Match Report: Round 6 v Chiefs Manawa
A Saturday afternoon at Christchurch’s Ngā Puna Wai saw Captain Alana Bremner and Georgia Ponsonby lead their team out to mark their 20th Super Rugby Aupiki matches.
The match started with Matatū’s Hannah King sending the kick off long, but an early handling error from the Chiefs gave the home side a scrum feed.
Alana Bremner has a pick and go but is held up over the line by a desperate Chiefs defence.
Play is then paused while Lucy Jenkins and Marcelle Parkes leave the field with injuries.
Chiefs Manawa strike first as Mia Anderson crashed over the line. Her try was successfully converted by Renee Holmes, who was also celebrating her 20th Super Rugby Aupiki match, to give the visitors an early 7-0 lead.
Chiefs Manawa get an added leg up in the 21st minute as Amy du Plessis was sent to the bin with a yellow card for slapping the ball out of halfback Ariana Bayler’s hands, but the home side still managed to find a way with 14 on the field.
A brilliant cross kick from Hannah King to Winnie Palamo in the corner set Matatū up for a go at the try line.
The ball was spun back inside and Chey Robins-Reti burst towards the line. Kaipo-Olsen Baker received the ball on the run to power over the line for the home side’s first points.
Hannah King’s conversation drew the scores 7-all.
A yellow card then came for Chiefs Manawa as Chyna Hohepa stuck Pip Love’s back with her left foot.
Just three minutes later, Ruby Tui was fired the ball out wide and dotted down in the corner. A conversion takes the visitor’s lead out to 7.
Chiefs Manawa were then penalised for not rolling at the ruck. Matatū opted for the three points and Hannah King slotted it from straight out in front right before halftime to make the score 10-14 going into the break.
Chiefs Manawa came out firing in the second half and Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu broke through multiple defenders to score right under the sticks. A conversion left Matatū trailing by 11 points.
Flanker Grace Kukutai then quickly backs up her sides try with another – she finds open space to run right under the sticks.
In the space of four minutes, the visitors extend their lead to 18.
Winnie Palamo then answers back as she broke through the defence, running from one side of the field to the other and scoring in the left corner to bring the deficit back to 13.
A late play by Matatū saw Kaea Nepia offload to Hollyrae Mete to dive over right under the posts.
Kaea Nepia converted the try to bring the home side within six points, but Matatū ran out of time to get ahead on the scoreboard.
The result eliminated Matatū’s chance of a home final, and the team will be heading north to Auckland next week to face Blues Women in the Super Rugby Aupiki Final.
Final score:
Matatū 22 – 18 Chiefs Manawa