The nib Blues wāhine continued their dominant start to the season, powering past Chiefs Manawa 36-21 in an emphatic display at FMG Stadium.
From the kickoff, the Blues set the tone moving the ball wide straight away, with Sylvia Brunt slicing through before feeding Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who stormed into the 22. A knock-on gave the Blues a scrum, and they wasted no time, spreading it wide for Jaymie Kolose to open the scoring.
The forwards then took control. A dominant scrum inside the 22 saw Liana Mikaele-Tu’u pick up from the base and bulldoze her way over, before Krysten Cottrell, steering the attack expertly from first five, stepped inside to score under the posts, extending the lead to 21-0. Chiefs Manawa clawed back two tries late in the half, closing the gap to 21-14 at the break.
The second half was a tense battle until the nib Blues broke it wide open in spectacular fashion. First, Braxton Sorenson-McGee created space on the right, offloading to Woodman-Wickliffe, who steamrolled through defenders to score. Then, straight off the restart, the nib Blues struck again spreading it wide to Sorenson-McGee, who turned on the jets from halfway, scorching past the defence to dot down.
The Chiefs Manawa responded in the 61st, but the nib Blues weren’t letting this one slip. Resolute defence shut down any hope of a comeback before Brunt sealed the deal with a late try, capping off another statement win.
The nib Blues once again showed their backlines firepower, with Sorenson-McGee and Woodman-Wickliffe wreaking havoc out wide, while Cottrell pulled the strings brilliantly at first five, keeping the attack moving and the Blues on the front foot. But it was the forward pack that laid the foundation, with Mikaele-Tu’u and Maiakawanakaulani Roos dominating up front.
With the victory, the nib Blues not only maintained their unbeaten run but also secured a place in the final with two rounds remaining. Momentum is on their side as they head to Whangarei for a home match against the Matatū in a top of the table clash.