A review concluded that Vaa\u2019i left the ground to avoid a tackle, rather than diving forward to score, so the try should not have been awarded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI respect the decision. It\u2019s their competition,\u201d Vaa\u2019i responded to RugbyPass when asked about the retrospective ruling.*<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my celebration, I pointed to my head because I thought it was a diving motion; that\u2019s in the rules. Ben O\u2019Keefe is a quality referee. We trust the refs\u2019 calls.\u201d<\/p>\n
Had the try been disallowed during the game, the Chiefs might have lost. In reality, the Blues had several chances to bury the plucky visitors with six line breaks to three, a telling advantage.<\/p>\n
With ten minutes left, the Blues led 15-12 while mounting pressure near the Chiefs\u2019 22.<\/p>\n
A clever turnover from a Blues lineout by Vaa\u2019i, who drew players into congestion, earned the Chiefs a relieving penalty. Another penalty followed, finally giving the Chiefs favourable field position.<\/p>\n
In the 75th minute, Vaa\u2019i delivered a deft pass that created a hole for Samipeni Finau<\/a> to blast through. Cortez Ratima<\/a> supported and surged ahead for the match-winning try. The Blues entered the Chiefs\u2019 22 again with two minutes left, but Vaa\u2019i stole the lineout throw in a ruthless closing of the game.<\/p>\n Vaa\u2019i has won 49 of 75 games for the Chiefs. It\u2019s unlikely the 26-year-old in his seventh season would have had such influence on a match even a couple of years ago. Since 2024, he has made 17 of his 25 starts for the All Blacks.<\/p>\n \u201cHundred per cent,\u201d Vaa\u2019i agreed. \u201cExperience counts a lot, especially in a tight game.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs a young fella, you\u2019re waiting for your turn, thinking about getting your role right. It\u2019s only experience in those situations that teaches you to pick your moments.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring the week, I do as much prep on the opposition lineout as I can. While the game unfolds, I look for changes. You\u2019re looking for certain cues or pictures.<\/p>\n \u201cBrodie Retallick taught me how to pass as I did to Samipeni.\u201d<\/p>\n Points Flow Chart <\/p>\n Chiefs win +4<\/p>\n Time in lead<\/p>\n 26%<\/p>\n % Of Game In Lead<\/p>\n 11%<\/p>\n 29%<\/p>\n Possession Last 10 min<\/p>\n 71%<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Interestingly, all three of the Chiefs\u2019 tries in the opening round began with a lineout win, while their 40 tries on such possession last season were the equal-second most of any team, behind only the Brumbies<\/a> with 52. Vaa\u2019i has been directly involved in six tries across his last six Super Rugby Pacific<\/a> games.<\/p>\n In the furnace of international rugby, Vaa\u2019i has taken lessons from South Africa\u2019s Eben Etzebeth<\/a> (142 Tests, 91 wins) and England\u2019s Maro Itoje<\/a> (108 Tests, 70 wins).<\/p>\n \u201cEben is the hardest lock I\u2019ve played against. He\u2019s got such a big frame for a start, not to mention his experience, running game and aerial skills.<\/p>\n \u201cMaro is similar. He\u2019s rare for an international lock in that he almost always plays 80 minutes. That\u2019s a tough thing to do.<\/p>\n \u201cSince I tore my meniscus against Australia<\/a> at Eden Park in August last year, I can\u2019t just rock up to training without a warm-up anymore. I spend a solid 30 minutes loosening all my muscles. Mentally, it took a toll figuring that out.\u201d<\/p>\n Vaa\u2019i has credited the birth of his son, Kylo, with helping him avoid overthinking or stressing about smaller things.<\/p>\n Another mental hurdle now is the proliferation of kicking. While Vaa\u2019i thrives in aerial contests and believes aerial competition beyond restarts and lineouts can be interesting, constant aerial ping pong is challenging for forwards.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not really a game you want to be part of, running backwards and forwards watching kicks all day, \u201d Vaa\u2019i said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are coached to win territory. Kicking is just one way you can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n In the Highlanders\u2019 opening round 25-23 win over the Crusaders<\/a> in Dunedin, the ball was kicked more than 80 times. That figure surprised Vaa\u2019i, who otherwise loved \u201ca classic southern derby.\u201d<\/p>\n This Saturday, the Chiefs travel to Dundien to joust with the Highlanders. On the last occasion those sides met, Vaa\u2019i scored a hat-trick, including a 40-metre intercept, in a 41-24 Chiefs win. Vaa\u2019i wasn\u2019t even born the last time a Chiefs lock had previously scored a hat-trick. That was 79-Test All Black Ian Jones<\/a> in a 39-17 win against the Waratahs<\/a> in 1996.<\/p>\n Additionally, Vaa\u2019i contributed 13 tackles and four lineout catches in a lineout that won all 14 of its throws and snatched four from the Highlanders.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ll get a hat-trick on Saturday,\u201d Vaa\u2019i laughed. \u201cI was in the right place at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n The Chiefs are on a seven-game winning streak against the Highlanders<\/a> in Super Rugby Pacific. Another win would break the record for most consecutive wins in the fixture, which stands at 25-17 in the Chiefs\u2019 favour.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771620379_416_401.png.webp.webp\"\/)
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