Moana Pasifika turn attention to must-win Super Rugby Pacific clash against Hurricanes after losing to Chiefs

Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea scored against the Chiefs. Photo / Photosport

Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea is issuing a rallying cry to his players, as they turn their attention to a must-win game against the Hurricanes in the final round of the season to qualify for the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs.

Moana Pasifika headed into the penultimate round against the Chiefs full of confidence on the back of three straight wins, but were handed a brutal reality check in a humiliating 85-7 defeat in Hamilton.

Despite the loss, Moana Pasifika still hold the sixth and final playoffs spot but will need to pick themselves up for a trip to the Hurricanes on Saturday, a team they’ve already beaten this season.

With the Chiefs, Crusaders, Brumbies, Hurricanes and Reds guaranteed spots in the playoffs, there is a three-team shootout for the final spot between Moana Pasifika, the Blues and the Waratahs.

The Blues host the Waratahs at Eden Park before Moana Pasifika’s clash with the Hurricanes, so Savea’s men will play with the benefit of knowing the result of that match and will be aware of what is needed to finish sixth.

Before that, there will be a huge week of preparation and Savea knows this is arguably the biggest match in Moana Pasifika’s short history.

“It’s a great lesson, not only for myself but for everyone that played tonight,” Savea said after the Chiefs game.

”What is our mental state when we’re under pressure like that? How do we get out of it?

“It’s a good smack on the nose for us. Now it’s all about next week, and we’ve got to throw everything into next week.

“The boys are really disappointed because they care. I want them to hold on to that feeling and carry it through this week.

“We want to earn another week. To do that, we have to turn up each day and be the best.”

Savea was pulled from the field midway through the second half, with coach Tana Umaga saying his skipper had an injury, although he wasn’t willing to go into details.

Umaga has played and coached in many big games in his career, and the former New Zealand captain knows the magnitude of Saturday’s clash in Wellington.

“We’ve just got to go down there and try to win,” Umaga said. “Whatever happens after that happens.

“First and foremost, we’ve got to prepare well. We’ve got to learn from this week.

“We were just a step behind tonight, everything was too fast for us, at the breakdown, across the gain line. If we want to be better next week, we’ve got to find that step because we can’t afford to do that next week.”

For the Chiefs, it cemented their status as the team to beat and a win over the Highlanders would guarantee them top spot in the playoffs.

They ran in 13 tries – their previous best being 10 - with wing Leroy Carter and halfback Cortez Ratima both claiming hat-tricks.

The 10 tries came in their win over Moana Pasifika in Hamilton last year, the same game where they had their previous biggest margin of victory which was 56.

On top of that, 85 points is the most they’ve scored in a game, with their best coming in a 72-65 win over the Lions in 2010.

In the last round, the Crusaders are away to the ACT Brumbies in Canberra, with the winner likely finishing second on the points table.

Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.