Vaha'akolo stars as Pacific power drives Blues to back-to-back trans-Tasman crown

Katelyn Vaha'akolo delivered another big-game performance as Pacific players powered the Auckland Blues to their second straight title of the women’s Super Rugby Championship.

The 26-year-old Tongan winger scored two tries in the Blues’ 24-17 victory over the New South Wales (NSW) Waratahs at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney on Saturday.

The win caps another standout display in a team packed with Pacific talent.

Sāmoan prop Chryss Viliko and captain Maia Roos also crossed the line as the Blues successfully defended the title they won with a 36-5 victory over the Waratahs in Auckland last year.

Blues coach Willie Walker says Vaha'akolo is only just getting started.

"She hasn't reached half of her potential yet... she's still learning the game,” Walker said in a pot-match interview. “She's only been playing rugby for four or five years.

Chryss Viliko of the Blues scoring. Photo/Mark Kolbe/Photosport

"Her natural ability to find space and to be brave, to pull off a chip kick or get into support and score tries, she's a special talent."

Vaha'akolo's first try was a moment of brilliance.

She chipped ahead from deep inside the Blues' half before teenage sensation Braxton Sorensen-McGee gathered the ball, burst through the Waratahs' defence and found Vaha'akolo in support to finish in the corner.

The Blues celebrate with the trophy. Photo/Mark Kolbe/Photosport

The Waratahs controlled much of the opening 25 minutes with plenty of possession and territory but the Blues stayed within reach before Viliko powered over to level the scores.

Vaha'akolo struck moments after the half-time siren, finishing another slick attacking move to extend the visitors' lead and silence the home crowd.

The decisive moment came 15 minutes into the second half when Roos crashed over, putting the Super Rugby Aupiki champions in control as they closed in on another trans-Tasman title.

After the match, Roos told the media that the Blues' tough training sessions prepared them for the pressure of a championship decider.

"We train under pressure, and so when we play under pressure in those big moments, we just rose to the levels of our training and we're able to make those calls."

NSW kept coming, spending long periods inside the Blues' 22, creating opportunities, but Auckland's defence held firm to secure the trophy.

The result continues the Blues’ dominance of women’s rugby on both sides of the Tasman, adding the Super Rugby Champions title to the Super Rugby Aupiki crown they claimed earlier this year.

The final also showcased the growing influence of Pacific players, with Vaha'akolo, Viliko and Sorensen-McGee all playing key roles in another title-winning performance.

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