Chiefs flyer Emoni Narawa caught the eye with an outstanding finish in his side’s 20-13 triumph over the Blues in their Super Rugby Pacific derby in Hamilton on Saturday.
Narawa, who used to ply his trade at the Blues, made an immediate impact when he gathered a grubber kick from Damian McKenzie just 26 seconds into the match, and despite being close to the touchline, he managed to stay inside the field of play before diving over the whitewash in acrobatic fashion.
McKenzie held his nerve to slot the difficult conversion from close to the touchline, which meant the home side were leading 7-0 as early as the second minute.
⚫️ The Chiefs make a sensational start in Hamilton against the Blues! Emoni Narawa rounds off in style after just 26 seconds! #SuperRugbyPacific #CHIvBLU pic.twitter.com/WYCNfsIapW
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) April 1, 2023
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It did not take long for the Blues to respond, and in the ninth minute, they narrowed the gap to two points when Ricky Riccitteli managed to drive over the try-line from close quarters, although Beauden Barrett was off target with the conversion attempt.
McKenzie extended his side’s lead when he landed a penalty in the 12th minute, but the Blues did not panic and drew level five minutes later when Caleb Clarke scored their second try.
Momentum between these sides continued to ebb and flow, and in the 26th minute, Narawa scored his second converted try, which gave the Chiefs a 17-10 lead at half-time.
The second half was a much tighter affair as the teams cancelled each other out with solid defensive efforts. The Chiefs went further ahead in the 46th minute when McKenzie kicked his second penalty before Barrett also succeeded with a three-pointer off the kicking tee five minutes later.
The rest of the match was an arm wrestle as both teams battled to gain the ascendancy, but neither team managed to score points which meant the Chiefs clinched their sixth successive Super Rugby Pacific win, which consolidates their position at the top of the table.
Video credit: Super Rugby Pacific