[Live updates from 7pm]
Blues 29 - 37 Chiefs
Match wrap is here.
It's all over - what a game! A cracker from both sides and the Chiefs bench works wonders to seal the win.
79min - The Blues need to go 90 metres to score here - The Chiefs win a penalty and that will do it. Cruden kicks for goal. It's good. Blues 29 - 37 Chiefs.
78min - Penalty for the Blues and it's over. Blues 29 - 34 Chiefs.
75min - Drop kick from Cruden, classic from the CHIEFSMANA legend, in the pocket and as calm as you like he knocks it over. Blues 26 - 34 Chiefs.
73min - Lovely from the Chiefs, they work the ball down to the Blues end, Cruden and Tupaea link up, they are 10m out.
72min - Knock on from the Blues and the Chiefs have the ball.
69min - TRY - What a try from the Chiefs, wow that's good, the try of season so far... the Chiefs work the ball from inside their own half, Cruden shows some gas to split two defends, he passes it to Stevenson who gives it to Alaimalo who scores! A cracking try.
68min - At the breakdown once again, Boshier does so well to turn the ball over - brilliant work!
67min - Great hit from Goodhue and Wainui loses the ball forward, good chance for the Blues here.
65min - TRY - Chiefs, it came from nowhere, Wainui turns the ball over, he gives it to Lienert-Brown and he takes the ball forward, they recycle and it's Aidan Ross who scores. Kick is good.
63min - Another Chiefs knock on and the Blues go forward but theres a knock on, Chiefs scrum.
62min - Knock on from the Blues and the Chiefs clear.
8:29pm - A bad first run from Ah Kuoi, he runs into traffic and is caught holding on, Blues penalty won.
Brad Weber and Naitoa Ah Kuoi are on, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Mitch Karpik are off.
57min - TRY - Blues. Faiane makes the break, the Blues show some patience and score from their repalcement Karl Tu’inukuafe. Kick is good. Blues 26 - 19 Chiefs.
56min - Another penalty for the Blues, they kick for touch.
54min - High tackle called on Brown and the Blues will kick for touch. It's off the post.
53min - Massive shift in momentum at Eden Park.
51min - TRY - Chiefs, from the scrum, they keep it basic and they score, Pita Gus Sowakula. Kick is good. Blues 19-19 Chiefs.
50min - Lovely from the visitors, superb from TTT and Tupaea who work the ball forward, Iaone does well to gather the ball but he is tackled back, Chiefs get a 5m scrum.
48min - Knock on from the Blues and the Chiefs have a scrum.
46min - Off the lineout again, the Chiefs roll forward, Taukei'aho powers over to score, the Chiefs are right back in this. The kick is good - Blues 19 - 12 Chiefs.
45min - Chiefs win a penalty, offside called against Ruru.
43min - Mistake from Duffy- his kick goes dead and the Chiefs have a scrum.
Anton Lienert-Brown, Aaron Cruden, Atu Moli, Pita Gus are all on, Cane, Trask, Ta'avao, Nankivell are all off.
Half time.
40min - TRY - Blues, dominance from the scrum, and they offload it to Ioane who goes over - lovely try. Kick is good.
39min - Knock on from Duffie and the Chiefs get a scrum.
36min - TRY - Chiefs, very nice from the visitors, off the lineout, they get it to the hooker, Samisoni Taukei'aho at the back of the scrum and they drive over to score. Dominance. Kick is wide.
34min - The Chiefs have a penalty and will kick for touch.
33min - Dusty from Ruru who tries to yet another no-look pass, it's wayward and it's knocked on, the Chiefs have a scrum here.
31min - More scrum dominance from the Blues, but a knock on comes and Trask clears. The Blues win another penalty.
28min - Mistake from Trask who kicks it out on the full off the re-start.
28min - TRY - Blues, lovely set play, off the scrum they throw a cutout passs then an inside ball to Ioane who goes over and scores. Kick is good.
26min - A nice play from the Blues, they go left, a very questionable pass isn't called and the Blues have good field position, the Chiefs knock the ball on and the Blues have a scrum in a good spot.
24min - Good scrum from the Blues, they win a penalty, Laulala is off, replaced by Angus Ta'avao
23min - The Chiefs work their way into the 22, Nankivell throws the ball forward, Blues scrum.
21min - Penalty won by Karpik at the breakdown, the Chiefs are slightly out with ball in hand but are doing very well on defence.
20min - The Chiefs get their first real attack of the game, but the Blues do well on defence and earn the turnover - Hoskins Sotutu makes the turnover.
16min - TRY - Blues, Tony Lamborn scores a really good try, TJ Faiane makes the initial break and finds the flanker to score the opening try of the season, the conversion is wide. Blues 5 - 0 Chiefs.
15min - The Blues win another penalty, Laulala is called offside, Blues will kick for touch.
12min - Wainui knocks the ball on and the Blues go down field and knock it out too - but there's a high tackle and the Blues earn a penalty - lovely work from Mark Telea. They will kick for the three. It's wide.. that's a bad miss.
10min - Another knock on from the Blues and the Chiefs have a great chance to set up an attack, just 20m out.
9min - Tom Robinson steals the ball in the lineout but Karpik forces a knock on, Chiefs scrum.
8min - Fantastic defence from the Chiefs, it's Boshier who gets over the ball and wins the penalty! Perfection between Cane and Boshier.
6min - A small break here, Laulala gets some medical treatment, he is up now.
6min - The Blues are held up, really good from the home side, but very nice work on defence from the Chiefs.
5min - Big break through the middle from Hoskins Sotutu, the Blues are 10m out.
3min - The Chiefs knock the ball on in the lineout, scrum, Blues feed.
2min - Early handling error, Ruru knocks the ball on. The Chiefs clear, as do the Blues, it's out on the full and the Chiefs have a lineout.
7:05pm - Kick off here! #CHIEFSMANA to receive.
7:03pm - Sam Came wearing the number eight jersey leading his men out first at Eden Park.
7pm - Not far away now, just five minutes until the #CHIEFSMANA start their quest to another Super Rugby title.
6:52pm - It's lovely weather tonight here in Auckland! Superb for running rugby which is what both sides like to do.
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to the opening round of Super Rugby for 2020.
TAB Odds: Blues $2.03 Chiefs $1.78
Pre-match chat: All Black Damian McKenzie out of Chiefs opener
All Blacks utility Damian McKenzie has withdrawn from the Chiefs' Super Rugby season-opener against the Blues on Friday.
Named in the No.15 jersey earlier this week, McKenzie, 24, pulled up with a tight adductor (groin) at training and has been replaced by North Harbour fullback Shaun Stevenson for the Eden Park game.
McKenzie missed most of last season - including the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup campaign - after tearing knee ligaments in April.
"It's unfortunate for Damian," says Chiefs captain Sam Cane. "He was doing some speed [drills] the other day and tightened his groin up.
"It's nothing serious - if it was a final, he'd play. He was keen to play after his lengthy layoff, but there is a long season ahead of us and we're keen to have him for most of it."
Lineups:
Blues: 1-Alex Hodgman, 2-Kurt Eklund, 3-Sione Mafileo, 4-Patrick Tuipulotu, 5-Tom Robinson, 6-Dalton Papalii, 7-Tony Lamborn, 8-Hoskins Sotutu; 9-Jonathan Ruru, 10-Stephen Perofeta, 11-Rieko Ioane, 12-TJ Faiane, 13-Joe Marchant, 14-Mark Telea, 15-Matt Duffie
Bench: 16-Ray Niuia, 17-Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18-Ofa Tuungafasi, 19-Josh Goodhue, 20-Blake Gibson; 21-Sam Nock, 22-Harry Plummer, 23-Emoni Narawa
Chiefs: 1-Aidan Ross, 2-Samisoni Taukei'aho, 3-Nepo Laulala, 4-Tyler Ardron, 5-Mitchell Brown, 6-Lachlan Boshier, 7-Mitchell Karpick, 8-Sam Cane, 9-Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 10-Kaleb Trask, 11-Solomon Alaimalo, 12-Alex Nankivell, 13-Quinn Tupaea, 14-Sean Wainui, 15-Shaun Stevenson
Bench: 16-Bradley Slater, 17-Atu Moli, 18-Angus Ta'avao, 19-Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 20-Pita Gus Sowakula, 21-Brad Weber, 22-Aaron Cruden, 23-Anton Lienert-Brown
