Sione Lauaki scored an injury-time try to give the Waikato Chiefs a 27-20 win over the defending-champion Auckland Blues in a Super 12 rugby match at Eden Park on Friday.
Lauaki scored on a 30m solo run from a broken play with the final whistle pending to spur the underdogs to their first win over the Blues since 2001.
It leaves the winners with a 2-1 record and the Blues at 1-2.
Only moments before Lauaki’s match-winning try, All Blacks wing Ben Atiga had kicked his first penalty from three attempts to tie the score at 20-20.
David Hill, who kicked five of six attempts at goal, put the Chiefs in front with a first-minute penalty and they led 17-10 at half-time after tries to Keith Lowen and Michael Collins.
The Blues tied the scores at 10-10 and at 17-17 with the second of two tries to All Blacks wing Doug Howlett. The Chiefs edged away again with Hill’s second penalty. They led 20-17 for 15 minutes, until Atiga locked the scores again in sight of fulltime.
The win was a triumph for the Chief’s rousing forward play, their ability to gain and retain possession and their firm belief that they were the equals of the Blues.
”If you don’t have belief you don’t have anything,” said Chiefs captain Tom Willis. ”We’re just stoked to come here and have a win against arguably the best team in the competition.”
The Chiefs threw the Blues on to the back foot from the first minute with their robust forward play and their ability to recycle possession through vigorous phased play.
The largest of the Blues’ tactical blunders seemed to be their decision to replace All Blacks flyhalf Carlos Spencer after 59 minutes. The substitution, which was not motivated by injury, left Auckland without its key playmaker and without a goalkicker as Atiga (20) stumbled over his first two attempts.
While the Blues constructed some typically intricate counter-attacking play and scored two tries, their attack lacked its sharpest possible edge.
”We seemed a bit complacent when we had the ball,” said replacement captain Justin Collins. ”We needed to be hungrier.”
The Chiefs took the lead with Hill’s first penalty in the opening minute, then fleshed out that advantage with a try to centre Lowen in the 14th minute, converted by Hill.
The try came from a cleverly conceived set move. A wide pass from halfback Byron Kelleher created space and blindside wing Sitiveni Sivivatu ran into the backline outside Lowen. He passed outside to fullback Loki Crichton who dummied and beat a man before turning the ball back into Lowen who scored. The Chiefs led 10-0 with Hill’s conversion.
Howlett scored the Blues’ first try in the 21st minute after Spencer had looped his centre to allow Rico Gear, then Mils Muliaina to punch through the Waikato line. The All Blacks wing took the final pass to score wide out and Spencer converted. — Sapa-AP