blues winger Jaymie Kolose is all smiles after scoring a late try against Hurricanes Poua at Levin Domain.
Blues winger Jaymie Kolose is all smiles after scoring a late try against Hurricanes Poua at Levin Domain.
If Blues coach Carlos Spencer wanted the perfect start against Hurricanes Poua at Levin Domain this afternoon, he certainly got it.
The Blues ran rampant in the first seven minutes and scorched to a 17-0 lead, hushing the home crowd. It was sublime rugby and their coach probably allowed himself a wry smile.
But any curling of Spencer’s lips would have been short-lived as Hurricanes Poua fought their way back into the match to trail 24-15 at halftime.
Hurricanes Poua second-five Monica Togoai gets a kind bounce on her was to socring a try against the Blues at Levin Domain.
In the end it was a fairly comfortable 41-29 win to the Blues, and in hindsight it was possibly the challenge Spencer might have wanted heading into the Sky Super Rugby Aupiki final against Chiefs Manawa in seven days.
There was enough in the performance to suggest the Blues, when they click, would be hard for any team to contain, while also leaving room for improvement given two yellow cards were dished out late in the piece.
Spencer would be conscious of wanting his full complement of players on the field for the entire 80 minutes against Chiefs Manawa next weekend.
Poua were not fancied to win the match at the TAB, paying $9, while the Blues were hot favourites at $1.09. But they came out of the gates like a $1.01 shot.
Esta Kauika and Willow Shelford were on ball retrieving duty at Levin Domain for the match between Hurricanes Poua and Blues.
Their intent was clear from the whistle. An early kickable Blues penalty in the first minute was turned down in favour of a lineout, leading to a try to prop Aldora Itunu.
Just moments after the restart second five-eighth Ruahei Demant scored, this time with a better angle for Krysten Cottrell to slot her first conversion, and then in the time it took to grab a hot dog, winger Katelyn Vahaakolo had scored the Blues’ third try.
Hurricanes managed to plug those early leaks in defence and hung tough though, rewarded with two penalties to fullback Hannah King. They then started to find some holes of their own, leading to tries to second-five Monica Tagoai and halfback Iritana Hohaia.
At 17-15 to the Blues, it was game on.
Hurricanes Poua forward Tori Iosefo with her daughter Cataleya after the match at Levin Domain against the Blues.
So often in rugby, scoring either side of the halftime oranges proves pivotal, and that’s exactly what the Blues did. Grace Gago scored a converted try a minute before the break, while Vahaakolo scored her second try early in the second half, also converted.
When Blues prop Chryss Viliko was next to cross, the score had blown out again at 36-15.
To Poua’s credit, they never laid down. Periods of sustained attack on the Blues’ line led to sin-bins to Blues players Eloise Blackwell and minutes later Gago for repeat infringements around the ruck. It was just plain pressure.
It was then inevitable that Poua would score. No 8 and captain Layla Sae, who had a monster of a game, barged over for a thoroughly deserved try to the cheers of the Poua faithful.
Blues captain Ruahei Demant signs a ball after the match against Hurricanes Poua at Levin Domain.
Blues winger Jaymie Kolose scored late in the game, while Poua had the final say with a late try to winger Harmony Kautai just before the fulltime whistle.
Hurricanes lock Kahurangi Sturmey gets a selfie with Holly Betty from Foxton after the game against the Blues at Levin Domain.
Players stuck around for a long time after the match and signed autographs for fans, including popular local players and sisters Kahurangi and Rangimārie Sturmey, who grew up playing down the road at Ōtaki for the Rahui club.
They had grown up watching their father Slade Sturmey play at the same ground. He was a former Horowhenua-Kāpiti captain who played 27 games for his province, many of those at Levin Domain.
The Sturmey whānau at Levin Domain: Slade (left), Kahurangi, Renee, Rangimārie and Andrea.
Many of the Sturmey whānau were at the ground to cheer on Poua.
Kahurangi, 24, got plenty of game time in what was her first Super Aupiki match at her home ground, coming on in the second half as a replacement at lock. Rangimarie, 20, a midfield back, was forced to miss the game through injury but was kept busy behind the scenes.
Kahurangi said she had looked forward to the game and was excited when Levin Domain was announced as a venue for a Poua match.
Milla Robinson from Coley Street School scores a try against Levin School during halftime of the Super Aupiki match at Levin Domain.
“It’s great to be able to play in front of friends and whānau,” she said.
“It’s home. We grew up watching Dad play so to be able to play here and have whānau here is really nice.”
Kai-Lani Gapper was at Levin Domain supporting her mother, Hurricanes Poua first-five Te Rauoriwa Gapper, in the match against the Blues.
There was plenty of whānau support for other players within the Hurricanes Poua squad at Levin Domain, a ground with a capacity of 6000.
The competition was in its third season now and it was the second time Levin Domain had hosted a match, Poua having played Chiefs Manawa at the ground last season.
Emerald Polson, Izzy Fanoga, Eli Lemalu, Caylis Lut-Horua and Liam Aiokata were at Levin Domain to support the Hurricanes. Their favourite player was Marilyn Fanoga.
