App users click here for latest updates
Moana Pasifika 19 Blues 32
Moana Pasifika - Tolai, Alosio & Pole tries; McClutchie 2 conversions
Blues - Tua, Romano, Christie & Riccitelli 2 tries; Perofeta 2 conversions & penalty
Fulltime
40th minute - Perofeta misses touch, but gets the ball back in the form of a Visinia kick, so Blues go on attack again. Alosio gets the ball on his 22 as the siren sounds and his chip ahead goes into touch on the full.
Blues escape with the win, but were made to work hard by Moana Pasifika. These two teams - but probably not these exact players - will do it all over again in four days at Eden Park.
39th minute - Blues win another advantage from the lineout and can enter Moana Pasifika half with time running out.
38th minute - Restored to full strength, Blues win a penalty at the scrum and clear their line.
37th minute - Incredibly, the Blues have lasted almost 20 minutes without a prop and without having to put down a scrum. Tuinukuafe comes on to replace Laulala, but the short-handed Blues scrum is shoved off the ball.
36th minute - Moana win the lineout, but their planned move breaks down, when Ah Wong spills the ball a couple of metres from the line.
35th minute - Blues are penalised for offside from a Christie clearance kick and McClutchie kicks to the corner.
34th minue - Perofeta slots the penalty from left of the uprights, BLU 32-19
33rd minute - Blues win a penalty at the breakdown in Moana Pasifika territory and Romano points to the posts, trying to kill some time.
31st minute - From the kickoff, Christie puts a high kick up, caught by Visinia, but Williams catches McRobbie offside for a penalty.
29th minute - TRY to Christie
Romano charges towards the line, Williams is playing advantage, but the BLues don't need it, as Christie picks from the ruck and duck over the score between a defender's legs. Perofeta leaves his conversion wide, BLU 29-19
28th minute - Blues steal another lineout through Segner and build pressure in the Moana half. Christie puts Kneepkens through a gap and into the 22.
26th minute - Romano steals another Moana lineout and charges into their half. Choat runs off a ruck and Romano is penalised for leaving his feet.
25th minute - McClutchie kicks towards the 22, but Kneepkens returns with interest. When the ball comes back, Perofeta finally finds touch.
24th minute - Blues steal the Moana throw-in and Perofeta kicks long. Visinia catches and races over halfway.
22nd minute - Moana disrupt the Blues lineout and have the ball in Blues territory, then win a penalty, when Segner doesn't release in a tackle. McClutchie kicks to the corner.
21st minute - Kneepkens takes a high kick on halfway, but bobbles the ball. The BLues maintain possession and kick ahead.
Tuitavake hurtles down the left touchline, but Christie is there to tackle him into touch.
19th minute - TRY to Alosio
Tolai throws to a lineout in the corner and McRobbie wins it. Blues collapse the maul and Williams plays advantage.
McClutchie kicks towards the opposite corner and Alosio outleaps Kneepkens to score a spectacular try. McClutchie slots the conversion from near right touch, BLU 24-19
18th minute - Jack Lam drops the ball, but Williams is playing advantage and goes back for the penalty. He also wants to see footage of Laulala's shoulder charge on Inisi's head and that's an obvious red card.
The Blues will have to play on with 14 men for 20 minutes.
17th minute - Blues control the kickoff and Christie kicks high. Moana Pasifika enter Blues half and build phases.
14th minute - TRY to Romano
Blues have a lineout just a couple of metres from the Moana goal-line, as Christie comes on at halfback.
Blues win the lineout, but their maul isn't doing much and Williams signals advantage. Eventually, the maul crosses the line and Romano is claiming the try.
Williams has seen the ball over the line and no replays can overturn his try call. Perofeta's conversion hits the left upright and away, BLU 24-12
13th minute - Riccitelli throws long and Perofeta kicks to touch near halfway. Quick throw-in, but AJ Lam is over the top in a driving tackle on Leuila and wins a penalty.
12th minute - Moana win the lineout, but Romano has the Blues forwards on their game and they drive the maul into touch.
10th minute - Moana Pasifika win the lineout and may to the tryline, with Tolai is driven across the line, but penalised for the double movement.
Williams is playing advantage for Blues side entry to the maul and McClutchie kicks to the corner for a repeat effort...
Ninth minute - Kata is quickly onto Perofeta with a powerful tackle and Moana has a penalty, which they kick to the corner.
Fifth minute - TRY to Pole
McRobbie wins the line and Moana forwards maul to the goal-line. BLues hold them up initially, but eventually Pole falls over for a try in his debut game.
McClutchie bends his conversion through the posts, BLU 19-12
Fourth minute - Leuila fields Perofeta's goal-line dropout and Moana Pasifika build an attack in the Blues half. They spill the ball, but Williams is playing advantage for offsie and McClutchie kicks to the corner.
Second minute - Moana win a free-kick from the scrum and Enari takes a quick tap to catch the Blues defence off guard. When the ball shifts left, Kata powers over the tryline, but is held up.
First minute - Perofeta's kickoff goes into touch on the full, so Moana have a scrum on halfway.
Halftime
40th minute - Kneepkens fields the ball inside his own half and races over halfway, but Tele'a knocks on and Moana will get one last scrum before the half ends.
They win a free-kick from the scrum, but take the tap kick to touch to end the half.
37th minute - TRY to Tolai
Lam wins the lineout and Moana forwards surge over the line, with hooker Tolai scoring. Leuila's conversion hits the upright and bounces away, BLU 19-5
36th minute - Moana surge into BLues half, but a loose pass loses ground. When McClutchie kicks, the Blues try to bust out of their half, but Inisi is quickly on Telea and wins a penalty at the breakdown.
McClutchie kicks to the corner.
35th minute - From the kickoff, Perofeta finds a long touch back inside Moana half.
33rd minute - TRY to Riccitelli
Darry wins the lineout and the forwards maul to the tryline, where the hooker grabs his second. Perofeta slots the conversion, BLU 19-0
32nd minute - Moana Pasifika are penalised in their own 22 for not releasing the ball in a tackle and Perofeta kicks to the corner.
31st minute - Blues have the ball outside the Moana 22 and Perofeta puts in a deft crosskick towards Telea, but he loses sight of the ball, which hits him in the face and bounces away.
29th minute - Blues win another scrum penalty and Perofeta puts the ball down the middle of the field. Kneepkens rises for a high kick and was taken in an early tackle, winning a penalty, but probably deserving more against Leuila.
25th minute - TRY to Riccitelli
Romano wins the lineout and Blues maul to the goal-line. Riccitelli and Segner go close, before Riccitelli finally wriggles over. Perofeta's conversion grazes the inside of the left upright, BLU 12-0
24th minute - Damaging run from AJ Lam on the Blues wing, Darry looks for an offload and Riccitelli takes the ball into the Moana 22. Plumtree is hit in a double tackle and the ball spills into touch.
23rd minute - Moana win another turnover at the breakdown, but Enari kicks it back to the Blues.
22nd minute - Telea takes a high kick from McClutchie and runs it back into Moana half.
21st minute - Enari puts a kick into the Blues half, but Polai is offside with his chase, taking out Riccitelli, as he tries to tidy possession up.
20th minute - Cowley-Tuioti is down again and now replaced by McRobbie in the Moana second row.
19th minute - Moana get a free-kick from the lineout and tap quickly...
18th minute - Perofeta threatens to break the Moana defensive line, but the Blues are penalised and McClutchie finds touch near halfway. Lam has passed his HIA and returns to the action.
17th minute - From the scrum, Moana clear quickly and finds Kata bursting upfield. Kneepkens runs for the Blues, but when his pass goes loose, Leuila kicks into touch on the full - Blues throw.
16th minute - Romano charges over halfway, as the Blues build phases. Funaki offloads to Darry, who finds Romano, but the Blues lose the ball forward and Leuila clears long.
Williams brings them back for the Blues knock-on - not sure an under-pressure Moana scrum is fair advantage at this point.
15th minute - Another Moana scrum on their 22 and managed to exit quickly this time. McClutchie kicks long...
13th minute - From the scrum, Perofeta skilfully chips a kick into touch outside the 22, but Williams brings them back for a scrum penalty against Moana Pasifika and Perofeta finds touch on the 22, Blues throw. Moana disrupt the lineout and Blues knock on.
11th minute - Blues control the ball from kickoff and Funaki kicks high, Leuila can't gather cleanly, so Blues scrum on halfway.
Ninth minute - TRY to Tua
Moana feed to a scrum outside their own 22, but Blues pack put in a huge shove and move the ball left, where Tua scores.
Perofeta scuffs his conversion, BLU 5-0
Seventh minute - Blues just outside the Moana 22, running hard, but defence holds so far. Tele'a spots a half gap, but his offload to Perofeta gives his teammate no chance to gather cleanly.
Lam has gone off for that HIA.
Fifth minute - Blues win another penalty from the lineout and creep further down the sideline to the Moana 10.
Fourth minute - The Blues have a defensive scrum in midfield and turn on the pressure, winning a scrum penalty, which Perofeta kicks to touch.
Third minute - Moana captain Jack Lam is down, after taking a hit in the back of the head from Laulala. He seems OK, but may need a head exam.
Second minute - Moana win a lineout just outside the 22 and go on the attack again. Leuila kicks to the corner for another lineout, Blues throw.
First minute - One player feeling right at home at Mt Smart is former Warriors centre Solomone Kata, promoted into the Moana Pasifika starting line-up.
Paul Williams will referee this match, with McClutchie kicking off for the home side.
Moana secure the ball back from the kickoff and build phases in the Blues half.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the long-awaited Super Rugby Pacific clash between Moana Pasifika and the Blues at Mt Smart Stadium.
This should have been the biggest game of the revamped competition so far - it was originally the season-opener and the new team's first game at home against their crosstown rivals, before COVID-19 in the Moana Pasifika ranks forced its postponement.
Certainly, their maiden win over the Hurricanes last Friday should still ensure a healthy home crowd, now COVID crowd restrictions have been lifted.
But cramming three games into 11 days means both teams have named essentially second XVs for this midweek fixture, as they save their frontline players for the rematch at Eden Park on Saturday.
Player welfare considerations should always be first and foremost, but this fixture will lost some of its lustre without the big names on what should have been a big occasion.
Moana Pasifika coach Aaron Mauger has named 11 debutants and retained only one player from last week's starting XV - second-five Henry Taefau. Counterpart Leon Macdonald will field four debutants and also just one starter against the Highlanders - wing Mark Telea.
Prop Abraham Pole will achieve a unique milestone, playing against Moana Pasifika for the Crusaders this month, before signing on as a replacement player for Moana Pasifika for the rest of the season.
On the other side of the park, former Crusaders stalwart Luke Romano will complete his transformation to the Blues, named as captain for this encounter.
Join us at 7pm for kickoff.
TAB Odds: Blues $1.09, Moana Pasifika $5.75
Moana Pasifika: 1-Abraham Pole, 2-Luteru Tolai, 3-Joe 'Apikotoa, 4-Michael Curry, 5-Xavier Cowley-Tuioti, 6-Penitoa Finau, 7-Alamanda Motuga, 8-Jack Lam, 9-Ereatara Enari, 10-Lincoln McClutchie, 11-Anzelo Tuitavuki, 12-Henry Taefu, 13-Fine Inisi, 14-Tomasi Alosio, 15-D’Angelo Leuila
Reserves: 16-Ray Niuia, 17-Suetena Asomua, 18-Chris Apoua, 19-Alex McRobbie, 20-Josh Kaifa, 21-Manu Paea, 22-Solomone Kata, 23-Lolagi Visinia
Blues: 1-Alex Hodgman, 2-Ricky Riccitelli, 3-Nepo Laulala, 4-Luke Romano, 5-Sam Darry, 6-Taine Plumtree, 7-Adrian Choat, 8-Anton Segner, 9. Taufa Funaki, 10-Stephen Perofeta, 11-AJ Lam, 12-Tanielu Tel’ea, 13-Tamati Tua, 14-Mark Telea, 15-Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepens
Reserves: 16-Soane Vikena, 17-Josh Fusitua, 18-Karl Tu’inukuafe, 19-Cameron Suafoa, 20-Vaiolini Ekuasi, 21-Finlay Christie, 22-Corey Evans, 23-Jock McKenzie
'For giants that went before us': Moana Pasifika celebrate first Super Rugby win
Stephen Foote
Emotion was written all over the faces of Moana Pasifika players and staff, as they basked in their dramatic maiden Super Rugby victory.
After Solomone Funaki's try in the dying minutes sent the match into golden point, Danny Toala produced a piece of individual brilliance to regather his own kick and crash over the line to sink the Hurricanes 24-19, sparking wild scenes of celebration across Mt Smart Stadium.
Grinning from ear to ear, captain Sekope Kepu ranked the outpouring at fulltime to his Super Rugby title-winning experience with the Waratahs, dedicating the win to the Pasifika greats of the past who laid the foundation for the team's conception.
Two of those were on hand to witness history, with Sir Michael Jones one of the first on the field to congratulate his team, while Sir Bryan 'BeeGee' Williams joined them in their post-game huddle to deliver a heartfelt speech.
"Just very proud," Kepu has told Sky Sport. "The giants that went before us... that was for them and our fans.
"It was almost like winning Super Rugby back in 2014, that hard work paying off.
After opening their debut Super Rugby campaign with a pair of comprehensive defeats, Kepu says the win will make their peers sit up and take notice - a crucial step in earning credibility across the competition.
"We're on the board and can earn a bit of respect from the other teams. That's what we're building towards.
"We had to work hard from last week - the pride and the passion. We worked really hard in the pre-season and we knew we've got it in us.
"We just needed to string it together."
Coach Aaron Mauger was still collecting his breath after some raucous celebrations in the coaching box, as he attempted to assess what had just taken place.
"I'm a little bit lost for words, to be fair," Mauger has told Sky. "It's a good feeling.
"Obviously, we were pretty ecstatic when Danny went over. I thought the pressure was building in the second half."
The win is a culmination of hours of toil and determination from his side, Mauger adds.
"I'm really proud of the guys. They started to believe and trust the gameplan a little bit more.
"You have to learn fast in this competition. These teams are pretty lethal.
"I'm really proud of the boys for trusting and believing, and getting the job done."
Locked at 7-7 going into the interval, Mauger was confident the contest was there for the taking, if they could secure some more ball in hand, after the Hurricanes had enjoyed most of possession and forced Moana Pasifika to a mountain of defending.
"I feel like we are probably chasing too much. If we can get that right, and control the ball and control the territory a bit more, we've shown what we can do.
"I had a sense in the changing room, the boys were nice and calm. The belief was there at halftime and then it was just backing the process.
"I'm extremely proud."
But for celebrating their momentous victory, Mauger insists the team will keep their feet firmly planted, realising the challenge now lies in building on their momentum against the Blues in their rescheduled match on Tuesday.
"It's one outcome," Mauger says. “Last week, we were beaten by 50 points, but we're certainly going to celebrate this.
"It was nice to see our game start to flow and we'll take a lot of belief into Tuesday night's game against the Blues as well."
