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Auckland - Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga scored a brilliant first half try to help the Chiefs to a 16-11 win over the Blues in a Super Rugby clash on Saturday.
The 38-year-old Umaga scored in the 26th minute to lift the Chiefs to a 7-6 lead at halftime after they had played the first 40 minutes into a strong wind. Though Umaga limped from the field in the 44th minute with an ankle injury, the Chiefs were able to hold on for their sixth win of the season.
Both teams scored one try and the match was decided by the goal-kicking of former All Blacks flyhalves Luke McAlister and Stephen Donald.
McAlister kicked his first two penalties, including a massive strike from 55 metres, but missed his next five attempts. Donald missed his first two, then landed three penalties and a conversion.
The loss was the Blues’ third in succession - after defeats by the Stormers and Reds - and continued their slide from overall first place four weeks ago to third after Saturday's match.
It also cut the Blues' lead over the Crusaders in the New Zealand conference to only two points, ahead of their clash with the Crusaders in Timaru next week. That match may decide which team finishes on top of the five-team conference to qualify automatically for the playoffs.
The Blues have begun to accumulate a history of poor second half performances, producing another shoddy tactical effort on Saturday when they turned to face the breeze.
McAlister, who has been touted as a possible understudy to All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter at this year's World Cup, had a chance to cement that position when he started only his fourth game for the Blues this season in the No. 10 jersey. But he made a poor fist of the move from inside centre and it was partly his inability to control and direct the Blues' game that contributed to their defeat.
McAlister seemed in outstanding goalkicking form - likely to improve on his 75 percent success rate this season - when he landed goals in the fifth and seventh minutes.
But the Chiefs rallied strongly and, after Donald had missed attempts in the 10th and 14th minutes, seized the lead with Donald's conversion of Umaga's try.
Umaga initiated the try-scoring movement, making an outstanding outside break and linking with All Blacks fullback Mils Muliaina. When the move broke down, the Chiefs managed to convey the ball again to Umaga and the veteran crashed over the goalline in the arms of three defenders.
Donald put the Chiefs ahead 10-6 with an early second half penalty but the Blues retrieved the lead with a try to centre Jared Payne. A further penalty by Donald put the Chiefs ahead again and he clinched the win with a long-range goal two minutes before fulltime.
"It was great. Anytime you come up State Highway One (between Auckland and the Chiefs' base at Hamilton) you know you're going to be in for a massive game so it was great for us tonight," Chiefs captain Muliaina said.
"I thought we played some good rugby in that first half. We were probably a little bit conservative in that second half but we got the result in the end."
Auckland captain Jerome Kaino was disappointed his team had let another win slip away at a crucial stage of the season.
"It was really disappointing. The Chiefs really came out to play and pressured us tonight and deserved the win," he said.
"We wanted to play the territory game but you can't play the territory game without the ball."
Scorers:
Blues - Try: Jared Payne. Penalties: Luke McAlister (2).
Chiefs - Try: Tana Umaga. Conversion: Stephen Donald. Penalties: Donald (3).
Teams:
Blues:
15 Lachie Munro, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Jared Payne, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Rene Ranger, 10 Luke McAlister, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Jerome Kaino (captain), 5 Ali Williams, 4 Anthony Boric, 3 John Afoa, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Tevita Mailau
Substitutes: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Charlie Faumuina, 18 Chris Lowrey, 19 Sean Polwart, 20 Chris Smylie, 21 Stephen Brett, 22 Sherwin Stowers.
Chiefs:
15 Mils Muliaina (captain), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Tana Umaga, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Fritz Lee, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Romana Graham, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Nathan White, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Ben May
Substitutes: 16 Aled de Malmanche, 17 Toby Smith, 18 Culum Retallick, 19 Matt Vant Leven, 20 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 21 Mike Delany, 22 Dwayne Sweeney
The 38-year-old Umaga scored in the 26th minute to lift the Chiefs to a 7-6 lead at halftime after they had played the first 40 minutes into a strong wind. Though Umaga limped from the field in the 44th minute with an ankle injury, the Chiefs were able to hold on for their sixth win of the season.
Both teams scored one try and the match was decided by the goal-kicking of former All Blacks flyhalves Luke McAlister and Stephen Donald.
McAlister kicked his first two penalties, including a massive strike from 55 metres, but missed his next five attempts. Donald missed his first two, then landed three penalties and a conversion.
The loss was the Blues’ third in succession - after defeats by the Stormers and Reds - and continued their slide from overall first place four weeks ago to third after Saturday's match.
It also cut the Blues' lead over the Crusaders in the New Zealand conference to only two points, ahead of their clash with the Crusaders in Timaru next week. That match may decide which team finishes on top of the five-team conference to qualify automatically for the playoffs.
The Blues have begun to accumulate a history of poor second half performances, producing another shoddy tactical effort on Saturday when they turned to face the breeze.
McAlister, who has been touted as a possible understudy to All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter at this year's World Cup, had a chance to cement that position when he started only his fourth game for the Blues this season in the No. 10 jersey. But he made a poor fist of the move from inside centre and it was partly his inability to control and direct the Blues' game that contributed to their defeat.
McAlister seemed in outstanding goalkicking form - likely to improve on his 75 percent success rate this season - when he landed goals in the fifth and seventh minutes.
But the Chiefs rallied strongly and, after Donald had missed attempts in the 10th and 14th minutes, seized the lead with Donald's conversion of Umaga's try.
Umaga initiated the try-scoring movement, making an outstanding outside break and linking with All Blacks fullback Mils Muliaina. When the move broke down, the Chiefs managed to convey the ball again to Umaga and the veteran crashed over the goalline in the arms of three defenders.
Donald put the Chiefs ahead 10-6 with an early second half penalty but the Blues retrieved the lead with a try to centre Jared Payne. A further penalty by Donald put the Chiefs ahead again and he clinched the win with a long-range goal two minutes before fulltime.
"It was great. Anytime you come up State Highway One (between Auckland and the Chiefs' base at Hamilton) you know you're going to be in for a massive game so it was great for us tonight," Chiefs captain Muliaina said.
"I thought we played some good rugby in that first half. We were probably a little bit conservative in that second half but we got the result in the end."
Auckland captain Jerome Kaino was disappointed his team had let another win slip away at a crucial stage of the season.
"It was really disappointing. The Chiefs really came out to play and pressured us tonight and deserved the win," he said.
"We wanted to play the territory game but you can't play the territory game without the ball."
Scorers:
Blues - Try: Jared Payne. Penalties: Luke McAlister (2).
Chiefs - Try: Tana Umaga. Conversion: Stephen Donald. Penalties: Donald (3).
Teams:
Blues:
15 Lachie Munro, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Jared Payne, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Rene Ranger, 10 Luke McAlister, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Peter Saili, 7 Luke Braid, 6 Jerome Kaino (captain), 5 Ali Williams, 4 Anthony Boric, 3 John Afoa, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Tevita Mailau
Substitutes: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Charlie Faumuina, 18 Chris Lowrey, 19 Sean Polwart, 20 Chris Smylie, 21 Stephen Brett, 22 Sherwin Stowers.
Chiefs:
15 Mils Muliaina (captain), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Tana Umaga, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Fritz Lee, 7 Tanerau Latimer, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Romana Graham, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Nathan White, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Ben May
Substitutes: 16 Aled de Malmanche, 17 Toby Smith, 18 Culum Retallick, 19 Matt Vant Leven, 20 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 21 Mike Delany, 22 Dwayne Sweeney
