Moana Pasifika
Blues
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
Championship Standings
The Blues sit 3rd on 33 points and are chasing top spot — just two points off the Hurricanes and Chiefs. Moana Pasifika are anchored to the bottom on 4 points with a points differential of −232 and nine straight defeats. The gap between these sides is as wide as the table allows.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hurricanes | 9 | 7 | 2 | +217 | 35 |
| 2 | Chiefs | 10 | 8 | 2 | +129 | 35 |
| 3 | Blues | 10 | 7 | 3 | +82 | 33 |
| 4 | Crusaders | 10 | 5 | 5 | +54 | 26 |
| 5 | Brumbies | 10 | 5 | 5 | +16 | 25 |
| 6 | Queensland Reds | 9 | 5 | 4 | −39 | 22 |
| 7 | Highlanders | 10 | 4 | 6 | −45 | 20 |
| 8 | NSW Waratahs | 9 | 4 | 5 | −43 | 19 |
| 9 | Fijian Drua | 10 | 4 | 6 | −113 | 16 |
| 10 | Western Force | 9 | 3 | 6 | −26 | 14 |
| 11 | Moana Pasifika | 10 | 1 | 9 | −232 | 4 |
Moana Pasifika
W1, L9Wooden spoon-bound and in freefall. After upsetting Fijian Drua in Round 1, Moana have lost nine on the bounce — conceding 40+ points in five of those defeats and an average of 42 points per game. The 17–62 hammering by the Chiefs in Round 8 was the low point, but the most damning stat is the 7–43 reverse against this very Blues side just five rounds ago.
Blues
W7, L3The Blues are humming. Seven wins from ten, riding a four-from-five surge into this game with the only blip a 42–19 setback in Wellington. They've scored 33+ points in seven of ten matches and posted 40+ four times. The recent run of three consecutive wins — albeit two by single-digit margins over the Highlanders and Reds — has them firmly in the title conversation, two points off top spot.
Head-to-Head Record
1 – 0 – 6
Moana Pasifika wins · Draws · Blues wins (last 7 meetings)
The Blues have dominated this fixture, winning six of seven all-time meetings. Moana's sole victory came in March 2024 — a 27–21 home upset that remains the only blemish on the Blues' record. The 43–7 Round 5 result this season reset any false hopes from that breakthrough and confirmed the natural order.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | Super Rugby | Blues 43–7 Moana Pasifika |
| May 2025 | Super Rugby | Blues 36–17 Moana Pasifika |
| Mar 2025 | Super Rugby | Moana Pasifika 8–47 Blues |
| Mar 2024 | Super Rugby | Moana Pasifika 27–21 Blues |
| Apr 2023 | Super Rugby | Blues 31–30 Moana Pasifika |
| Apr 2022 | Super Rugby | Blues 46–16 Moana Pasifika |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Blues 38 – Moana Pasifika 18. The Blues have won by an average margin of 20 points across the seven meetings.
Extended Form
Moana Pasifika2W, 14L
2025: Beat Highlanders, Fijian Drua, Waratahs, Crusaders away; lost heavily to Chiefs (85–7), Hurricanes (64–12), Blues (47–8). 2026: Beat Fijian Drua R1, lost 9 straight.
Moana's 2025 contained genuine highlights — a 45–29 win in Christchurch and a 27–21 home upset over the Blues — but those moments have evaporated in 2026. Conceding 42 points per game across this losing streak says everything about where they're at.
Blues11W, 5L
2025: Beat Crusaders 26–6, Waratahs 41–12, Highlanders 16–9, Hurricanes 36–25, reached SR final. 2026: 7-3, beat Crusaders, Waratahs, Drua, Highlanders, Reds.
The Blues reached the 2025 final and have carried that form into 2026. Their losses this season have all come on the road or against top-six opposition — they remain the form attacking unit in New Zealand outside the Hurricanes.
Moana Pasifika XV
Lineups not yet announced. Moana Pasifika will need wholesale changes after the 27–17 reverse in Dunedin, but with the playoffs gone the focus shifts to pride and squad development.
Blues XV
Lineups not yet announced. Vern Cotter has the Blues firing and will likely keep selection settled after the back-to-back home wins over the Highlanders and Reds. Beauden Barrett, Stephen Perofeta and Hoskins Sotutu remain the spine of this side.
Key Matchups
The Blues hold a decisive edge across every facet. The All Blacks-laden back three of Tele'a, Clarke and Sullivan against a leaky Moana defence is the single biggest mismatch — expect line breaks to become tries with regularity. Moana's only realistic route to keeping it competitive is to win the breakdown battle, slow Blues ball, and take any half-chances. Round 5's 43–7 scoreline tells you what happens when those things don't go their way.
Match Forecast
Every dimension points the same way. The Blues won the Round 5 fixture 43–7, are 6-1 in the last seven meetings, and arrive on the back of three consecutive wins. Moana have lost nine straight by an average margin of 25 points, conceding 42 per game. The scorecard nets at −23 — squarely in mismatch territory — and there's no narrative twist available to soften it.
The only intrigue is whether the Blues, with one eye on top spot and bonus-point arithmetic, push for a fifty-burger. Moana have shown attacking flashes — the 27–21 upset in 2024 happened at this very ground — but the 2026 version of this side hasn't kept any opponent under 27 points. Expect the Blues to lead by 20 at the break and empty the bench in the final quarter.
Blues by 30 with the bonus point — Moana's losing streak ticks over to ten.