The last incident of the match typified the heart, daring, and quality of a gargantuan struggle. Matatū centre Amy Du Plessis busted inside the Blues 22 and identified an overlap to her right. A pass was delivered in that direction, but Portia Woodman-Wickliffe poached an intercept and surged forward in the grasp of three defenders. When she tumbled to the ground, there was no panic. The ball was recycled promptly and cleared to touch by the replacement halfback Kahlia Awa to trigger euphoric celebration on one side and desolation on the other.
Blues and Black Ferns No.8 Liana Mikaele Tu’u told Sky Sport: “We have students, Mums, full-time workers; to put something out like that, I’m so proud. Regardless of the result, we wanted to play with heart.”
Down a dozen while conceding eight successive penalties was the worst possible start for the Blues. By contrast, Matatū was patient, polished, and worthy of the lead.
Winger Winnie Palamo crossed after six minutes following a lofted pass from Du Plessis. The Blues had failed to secure any possession.
Facing a warning for repeated infringements, Du Plessis spared the Blues a reduction in numbers when she wriggled over for her fourth Aupiki try in the 18th minute.
The Blues needed a reprieve, and it arrived in the 21st minute when Matatū fumbled at halfway. From the scrum, Woodman-Wickliffe cannoned into a hole and distributed to Ruahei Demant, who finished under the sticks. Demant played every minute this season and scored five tries.
A spark flickered. Suddenly, the Blues mangled Matatū with prop Chyrss Viliko resembling a schoolyard bully with her 26th-minute try. A second conversion by Krysten Cottrell propelled the hosts to a 14-12 advantage.
Matatū conceded a third of their points in the second twenty minutes of the first half in 2025. Matatū lost halfback Maia Joseph and fullback Kaea Nepia to injury before the break, with prop Moomooga Palu replaced by Amy Rule.
Matatū seized the initiative after the interval with No.8 Kaipo Olsen-Baker imperious. In the 55th minute, the Blues crumbled when a 21-phase assault was completed by Olsen-Baker. Hannah King’s sideline conversion made it 19-14 to the visitors.
The threat of Demant and Woodman-Wickliffe lurked. In the 61st minute, Demant offloaded in traffic, and with one arm, to Woodman-Wickliffe as the Blues reclaimed the lead, 21-19.
The head spinner plot would soon become literal. Unfortunately in the 63rd minute Matatū hooker Georgia Ponsonby was yellow carded for head-on-head contact in a tackle. Eloise Blackwell’s sanction for a similar incident was even harsher. The foundation Blues captain in her 20th match was red-carded in the 67th minute.
Matatū pressed and then panicked. A rushed pass was intercepted by Braxton Sorenson-McGee in the 70th minute. The 18-year-old hit the accelerator and outpaced Fia Laikong and Grace Brooker to the line in a 60 metre burst that had most of the crowd hoarse.
“It was unreal to score that in front of my family. To my Mum, I love you, to my sister, I love you,” an overwhelmed Sorenson-McGee said afterwards.
Earlier, Sorenson-McGee had been involved in a try-saving tackle and two clean breaks.
Cool heads were required, and the Blues' defence proved resolute. Maia Roos has played every minute in Blues history and held Pip Love up in a maul after 17 exhaustive phases. Reserve prop Awhina Tangen-Wainohu atoned for an elementary knock-on with a showcase of defiance close to the posts.
The Blues won more games (6) and scored more points (240) and tries (37) than any side in 2025. Thirteen players featured in the 2024 final.
The Blues now face the Australian Super W champions NSW Waratahs this Thursday in a historic crossover Champions Final. Watch it live on Sky Sport in New Zealand and FREE on NZR+ in selected territories.
Blues: 26 (Ruahei Demant, Chryss Viliko, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Braxton Sorensen-McGee tries; Krysten Cottrell 2 cons, Demant con) Matatū: 19 (Winnie Palamo, Amy Du Plessis, Kaipo Olsen-Baker tries; Hannah King 2 cons) HT: 14-12