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Blues hold off Chiefs for nail biting Super Rugby Aotearoa victory

July 26, 2020
Matt Duffie runs against the Chiefs

Relive 1 NEWS' live updates of the Super Rugby Aotearoa clash between the Blues and the Chiefs from Eden Park.

5:17pm: FULLTIME - Blues 21 Chiefs 17

The Blues just need to win the lineout. Eklund throws, Tuipulot wins it. Black clears into touch and the Blues win!

5:15pm: 80 mins - Blues 21 Chiefs 17

The Chiefs take the tap and attack the line through Taukei'aho, but the Blues win a penalty right on their own line!

Josh Goodhue the hero! That should be the win for the Blues!

5:14pm: 79 mins - Blues 21 Chiefs 17

The Chiefs want the lineout. Four-man lineout called for. Taukei'aho throws, Sowakula wins it and they drive.

Weber splits and attacks the line, but can't get there. Boshier tries to go, but the Blues have everyone back in defence.

Cane takes the ball to the post, penalty for the Chiefs and looks like the Blues will be shown a yellow.

Plummer goes to the bin.

5:12pm: 77 mins - Blues 21 Chiefs 17

The Chiefs win their own lineout throw and look to drive. Theyv've got the advantage too.

Cruden and McKenzie combine before Wainui goes close on the right wing! 

The Chiefs are right on the line here! Another advantage, Cruden puts a banana kick up to the left wing - Nankivell and Thomson both can't get there, so we go back for the penalty!

5:10pm: 75 mins - Blues 21 Chiefs 17

Chiefs lineout and they drive, before Weber appears from the back to put up a bomb. 

Clarke wins it and starts the counter. Barrett looks for a gap, but can't get through. Nock puts up a high kick, McKenzie can't win it though as it falls on the Blues' side, but Tupaea wins a penalty!

Cruden tries to find touch - but he can't! Plummer clears any danger.

5:07pm: 73 mins - Blues 21 Chiefs 17

Blues scrum, Nock feeds, front rows collapse. Reset. Front row goes down again, this time it'll be a penalty for the Blues.

Barrett finds touch for a lineout. Eklund throws and the Blues can launch. Akira Ioane takes the line on, Boshier tackes.

Eklund has a go up the middle, as does Tuipulotu. Faiane is tackled, and Sowakula turns it over!

Great defence from the Chiefs.

5:01pm: 67 mins - Blues 21 Chiefs 17

We'll restart with a Blues scrum. Clarke runs as first receiver before the Blues go wide. Telea can't hang on, but we go back for a penalty at the scrum. Otere Black comes on to replace Duffie, meaning Barrett moves back to fullback.

Blues lineout, Lamborn wins it. They're well in the 22 here. Tuipulotu charges at the line keeps going. Barrett throws a wide pass to Telea on the wing, but Lienert-Brown makes a try saving tackle to force the Blues man into touch.

4:56pm: 63 mins - Blues 21 Chiefs 17

Knock on call against the Chiefs as Christie forces an error from Weber.

Blues scrum. Christie feeds, Akira Ioane runs off the back and holds off all tacklers before offloading to Papalii. They go to the right before Barrett puts the bomb up. McKenzie takes.

The Blues try to turn it over, but the Cheifs hang on. McKenzie clears straight to Barrett with Clarke in support. Rieko Ioane nearly breaks the line. Faiane and Nankivell clash, with the Chiefs' man hurt as a result. 

Nankivell stays down and the referee stops play.

4:49pm: 56 mins - Blues 21 Chiefs 17

TRY!!!  Tu'ungafais of all people hits a gap for the Blues and nearly sends Christie over!

The Blues are close as Barrett attacks the line, Christie goes again and this time claims the try! The on-field decision is no try, but we'll check upstairs.

This looks good, no issue with the grounding as the try is confirmed!

Barrett converts too!

4:46pm: 55 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 17

Bit of rain starting to fall. Blues scrum after a knock on from Tupaea.

Akira Ioane runs off the back from number eight and puts a kick through, the Chiefs gather though as Cruden clears into touch.

4:43pm: 52 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 17

Alaimalo's gone off after that injury, looks like Clarke landed on his shoulder. Chiefs advantage and penalty after the Blues are offside after a lineout.

The Chiefs want the points, McKenzie to take the kick from front on, albeit around 40m out. 

No issue though, the Chiefs take the lead!

4:40pm: 48 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 14

TRY!!!  Chiefs' scrum. Weber feeds, Sowakula runs off the back. Sowakula throws a loose pass that Weber snaps up, he takes the ball into the tackle, before he finds Cruden.

Cruden throws a dummy, before finding Lienert-Brown, who draws in the last defender, and gets the pass away to Alaimalo to run away and score in the corner! Alaimalo stays down injured though, looks like he's done his shoulder while grounding the ball.

McKenzie to level the scores with the kick, and he does! Game on!

4:36pm: 45 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 7

The Blues win the lineout against the throw and can attack. Barrett nearly steps his way through. Ioane and Faiane combine as the Blues go right.

Eklund loses the ball in the tackle of Lienert-Brown. Chiefs scrum.

4:33pm: 43 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 7

Blues scrum to start the second half. Christie feeds, and the Blues run off the back.

Sam Cane stays down after tackling Cowley-Tuioti. Rieko Ioane breaks before McKenzie takes him, he gets the ball away to Telea, but Nankivell steals possession.

McKenzie clears the danger, only to Barrett waiting at the back for the Blues. He clears into touch. Chiefs lineout.

4:30pm: 41 miins - Blues 14 Chiefs 7

We're back for the second spell. The big news after the break is that Aaron Cruden has replaced Trask at first-five.

Cruden kicks off the second half.

4:18pm: HALFTIME - Blues 14 Chiefs 7

The Blues with one last chance to attack to end the half. Barrett and Clarke combine, Christie stabs a kick into touch for a lineout, will there be time to take it though?

Yes. The Chiefs call for a short one though. Slater throws, Vaa'i takes it. Boshier of all people clears into touch.

4:12pm: 36 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 7

Slater's throw is over the top. Trask is there to tidy up though, he finds Nankivell to attack the line, but he loses the ball in Telea's tackle.

Blues scrum.

4:11pm: 35 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 7

Chiefs' scrum after Barrett throws a forward pass during a Blues counter attack. Weber feeds, and the Chiefs win the advantage, and the penalty.

Trask finds touch for a lineout. Slater throws, Vaa'i wins it. The Chiefs look for the drive, but the Blues' defence holds.

The Chiefs go to the backs as McKenzie feeds Alaimalo on the left wing. Lienert-Brown tries to step through, but can't go anywhere.

Trask makes a run down the left. Cane makes good metres. Bit of a loose pass from McKenzie, but he tidies up to find Wainui.

Cane hits the line, and the Blues don't roll away. Tuipulotu is warned on behalf of the Blues.

4:04pm: 29 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 7

The Chiefs are nearly in again! McKenzie splits the defence after the Blues clear, he finds Weber who makes good ground.

The Chiefs go wide, but the Blues win a penalty and find touch. Blues lineout.

4:01pm: 26 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 7

Chiefs penalty, Trask's kick isn't in touch as Telea spills it, but Alaimalo pounces! He's close as the Chiefs look to hit back.

The Blues scramble back as the Chiefs go wide. McKenzie tries to switch the play to the other wing, but Clarke knocks on the attempted intercept. The Chiefs knocked on first though.

Blues scrum.

3:58pm: 23 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 7

Blues knock on. Chiefs scrum. 

Weber feeds and finds Alaimalo at first receiver. The Chiefs go wide, but they run out of room as Clarke forces Wainui into touch.

3:55pm: 21 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 7

TRY!!!  Slater throws to Sowakula before Weber nearly gets through. McKenzie gdoes the same to win advantage.

The Chiefs right on the tryline here. They go short to Boshier who goes over to score! The Chiefs on the board!

McKenzie to convert, and he makes no mistake.

3:53pm: 19 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 0

Chiefs advantage as Papalii doesn't roll away. They go wide to Alaimalo, but he can't make the most of the advantage, so we'll go back. Trask finds touch for a lineout inside the Blues' half.

Slater throws, Vaa'i wins it. Trask nearly dfinds Wainui with an inside ball, but the Blues are offside. Lienert-Brown hits the line, but we go back for the penalty.

The Chiefs want another lineout.

3:51pm: 16 mins - Blues 14 Chiefs 0

TRY!!!  Blues lineout after that penalty. Eklund throws safely as the Blues look to move the ball through the hands.

Rieko Ioane tries to step through as the Blues move into the 22. Barrett and Telea nearly combine to break the line. 

Telea drives the ball past the five-metre line. Rieko Ioane runs but is taken short. The Blues right on the line, before Tuipulotu picks and goes over for the try!

Barrett with his second kick, and again he has no issues!

3:47pm: 12 mins - Blues 7 Chiefs 0

Weber feeds and runs off the back. The Chiefs inside the 22 before O'Neill is driven backwards by Tu'ungafasi - and wins a penalty for the Blues!

Huge effort from the Blues' pro..

3:45pm: 11 mins - Blues 7 Chiefs 0

Penalty for the Chiefs as Akira Ioane doesn't roll away. Will they want the points? Nope. Trask finds touch this time for a Chiefs lineout.

Slater throws, the Chiefs win it. Nankivell tries to run but the Blues knock on the attempted intercept. Chiefs advantage.

Lienert-Brown has a go, but can't get anywhere, so we'll go back for the penalty and a scrum.

3:43pm: 8 mins - Blues 7 Chiefs 0

TRY!!!  Christie feeds as the Blues look to move the ball. Barrett goes to Ioane, who puts Duffie into a gap and he's through to score!

Great wheels on show from Duffie as he holds off McKenzie to score the first try of the match. 

Barrett with kicking duties today, and sends the ball through the sticks.

3:40pm: 5 min - Blues 0 Chiefs 0

Trask kicks for touch from the penalty, but the ball doesn't go out. Barrett returns fire for a Chiefs lineout.

Slater throws and the Chiefs win it. Weber goes to the air with a box kick. Clarke goes up again, but this time can't hang on.

The Blues keep the ball through Christie though as they go wide to Telea's wing. Eventually Christie puts the kick up. 

McKenzie jumps for it, but can only knock on to force a Blues scrum.

3:38pm: 3 mins - Blues 0 Chiefs 0

Weber feeds, before the Chiefs go to Nankivell at first receiver. The Chiefs move wide to Alaimalo's wing, before Trask goes to the air.

Clarke takes it, only to be smashed by Wainui. The Chiefs drive over the top to win the turnover. McKenzie nearly slips through, taken by Akira Ioane as the Chiefs get the advantage.

Weber chips over the top, Telea fields the kick but we go back for the penalty. 

3:36pm: 1 min - Blues 0 Chiefs 0

The Chiefs let the kick bounce as Cowley-Tuioti attempts to get over the top. He can't hang on though and the Chiefs will start us off with a scrum.

3:35pm: KICKOFF - Blues 0 Chiefs 0

Beauden Barrett kicks off, and we're awat at Eden Park!

3:33pm

And now Tuipulotu brings the Blues onto the pitch. 

3:32pm

Sam Cane leads the Chiefs out of the tunnel, they'll be desperate to snap their losing streak - against their arch rivals too.

3:20pm

Good afternoon! Auckland has turned on a stunner for this afternoon's match, and the fans are out in force too.

Kick off around 15 minutes away.

PREVIEW

The Hurricanes' upset win in Christchurch last night has given the Blues a huge opportunity to move within a point of the table-topping Crusaders. 

To do that, they will need a bonus point victory but even without the four tries, a win would see Leon MacDonald's side move past the Hurricanes into second, two points behind the Crusaders.

The Chiefs meanwhile will be hoping they can finally get across the line for their first win after last weeken's agonising defeat to the Highlanders.

Blues star Beauden Barrett will get a chance to silence his critics at his preferred role of first-five.

TEAMS

Blues:  15. Matt Duffie, 14. Mark Telea, 13. Rieko Ioane, 12. TJ Faiane, 11. Caleb Clarke, 10. Beauden Barrett, 9. Finlay Christie, 8. Akira Ioane, 7. Dalton Papalii, 6. Blake Gibson, 5. Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu (c), 3. Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 2. Kurt Eklund, 1. Alex Hodgman.

Reserves : 16. Luteru Tolai, 17. Karl Tu’inukuafe, 18. Sione Mafileo, 19. Josh Goodhue, 20. Tony Lamborn, 21. Sam Nock, 22. Otere Black, 23. Harry Plummer.

Chiefs:  15. Damian McKenzie, 14. Sean Wainui, 13. Anton Lienert-Brown, 12. Alex Nankivell, 11. Solomon Alaimalo, 10. Kaleb Trask, 9. Brad Weber, 8. Pita Gus Sowakula, 7. Sam Cane (c), 6. Lachlan Boshier, 5. Mitchell Brown, 4. Tupou Vaa'i, 3. Nepo Laulala, 2. Bradley Slater, 1. Reuben O'Neill.

Reserves : 16. Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17. Ollie Norris, 18. Ross Geldenhuys, 19. Adam Thomson, 20. Mitchell Karpik, 21. Lisati Milo-Harris, 22. Aaron Cruden, 23. Quinn Tupaea.

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