Krysten Cottrell: 'We’ve got lots of firepower in our backline...when things click, we're hard to stop'

Super Rugby Aupiki is only at the halfway point but already the Blues have had a better season than last year.

In 2023 the Blues were last and only won a solitary match. In 2024 the Blues have knocked over defending champions Matatu (24-17), inflicted a record defeat upon Hurricanes Poua (52-5), and finished within a whisker of leaders Chiefs Manawa (10-17).

The Blues have achieved these results despite missing Black Ferns captain, and 2022 World Rugby Player of the Year, Ruahei Demant for the last fortnight with a wrist injury.

Krysten Cottrell has played first five the entire season. On Saturday, Cottrell will celebrate her 100th first-class match when the Blues host Matatu at Eden Park. She becomes just the 19th woman to reach a century of games since official women’s records started in 1999.

“I’m having a lot of fun. The team is enjoying themselves and wanting to learn and improve,” Cottrell enthused.

“Our win against Matatu was a good stepping stone. With the competition lasting two rounds we don’t necessarily have to win every game but to get a win under the belt was a great confidence booster.”

In that opening-round win against Matatu, Cottrell took matters into her own hands. Down 12-0, Cottrell broke through and created a try for diminutive winger Jaymie Kolose in the 52nd minute.

At the hour mark she scored a try herself with a swift dummy and dash. She also made 17 tackles and kicked two conversions.

The Blues couldn’t repeat their Matatu comeback against Chiefs Manawa. Again, the Blues tumbled to a 12-0 deficit but rallied furiously. In the 78th minute reserve halfback Kahlia Awa muscled over the line and claimed a try beside the posts. An examination from the television match official spotted a slight fumble before the ball was extracted from the ruck.

“We lost that ourselves with errors. The Chiefs have a big pack but we felt like we won the collision area and blew lots of chances by not making the right decisions,” Cottrell rued.

On Saturday the Blues pounded Poua 52-5. It was the largest victory in the brief history of Aupiki. The Blues only led 5-0 at halftime.

“We got a rark-up at halftime, mistakes were letting us down. We backed our fitness to run around the Hurricanes, but it was a shock to run around them like that," Cottrell admitted.

“My job at first five is to support those around me. We’ve got lots of firepower in our backline and when combinations strengthen and things click, we’re hard to stop.”

Black Ferns winger Katelyn Vahaakolo scored a hat-trick, Kolose was illusive, and all three loose forwards Maia Roos, Tafito Lafaele and Niall Williams-Guthrie dotted down in the rout.

The measured and unselfish approach of Cottrell is hardly a surprise. She made her first-class debut in the national provincial competition for Hawke’s Bay in 2007 at the tender age of 15. That season Hawke’s Bay failed to win a game but in 2008 and 2009 they were semi-finalists. Cottrell scored two tries against 2008 winners Auckland in an especially noteworthy display.

Hawke’s Bay disbanded in 2013 so Cottrell commuted two hours south, three times a week to Palmerston North for practice and matches to keep her rugby career alive. She worked in the morning as a baker.

She returned to Hawke’s Bay when the Tui was revived in 2014. In May 2018 Cottrell was in the first group of 28 players to be offered a Black Ferns professional contract. She played eight Test matches but hasn’t played any since 2019.

With 301 points in 55 appearances, Cottrell is Hawke’s Bay's record points scorer. She was a development officer for the Union but lost that job during Covid. Still, she remained Tui captain. In 2022 Hawke's Bay won the Farah Plamer Cup Championship and last year made the semi-finals of the Premiership beating eventual winners Auckland (32-31).

“There were nine players from Hawke’s Bay in the Blues vs Hurricanes match on Saturday. Last year there were only three Hawke’s Bay players in the whole of Aupiki,” Cottrell said.

“Last season could have gone one of two ways. It could have been a disaster where we refused to believe we could compete with the top dogs or we could work hard, believe in ourselves, and back our ability. I’m proud the latter happened but I admit it was a little hard on Saturday with six Tui girls in the Hurricanes.”

Prop Moomooga Palu is the only Hawke’s Bay player in Matatu, who must win on Saturday to keep their chances of defending their title alive. Cottrell is weary of the Southerners' threat and buoyed by the prospect of the possible return of Demant who played second five beside Cottrell in the opening round.

“They’ve got good names down on paper, but haven’t been able to finish things off. We didn’t play like we wanted to play for much of that opening game while their loss to the Hurricanes could have gone either way.

“Lu and I came into the Black Ferns in 2018. She’s a very knowledgeable player with a great eye for the gap and an understanding of every possible move you can do. She takes a lot of pressure off me, but I’d like to think we have a collaborative relationship.”

Cottrell is the ninth-highest points scorer in New Zealand women’s first-class history. In 99 games she has scored 467 points (20 tries, 131 conversions, 35 penalties). She works in pest control and tree growth and maintenance. Her husband is first-class referee Tipene Cottrell.

The Blues against Matatu kicks off at Eden Park at 4:35 pm on Saturday. The fixture is a curtain raiser to the Blues vs Crusaders Super Rugby Pacific men’s match.