Hurricanes Poua first five Renee Holmes (centre) is mobbed by team-mates after scoring a try against Matatū in Timaru on Saturday. Photo: NZ Rugby/Smartframe They might still be top of the table but Matatū are not the team everybody is taking about. That would be the Hurricanes Poua. Formerly the whipping girls of Aupiki rugby, the Poua are running hot after scoring late to pip Matatū 33-31 in Timaru on Saturday. Prop Angel Mulu scored deep into stoppage time and classy first five Renee Holmes kicked the conversion to ice victory. It was a first loss this season for Matatū, who remain top of the Aupiki table with 19 points with one round remaining in the regular season, and are guaranteed a place in the final. The Blues (14 points) and the Poua (13) are contesting second spot, while the winless Chiefs have just two bonus points. On form, this might be the Hurricanes women’s title to lose. After winning just three games in four years, and losing every game in 2025, they have peeled off three straight wins, and suddenly every other team has taken notice. ‘‘There’s been a lot of hype around us this week and a lot of talk about us not having a lot of Black Ferns and being the leftovers of Aotearoa, but we’ve just shown we’re the girls that do the unseen work and we can go the whole 80,’’ Poua co-captain Te Rauoriwa Gapper told Sky Sport. ‘‘We might not be a big team of heroes but we’re a great team, ‘‘We’ve just got to focus on us and improving each week. We know if we do our core roles and keep on going, finals is a real option for us this year and that’s very exciting.’’ The drama at the start of the game surrounded Otago referee Erin Doherty. She copped an elbow to the head after an accidental collision with Matatū lock Paris Lokotui, and after getting a cut taped up, she was taken off for a rare referee’s HIA. Alena Saili scored the opening try for Matatū, and seasoned prop Pip Love burrowed over to make it 12-0. When star No 8 Kaipo Olsen-Baker charged over the line with a couple of Poua defenders hanging off her, it was 19-0 and Matatū were in complete control. Holmes scored to close the gap, and Neve Anglesey showed good finishing power to score the Hurricanes’ second and make it 19-12 at halftime. Matatū were struggling at scrum time and the Poua tied things up with a try to Arene Landon-Lane. Grace Brooker got the home side back on track when she showed composure to score after a movement that led to the Poua losing a player to the bin for a deliberate knockdown. Oddly, the Hurricanes rather dominated the 10 minutes they were down to 14 women, and when Iritana Hohaia scored a try, it was 26-26 with 10 to play. Olsen-Baker made a typically physical run that led to a Maia Davis try and a late Matatū lead. But the final minutes went badly wrong for Matatū. They coughed up a tighthead, and the Poua went 15 phases under advantage before Mulu forced her way over. Matatū play the Blues in the final round, while the Poua host the Chiefs Manawa. hayden.meikle@odt.co.nz Super Rugby Aupiki The scores Hurricanes Poua 33 Renee Holmes, Neve Anglesey, Arene Landon-Lane, Iritana Hohaia, Angel Mulu tries; Holmes 4 con Matatū 31 Alena Saili, Pip Love, Kaipo Olsen-Baker, Grace Brooker, Maia Davis tries; Maia Joseph 3 con Halftime: Poua 19-12.
