Ardie Savea masterclass inspires Moana Pasifika to Super Rugby upset over Blues

This article originally appeared on Stuff and is reproduced with permission

Magnificent Moana Pasifika. Even more magnificent Ardie Savea.

On the back of a performance for the ages from their talismanic skipper, Moana Pasifika made history with a sensational 27-21 Super Rugby Pacific upset over crosstown rivals the Blues at North Harbour Stadium on Saturday night.

And, wouldn't you know it, at the end as the Blues pressed right on Moana's line for a try that would have snatched a last-ditch comeback, it was the 31-year-old All Blacks loose forward who got over the ball and won the relieving penalty that clinched a famous victory for his side.

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Savea's imprint was all over this outstanding result for Moana, as it has been throughout his first season for a franchise that means so much to him. Although three-try wing Kyren Taumoefolau will rightfully take his share of the plaudits, this historic victory – Moana's first at their sixth attempt over the Blues – could simply not have been achieved, in front of a raucous crowd of over 12,000, without Savea's heroic efforts.

Savea was simply magnificent throughout, whether it was winning turnovers, carrying furiously, charging into everything with no care for his body, or unleashing touches of magic, like the chip and chase that featured in the leadup to Taumoefolau's final try.

Others played their part. Taumoefolau sniped brilliantly with his pace and power for those three tries, Tevita Ofa and Lalomilo Lalomilo ran hard and often, Patrick Pellegrini ran the game splendidly and up front the Moana forwards played themselves to a standstill, none more so than Sam Slade and Miracle Faiilagi.

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The victory has all sorts of resonance for Moana, who improve to 6-6, and 28 points, with a real shot at a finals spot, despite a brutal finish of the Chiefs and Hurricanes both away.

The Blues' late-season charge came to a screaming halt as they drop to 5-8, but another bonus point takes them also to 28 points, with just the Waratahs to come after a bye. They could still play finals footy, but their margin for error it now gossamer thin.

They got big efforts out of their forwards and with Beauden Barrett continuing his form resurgence, but just could not find the poise they needed to withstand the furious Savea-led assault.

The Blues absorbed plenty of pressure through a fairly evenly contested opening 40 as they edged their way to a 14-11, two tries to one, advantage that was tenuous to say the least.

After having to withstand plenty through the opening quarter from a home team that had their measure in many key areas, the Blues appeared to take a grip on the encounter when they struck with two tries in seven minutes to thrust to a 14-6 advantage.

The first was a penalty try, in the 26th minute, when Moana prop Tito Tuipulotu was adjudged to have illegally brought down the Blues' lineout drive with Ricky Riccitelli in the vanguard. He was also yellow-carded for his efforts.

And the second came soon after when AJ Lam got the visitors close wide on the right, and then the big boys went to work, with a nice pop pass from Hoskins Sotutu putting his skipper Patrick Tuipulotu over between the posts.

At that stage Moana looked in some trouble. Momentum had left them, they were down a player and the Blues had their tails up.

Instead they rallied magnificently to conjure a try to flying wing Taumoefolau, from a fabulously worked attack off a lineout 10 metres out, and went into the break well and truly in this contest.

That feeling was backed up when Pellegrini slotted a couple of penalties to put Moana into a 17-14 lead inside the first dozen minutes, and then struck splendidly just shy of the three-quarter mark to extend their advantage to 22-14.

Shorly after Millennium Sanerivi had a try rubbed out for Lalomilo Lalomilo's foot in touch in a thunderous buildup, the home team struck splendidly when Pellegrini's deadly boot found Tevita Ofa on the crosskick and the wing batted the ball down for Taumoefolau to finish for his second five-pointer, and the 22-14 lead.

That advantage became 27-14 nine minutes later when Taumoefolau crossed for his third with a magnificent chip and chase down the touchline, shortly after losing Pepesana Patafilo for a high hit on Anton Segner.

But a Hoskins Sotutu power try seven minutes out got the Blues back within six, and from there it was a matter of whether Moana could hang on as their vocal crowd roared them home.

They did so outstandingly, with Savea having the final say, as was only fitting.