The Super Rugby Pacific Chiefs’ 68–12 victory over Moana Pasifika in Hamilton on Saturday night delivered a strong message to Super Rugby Pacific teams. Chiefs score a try in the Moana Pasifika Super Rugby Pacific round 7 match.
Damian McKenzie’s record-tying nine conversions and a hat-trick from Emoni Narawa allowed the Chiefs to fully recover from their defeat to the Crusaders the previous Saturday. After the Blues and the undefeated Hurricanes, the Chiefs are now in third place on the standings after their victory.
Sione Ahio, the replacement prop, made history with his first Super Rugby touch, scoring a point with a clean pair of heels. Rameka Poihipi, the captain of the Chiefs, expressed his immense pride in his team.
Super Rugby Chiefs v Moana Pasifika 68-12
The Chiefs thrashed Moana Pasifika 68–12 on Saturday, cantering over for ten tries. In Hamilton, fly-half Damian McKenzie converted nine of ten times, while flanker Emoni Narawa scored a hat-trick of tries.
The Wellington Hurricanes destroyed Moana 59-0 in the fifth round of the competition last year, setting a record winning margin. After losing to the Crusaders the week before, the home team put on a menacing show of offensive rugby to win their fifth straight game.
Moana suffered its third straight crushing loss; under head coach Tana Umaga’s leadership, the club had given up 175 points in four games.
The All Blacks playmaker McKenzie’s inventiveness and regular winger Etene Nanai-Seturo’s agility, which included a brilliant performance at fullback in his 50th Super Rugby game, proved too much for the visiting side to handle.
Nanai-Seturo, one of the try-scorers, remarked, “The coaches gave us the hard word after our performance last week.” The Chiefs ran away with the victory, leading 28-0 at halftime thanks to eight tries scored by backs.
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Chiefs 68 (TRIES: Narawa 3, Parker, Nanai-Seturo, Tahuriorangi, Rona, Ahio, Malimali, Ratima; CONS: McKenzie 9) def Moana Pasifika 12 (TRIES: Maravao, Fai’ilagi; CONS: Mausia)
CHIEFS (1-15): Ollie Norris, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Reuben O’Neill, Jimmy Tupou, Tupou Vaa’i, Samipeni Finau, Simon Parker, Wallace Sititi, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Damian McKenzie, Peniasi Malimali, Rameka Poihipi (c), Daniel Rona, Emoni Narawa, Etene Nanai Seturo
RESERVES: Bradley Slater, Jared Proffit, Sione Ahio, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Kaylum Boshier, Cortez Ratima, Josh Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown
PASIFIKA (1-15): Donald Brighouse, Sama Malolo, Sekope Kepu (c), Tom Savage, Ola Tauelangi, Irie Papuni, Niko Jones, Semisi Paea, Melani Matavao, William Havili, Viliami Fine, Julian Savea, Fine Inisi, Nigel Ah Wong, Kyren Taumoefolau
RESERVES: Samiuela Moli, Abraham Pole, Suetena Asomua, Michael Curry, Miracle Faiilagi, Aisea Halo, Otumaka Mausia, D’Angelo Leuila