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Matatū seek full 80-minute statement against in Aupiki final
Savannah Lendich Jonkers • July 23rd, 2026 3:47 pm
Grace Brooker | Photo: Photosport
Matatū captain Grace Brooker says her side cannot afford to switch off for even a second as they prepare for another fierce battle against the Blues, this time in the Super Rugby Aupiki final.
After falling short in last weekend’s clash also against the Blues finishing 38-29, Brooker admitted Matatū have had to take a hard look at themselves.
Despite demonstrating moments of brilliance, the captain knows it will not be enough to take down a Blues side hunting a back-to-back championship win.
“I think with the Blues, they are phenomenal athletes and they will snatch up any opportunities they get,” Brooker told Sport Nation’s Scotty & Izzy on Thursday.
“We saw last week, any mistake we made, they were straight on it and scoring points off it. So for us, it's about staying in it for the 80 minutes, not even letting a second slip by without our concentration."
Renee Holmes: from fullback to fly-half | Scotty & Izzy
The Blues have already shown Matatū how dangerous they can be when the door is left open.
“They've got some super speed and super smarts out there, so we've got to be on the whole time.
“If we go back to last week and the week before, we definitely didn't put our best performances out there, still put out some really cool rugby, scored some really cool tries.
“Unfortunately, you got to have the ball a bit more than we did in the game to pull through so a lot of soul searching, a lot of skill work ons, but feeling good for the weekend,” she explained.
Listen to the full interview below:
