Super Rugby Aupiki: Chiefs Manawa, Matatū kick season off with wins

Luka Connor scored three tries in Chiefs Manawa's win over Hurricanes Poua. Photo / Getty Images

Chiefs Manawa might have come into the Super Rugby Aupiki season with a new look, but it appears they have been reading from the same script as the 2022 champions.

Any questions posed around how the side would go with the loss of several stars and a host of new signings quickly found an answer as they came from a 21-5 deficit to trounce Hurricanes Poua 53-21.

Six of the Manawa starting lineup were making their debut for the team, including Black Ferns lock Chelsea Bremner and fullback Tenika Willison fresh out of the Black Ferns Sevens squad, but it didn’t take them long to present a united front.

They were, however, put on the back foot immediately after the opening whistle. Black Ferns World Cup hero Joanah Ngan-Woo quickly made her mark on the Super Rugby Aupiki season. With two barnstorming runs, going around and over the top of attempted tacklers, the star lock set up the two opening Poua tries – scored by Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate and Ayesha Leti-I’iga respectively.

Manawa struggled in possession in the early exchanges, but once Luka Connor went over from a lineout drive – her first of three tries on the day – things clicked into place.

While the Poua pushed the lead back out through a try to Rhiarna Ferris, once the Manawa pack started rolling the Poau couldn’t stop them.

The set piece was a massive weapon for the Manawa side as their pack constantly put them on the front foot. They were rewarded in bunches, with prop Tanya Kalounivale and loose forward Kennedy Simon also finding their way onto the score sheet – with Connor’s second giving the side a slim lead at half time.

It was more of the same in the second half. Bremner was on the scoreboard with her new side just six minutes after the restart, before winger Georgia Daals made the most of some space out wide, and Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu was gifted a five-pointer by a questionable offload attempt from Poua prop Krystal Murray deep inside her own territory.

They closed out the match through tries to Connor and Dhys Faleafaga – who was a member of the Poua squad a year ago – for an emphatic win.

In the second game of the round, Matatū got their first Super Rugby Aupiki win, edging out the Blues in Dunedin.

After going through their debut season winless, the South Island side showed their intentions early and ran out to a 19-0 lead in the opening 30 minutes, with loose forwards Alana Bremner and Kendra Reynolds putting their marks on the game early.

The Blues fought back to go into the break down 26-14, and that fightback continued into the second half.

While Matatū were the first to score in the second half - loose forward Lucy Jenkins crossing four minutes after the restart - the Blues made the most of a yellow card to Bremner to force their way back into the game.

The Blues ran in three unanswered tries to have the opportunity to draw level on the hooter, however Ruahei Demant was unable to convert Sophie Fisher’s last-minute try, with Matatū clinging on for a two-point win.

Chiefs 53 (Luka Connor 3, Tanya Kalounivale, Kennedy Simon, Chelsea Bremner, Georgia Daals, Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu, Dhys Faleafaga tries; Tenika Willison 3 cons, Hazel Tubic con)

Hurricanes Poua 21 (Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate; Ayesha Leti-I’iga, Rhiarna Ferris tries; Carys Dallinger 3 cons)

HT: 22-21

Matatū 33 (Kendra Reynolds, Alana Bremner, Martha Mataele, Di Hiini, Lucy Jenkins tries; Renee Holmes 4 cons)

Blues 31 (Jaymie Kolose 2, Grace Gago, Kateylyn Vaha’akolo, Sophie Fisher tries; Ruahei Demant 3 cons).

HT: 26-14