Blues survive late Chiefs surge to earn first Super Rugby Pacific win

The Blues opened their account in Super Rugby Pacific with a nail-biting 24-22 win over the Chiefs at Eden Park on Saturday.

It was a close contest throughout and the victory could have gone either way, but in the end, the Blues were able to snatch victory thanks to a 76th-minute try from winger Mark Telea and a clutch conversion from Stephen Perofeta.

After Harry Plummer opened the Blues' account with a penalty in the third minute, Brad Weber hit back with the Chiefs' first try shortly after when the visitors forced a turnover and the scrumhalf booted it down the field and took full advantage of a favourable bounce to regather and score.

Josh Ioane couldn't add the extras, while Plummer missed a chance to put the Blues back in front moments later.

Halfway through the opening 40, the Chiefs were in for their second try when Etene Nanai-Seturo flummoxed Mark Telea with a dummy and shrugged off the tackle of Tom Robinson to score, with Ioane adding the extras this time.

But the Blues hit back with their opening try less than five minutes later from the back of a five-metre scrum, Caleb Clarke going over after collecting a skip pass from Stephen Perofeta and cutting inside two defenders.

Ioane missed another shot at goal a few minutes later as it stayed 12-10 to the Chiefs at half-time.

The Blues were back in front six minutes after the break when their electric No 8 Hoskins Sotutu charged down Chase Tiatia's kick and hoofed it upfield, where another unkind bounce got the better of Ioane and allowed Sotutu to regather and score.

But a few minutes later the Blues were reduced to 14 men when try-scorer Clarke was given his marching orders for being offside and committing a deliberate knockdown.

It took the Chiefs just two minutes to