Chiefs survive late onslaught from Blues to stay unbeaten
Winger Emoni Narawa has scored two first-half tries as the Chiefs extended their winning start to the Super Rugby Pacific season to six matches with a 20-13 win over the Blues.
The Chiefs' 6-0 start is a record for the club and, having beaten the Blues, includes wins over both of last year's finalists.
Narawa scored his first try only 26 seconds into the match and added a second as the Chiefs took a 17-10 lead to halftime.
The Chiefs held out the Blues in a second half in which both teams managed only a penalty goal.
The Blues were attacking hard at the end, hoping to score a converted try to take the match to extra time.
But winger Caleb Clarke, a try-scorer earlier, knocked on in the last play of the game and the Chiefs held out to win.
"It was good to (score) about 30 seconds in which was a great start," Chiefs captain Brad Weber said.
"We owed these guys one after last year. They embarrassed us on our home turf so you could see the desperation in the defence in the second half.
"That was what that was all about."
All Blacks five-eighth Beauden Barrett had one of his worst matches with muffed goal kicks, handling errors, tactical mistakes and poor general kicking which cost the Blues in a tight match.
"We always know it's going to be a big job coming down here," Blues captain Dalton Papali'i said.
"Every game against these guys is a Test match. The boys prepared well but we just didn't execute some moments out there and it cost us."
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wel the crusaders were beaten by a queensland reds side that hadnt beaten them at home since 1999 and queensland reds partied like it was 1999
Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
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