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TEAM NEWS: Matatū - Three Matatū debutants have been named in the starting side to open the Super Rugby Aupiki season. They all come in the backline, with former Hurricane Hannah King starting at first-five, Canterbury's Fia Liakong slotting onto the left wing, and Waikato's Kaea Nepia at fullback. An all Black Ferns front row sees Pip Love, Georgia Ponsonby, and Amy Rule start, joined in the tight five by locks Laura Bayfield and Chelsea Bremner. The loose forwards also consist of Black Ferns, with Alana Bremner on the blindside flank, Lucy Jenkins on the openside, and Kaipo Olsen-Baker at number eight. Maia Joseph brings composure to the halfback role, while the midfield consists of Grace Brooker and the powerful Amy du Plessis. Winnie Palamo rounds out the starting side on the right wing. Potential debutants on the bench include Jett Hayward, Kelsyn McCook, Charlotte Va'afusuaga, and Keighley Simpson.

Matatū spill the ball froward from the lineout inside the 22, and now it's the turn of the Chiefs to turn their opponents around with a long raking kick downfield. Du Plesis runs back into contact just outside her 22, before the visitors win a penalty for an offside call. 

Hohepa tries to intercept the line-out, but Joseph manages to get it under her control for Matatū. The halfback clears downfield with the box kick, finding touch 30m from her own line. The stop-start flow continues. 

Half-time in Hamilton and the Chiefs hold an eight-point lead over Matatū. It's been a scrappy first 40 to kick off the new Super Rugby Aupiki season though, with both sides struggling to build phases, making a tonne of errors in the process. It's meant both sides have struggled to settle into any rhythm, and the contest has unfurled into a very stop-start affair. The Chiefs have had more of the field position, thanks largely to some dominant moments at set-piece, capitalising on some errant throws from Ponsonby and dominating up front in the scrum with Mahutariki-Fakalelu. They have the lead for it as such, with Ruby Tui scoring the only try and the first try of the new season. Let's hope the quality improves in the second half though, with rust dominating this contest. 

The Chiefs get a penalty near their own 22, and O'Sullivan takes the tap. Kalounivale drops it forward in midfield though, and that will win it for Matatū. 

A kicking battle ensues between the two sides, and Joseph ends up skewing the ball into touch 10m from her own line. The Chiefs win the kicking battle, and get a line-out in prime attacking position. 

Error from the Chiefs off the restart, and the visitors get a scrum feed 35m out from the try-line over on the right. Joseph rolls the ball in, before sending it out for Brooker in midfield. King tries to direct the ball across to the left for Nepia, but she's taken in a strong tackle from Brazier. Matatū manage to keep possession, and advance into the 22. 

Green's throw is intercepted by Bremner, but the ball drops on the side of the Chiefs. Tukuafu runs into contact again, as they look to hold onto possession inside their own half. Tubic sends it wide out to the left, but Paul can't reel it in, and the ball flies over the sideline. 

Matatū get a big shove on against the head at the scrum, but Bayler manages to get the ball out, and Tui clears to touch to send the two sides down the tunnel. 

Tui tries to get involved out on the right, but again the pass from Tubic sets the Chiefs backwards back inside their own half. Tukuafu charges into contact, before the hosts get a penalty at the breakdown. 

This time the penalty goes the way of Matatū, and the flow of the game is disrupted again. It's Henwood at fault, and the visitors find touch 35m from their own line. 

King finds touch on halfway from the penalty, but Ponsonby's throw is intercepted by Hohepa. More set-piece trouble for Matatū, and the Chiefs spread it wide out to the left edge for Anderson. 

The line-out throw from Green is wayward, and Tubic spills it forward at the back. Scrum for Matatū in midfield around 45m out from the line. 

Green's line-out throw isn't straight, and Matatū call for a scrum just inside their own 22. This has been an incredibly scrappy start. 

TUI SCORES THE FIRST TRY OF THE SEASON! The Chiefs get another big shove on at the scrum, and turnover possession against the head. They're quick to spin it wide out to the right, and Tui has space and time to dive in the corner for the opening try of the season. 

Bayler feeds the scrum 25m from her own line, and the Chiefs get a good shove on. The penalty comes against Parkes, and Holmes will look to the line, finding touch up near halfway for the hosts. 

Love concedes a penalty at the breakdown this time, and the Chiefs get another penalty. Tubic finds touch 30m from the try-line. Green will step up to take. 

Hello and welcome to Tribe’s live commentary of the opening game of the 2025 Super Rugby Aupiki season between the Chiefs Manawa and Matatū. Beaten finalists in each of the last two seasons, the Manawa are hoping to replicate their 2022 title and go one better this time around, but start with a bogey match against Matatū, whom they have lost two of their last three against. I’m Harrison Ryburn and I’ll bring you all the action from FMG Stadium in Hamilton. 

Matatū take their time with the restart, and King sends it long. Tubic runs it back into contact just outside her 22, and the Chiefs are going to have to go the length of the field. They send it wide for Holmes on the right, who links with Nolan though the middle. Tough stuff for the hosts. 

King adds the extra two points from right in front. 

Trailing at the break without a single point to their name, Matatū flicked a switch for the second half. They were awful through the opening 40, and struggled to build anything with ball in hand, whilst faltering at set-piece, but fixed all of that up for the second stanza. Their pack fronted, their set-piece found it's rhythm, and they pulled apart the Chiefs defence with a combination of physicality and an offload game. Amy Du Plesis was the stand-out with her two tries, continually breaking through tackles with the space afforded to her. As always, Bremner and Bayfield were also strong in the pack, whilst Joseph was good from halfback. 

King adds the extras from in front and Matatū have an 11-point lead. That should be enough to win it for the visitors with five minutes to play. 

Through Super Rugby Aupiki’s first three seasons, no one has been as successful as the Chiefs, reaching all three finals. After winning the inaugural title, they may be starting to get itchy feet though, having finished runners-up on two consecutive occasions. The Manawa led the Blues 18-5 with twenty minutes to play at Eden Park in last season’s final, but crumbled under the pressure late on to fall to a 18-24 defeat. They fell to a heavy 12-66 loss to the same side on this ground in pre-season too, and there may be a few alarm bells as they approach the 2025 campaign, hoping to make amends for two seasons of pain at the final hurdle. 

NO TRY! Joseph and Brooker combine to get Matatū within 10m of the line. Tukuafu makes another big tackle in defence, before Palu barges straight through. She's halted inches short, but the visitors recycle quickly, and it comes away for Du Plesis to score under the posts. Replays show she lost it forward in contact from Paul though, and the TMO get's involved to overturn the try. Play will come back for a Matatū penalty, and they'll pack a scrum down 5m out. 

MATATŪ GO AHEAD! The throw from Ponsonby finds Rule at the back. Matatū go through the lower numbers again with Jenkins and Bayfield. Eventually it comes out for Du Plesis, and the centre splits straight through the defence to cross the try-line just next to the right post. The Southerners hit the lead for the first time in the match. 

Tubic fields the restart inside her own 22, and finds touch 30m from her line. Ponsonby's throw is collected by Dermody at the front, and it comes into midfield for Nepia. Tui comes up hard on her with a spot tackle, but knocks the ball forward in contact. Scrum for Matatū.

Stable scrum from Matatū and Brooker clears away downfield. The hosts run it back into contact 30m from their own line, with Houpapa-Barrett and Tubic incolved. Seumanatafa is sent back by a loose pass, and the Chiefs are struggling to make any ground here. 

Ponsonby sends the line-out to the back, but Bremner spills it forward as the ball comes down. Matatū let their opponents off the hook, and Whitney Hansen shrugs her head in the coaching box. 

Joseph finally gets the ball in, and Nepia makes a strong carry through the middle. Olsen-Baker charges up into the 22, before finding King with the offload. Matatū find themselves 10m out from the line, but Joseph spills it forward at the base, and the error comes again. 

Matatū spill possession forward in contact from the restart, and the Chiefs are afforded possession 35m out. They'll set a scrum, but Tukuafu has stayed down, and she'll recieve some treatment for the hosts. 

Brazier drops possession in midfield from the line-out, and Du Plesis picks up on the loose ball. She sends it wide for Brooker wide on the right, before Bremner breaks through the defensive line straight up the middle. Holmes gets within 10m of the line, and Matatū get a penalty for an off the ball tackle on Olsen-Baker. 

The Chiefs get a penalty off the restart, and Bayler takes the quick tap. Tukuafu charges up into contact, but they spill it forward, and Joseph turns the hosts around with a long kick downfield. The halfback finds touch 30m from the try-line, and the Chiefs trudge back. 

King gets the conversion and we're back to a one-point deficit. 

Joseph finds Brooker as first reciever from the scrum 5m out. The Matatū forwards go through the phases close to the line again, and it's slow ball. Jenkins is cut down by Tukuafu, before Dermody is stopped short. 

DU PLESIS WON'T BE DENIED! Matatū continue to build close to the line, before sending it out for Du Plesis, who shrugs off O'Sullivan and crosses the line for her second try of the contest. It's some weak defence from the Chiefs, and Matatū make up for the disallowed try earlier. 

Joseph feeds the scrum, and it comes out for Du Plesis in midfield. She makes more good meters, before Dermody follows up with a strong charge. Nepia is the target though the middle, and the visitors get a penalty for a dangerous tackle against Tukuafu. Shot called 30m out and in front. King will line it up for Matatū. 

Full-time in Hamilton and Matatū have come from behind to open the season with an away victory over the Chiefs. It was turgid stuff for most of the first half, but the Southeners crossed the whitewash 60 seconds into the second stanza, and that set them on their way, putting together four tries (two from Amy Du Plesis) to win the contest. After losing their first four last season, it's a big win for Matatū to kickstart their campaign, whilst the Chiefs have backed up their pre-season drubbing with a home defeat to start. 

Rule collects the restart and runs up into contact 40m from her own line, before Matatū try to spread it wide out to the right. Nepia loses it forward though, and the Chiefs get a scrum. Changes coming for both sides. 

Ponsonby's throw is accurate this time, and Matatū take it at the back. Bremner charges up into contact on halfway, but Brazier gets over the ball at the breakdown to win another turnover penalty. 

Coates takes the restart down near her own 22, before Brazier and Smith get involved with carries. Matatū come racing up off their defensive line, and Holmes does well to dance around a defender. The Chiefs are happy to play out from deep, before Anderson loses it forward out on the left wing. Scrum for Matatū 35m out. 

Brazier stabs a kick in-behind the Matatū defence off the scrum, and Nepia does enough to get back and dot it down for a drop-out. The drop-out is collected by Brazier 30m out, and the Chiefs reset with possession again. This time Holmes concedes a penalty with a neck roll. 

Bayler feeds the ball into the scrum 5m from her own line, before getting it away for Tubic. Joseph charges the clearance kick down, but eventually it comes back for Tubic to scramble over the sideline 5m out. 

MATATU STRIKE INSIDE 60 SECONDS! Holmes collects the restart deep inside her own 22, and responds with a long raking kick up to halfway. Ponsonby charges back into contact for the visitors, followed by Bremner and Bayfield. Matatū look to build some phases to start the half, and they manage to unpick the defence. Joseph darts straight through the defence, before finding Bayfield with the offload, who dives under the posts for her team's first try of the season. 

Tubic finds touch 35m from the try-line following the penalty. Green steps up, and the throw is taken well. Paul spills it forward in midfield with a strong tackle from Du Plesis though, and Matatū kick clear downfield. Du Plesis was in front of the kicker however, and the Chiefs get a penalty. Tubic goes to the line again. 

The Chiefs get a big shove on at the scrum, and Fakalelu wins a penalty against the head. Tubic finds touch 10m away from the try-line, and Green takes. 

Bremner loses the ball forward whilst trying to intercept the Chiefs throw, and the hosts get a scrum 35m out. Bayler has the ball in her hands again. 

Anderson comes in as first reciever from the scrum, but she loses possession in contact, and Joseph turns the Chiefs around with a cracking kick downfield, winning a 50/22. Huge play from the halfback. 

The pressure gets to Holmes, and she nudges the kick wide from just to the right of the posts. 

King finds touch 20m from the try-line, and Ponsonby finds Bremner at the front. Matatū set the maul, and it comes into midfield for Olsen-Baker. She's taken in a strong tackle by Tubic, before Green gets over the ball at the breakdown to win another penalty. 

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