Relive 1 NEWS NOW's live coverage of the Blues 24-9 victory over the Stormers from Eden Park, Auckland.
9:27pm: FULLTIME - Blues 24 Stormers 9
Pieter-Steph du Toit spills the ball from the lineout, and the Blues win!!!
9:26pm: 80+2 mins - Blues 24 Stormers 9
Into the last minute, and the Stormers win a penalty after the Blues' front row collapses. This time they go for the corner, the win is gone but the Stormers can at least deny the Blues a bonus point.
Advantage for the Stormers as the siren goes, de Allende goes at the line but is tackled. The referee blows for tackler not releasing.
The Stormers want the lineout again.
9:22pm: 78 mins - Blues 24 Stormers 9
Leyds makes a run down the Blues' right, but SBW comes across and smashes him into touch. The assistants want to check it's not a high tackle, but he's fine there. Blues lineout.
9:20pm: 76 mins - Blues 24 Stormers 9
TRY!!! And surely the Blues have sealed it! The Blues go for the lineout drive, looking to play the Stormers at their own game. Akira Ioane takes the ball from the back, and finds his brother outside him. Rieko has one man to beat on the left wing, and you just don't stop him from there.
Rieko grabs his seventh try in the last three games, and surely that's goodnight. Black adds the extras for a 15-point lead.
9:18pm: 74 mins - Blues 17 Stormers 9
The Stormers again trying to attack, but Scarra Ntubeni is penalised for going in the side of the ruck. The Blues' defence is holding out superbly down to 14 men. Elsewhere, TJ Faiane is staying down injured for the Blues, while Tuipulotu is replaced by Scrafton.
Blues lineout.
9:16pm: 72 mins - Blues 17 Stormers 9
Stormers lineout, and they run it until the Blues give away a penalty for offside against Akira Ioane. Surely they take the lineout?
No, they want the points. SP Marais lines up his first kick, but he misses!
What a moment that could be!
9:13pm: 70 mins - Blues 17 Stormers 9
RED CARD! Oh no! Kick goes up for the Stormers, and there's a horrible clash between Tele'a and Leyds. Leyds isn't getting up afterwards, he looks seriously hurt, Tele'a played his legs in the air.
Tele'a could be off here, he is. That's a red card and the Blues are down to 14.
9:10pm: 69 mins - Blues 17 Stormers 9
Blues lineout. Parsons throws and there's a scramble for possession. The Blues end up with the ball as Rieko Ioane drives forward. Tu'inukuafe has a go, before Faiane tries a kick through. The ball goes into touch for a Stormers lineout just over the 22.
9:02pm: 63 mins - Blues 17 Stormers 9
TRY!!! Otere Black scores! From the back of a scrum, Ruru finds SBW who takes the ball to the line. Black is waiting on SBW's shoulder, and the offload is perfect. Black scores a vital try right under the posts.
Black manages to convert his own try to give the Blues an eight point lead.
8:59pm: 60 mins - Blues 10 Stormers 9
The Blues break now after SBW turns the ball over! They go wide to Tele'a, before Tu'inukuafe goest at the line. The Blues switch out to the left where Robinson has a crack - only for Etzebeth to save a certain try.
8:52pm: 55 mins - Blues 10 Stormers 9
The Stormers are penalised for incorrectly joining the ruck. Black can't find touch though and the Stormers keep it alive. Jantjies clears to Nanai. The Blues look to run, but a loose pass has Peterson strip SBW to turn the ball over.
The Stormers throw a forward pass though. Blues scrum. The Stormers have had 79% of the ball in the second half.
8:46pm: 51 mins - Blues 10 Stormers 9
Du Toit drops the ball on attack and the Blues break down the left through Nanai! Damian Willemse does well to make the try saving tackle, before turning the ball over! Brilliant from the Stormers' fullback! The Stormers escape this time! Blues lineout.
8:44pm: 49 mins - Blues 10 Stormers 9
The Stormers strike now! A quick turnover sees Leyds away down the left, he kicks through for Stander who holds off two defenders and scores!
Hang on a sec, the try is awarded, but the assistants want another look. Kitshoff's pass out to Leyds was forward! The Blues get out of jail, but the Stormers have a penalty, this time they go for the corner.
8:41pm: 48 mins - Blues 10 Stormers 9
Penalty! The Stormers win a penalty after Tuipulotu is offside. Will they take the three or go for the corner?
They want the points as du Plessis lines up the kick, and he's got this one too. The Blues' lead just one.
8:37pm: 43 mins - Blues 10 Stormers 6
The Stormers running the ball to start the second half as they go past the Blues' 22.
Leyds goes wide to du Toit - but he's lost it forward! The Blues survive to start the second half. Blues scrum.
8:34pm: 41 mins - Blues 10 Stormers 6
Jean-Luc du Plessis kicks off, and the Stormers win the ball back straight away through Etzebeth.
8:33pm
We're back for the second half. The Stormers will kick to the Blues to get the game back underway.
8:23pm: HALFTIME - Blues 10 Stormers 6
The Blues just looking to slow it down as the Stormers try and go forward. The Blues turn it over and Black kicks for the corner in the dying seconds. The referee says no time for a lineout, and that's the first half. Blues take a four point lead into the break.
8:19pm: 39 mins - Blues 10 Stormers 6
Penalty! The Blues win their lineout before Nonu breaks up field, he goes wide to Rieko Ioane. The Stormers bring him down, but give away a penalty. Black kicks out to Tele'a's wing, but the ball goes out. We'll go back for the penalty.
The Blues want the points, Black lines up his second kick of the night - and he's got it.
8:16pm: 36 mins - Blues 7 Stormers 6
Jantjies feeds, and the Stormers look to run the ball from their own half. The ball finally goes back to du Plessis, but his clearance is straight to Rieko Ioane. The Blues running the ball again as Robinson breaks, he finds Rieko Ioane - but the Blues knock on again!
Stander clears into touch.
8:15pm: 34 mins - Blues 7 Stormers 6
Tele'a has another chance now as he gets the ball on the right wing. The Blues go wide to the left this time, and they've got a huge overlap!
Rieko Ioane goes for the corner, but du Plessis saves a certain try. The Stormers will have a scrum.
8:13pm: 33 mins - Blues 7 Stormers 6
TRY!!! Brilliant from the Blues as they score out of nowhere! The Blues have a lineout on the 10m line, Nonu finds Black, who finds Rieko Ioane.
Rieko slices up the middle, before going wide to Tele'a, who holds off de Allende and races down the right touchline to score in the corner!
Black nails the conversion, and the Blues take the lead!
8:09pm: 30 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 6
Penalty! The Stormers win a penalty as Hodgman is pinged for incorrectly joining the ruck. Will the Stormers want another three, or go for a lineout drive? It looks like they want the points.
Second kick of the night for du Plessis, just in front of halfway. He has no issue though, Stormers double their lead.
8:06pm: 28 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 3
A brilliant bit of play from the Stormers sees the Blues with a lineout on their own tryline. Parsons throws to Tuipulotu before Ruru clears only as far as the 22.
The Stormers kick deep for the Blues, only for Black to return serve. The ball goes into touch for another Stormers lineout.
8:00pm: 23 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 3
The Stormers knock the ball on from the kick off. Blues scrum. Nonu charges up the centre, but spills the ball. The Stormers look to counter, but kick the ball straight out.
Blues lineout. Tuipulotu claims it, and the Blues go up the guts again until Parsons loses the ball. Sloppy start from both teams so far.
7:57pm: 20 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 3
Penalty! The Stormers want the points though, Jean-Luc du Plessis lines up the first kick of the night from right in front. Too easy, the Stormers open the scoring to take a three point lead.
7:56pm: 19 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 0
The Stormers are on the charge now after a good run from Coetzee. Petersen tries to step through, but the Blues' defence holds. Mbonambi does well to go up the guts as the referee has the arm out against the Blues.
The Stormers go wide now, but again the Blues are strong in defence. Petersen has another crack but is tackled. Jantjies tries to offload, but throws the ball straight over the touch line. We'll go back for the Stormers advantage.
7:51pm: 15 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 0
Parsons overthrows at the lineout, only for the Stormers to knock it on. The Blues have an advantage again, trying to work the ball forward.
Black throws a huge pass out to Nanai on the right wing, but it's gone forwards. What a start to this game!
7:50pm: 13 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 0
Referee has the arm out for advantage to the Blues. Nanai has a run out wide, and finds Akira Ioane, who looks to offload to his brother, but can't get it right. We'll go back for the penalty and the Blues take the lineout.
7:48pm: 11 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 0
Slight delay with Dan du Plessis injured. Ruru feeds the scrum, but the front rows collapse, we'll have a reset. The medics say du Plessis can't continue, he's replaced by Stander at centre.
Ruru feeds again, the Blues go blind where Black is clobbered, he loses the ball and the Stormers turn it over, Jean-Luc du Plessis clears straight to Nanai.
7:44pm: 10 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 0
Blues scrum. Ruru feeds. The Blues look to run from inside their own half, Ioane makes ground before Nanai kicks over the top. Gibson is there chasing, but du Toit gets there first. Gibson and Nanai win a penalty after du Toit doesn't release.
Another Blues scrum.
7:40pm: 5 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 0
The Stormers opt against the lineout drive at the Blues' line and go wide again. Du Plessis has a crack, but he's lost the ball. Black clears and the Stormers take the quick lineout!
De Allende kicks in behind, but the ball bounces into touch. The Stormers are attacking early on!
7:39pm: 4 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 0
The Stormers win their own lineout and look to move the ball. Mbonambi makes a burst out on the right wing, before the Stormers shift to the left.
Etzebeth wins the penalty over Akira Ioane for not releasing, and the Stormers go for the lineout.
7:37pm: 2 mins - Blues 0 Stormers 0
Great chase from the Blues, Cowley-Tuioti leading the charge to force a knock on from the Stormers. The Blues have a scrum up against the Stormers' huge pack.
Nonu takes the ball from the back of the scrum, he finds Rieko Ioane who loses the ball. The Stormers kick down field, Black fields the kick and returns fire. Stormers lineout.
7:35pm: KICK OFF: Blues 0 Stormers 0
We're away at Eden Park as Otere Black gets the game going.
7:34pm:
Patrick Tuipulotu leads the Blues out, kick off just moments away now. Rieko Ioane with some pre-match words in the Blues' huddle.
7:33pm:
The Stormers are first out of the sheds, healthy support for the South African side in tonight, hoping to see their team upset the home crowd.
7:30pm:
Good evening! Eden Park is a picture tonight, plenty of fans packed in to see the Blues go for a third straight win. Kick off not far away!
PREVIEW
After back-to-back wins over the Sunwolves and Highlanders, the Blues can make it three in a row, while the Stormers head north after a 34-28 defeat to the Hurricanes in Wellington last week.
The Cape Town side will be bolstered by the return of Springboks enforcer Eben Etzebeth, while the Blues boast All Blacks stars Rieko Ioane and Patrick Tuipulotu in their starting side.
The last time these two sides met, the Stormers claimed an emphatic 37-20 victory in Cape Town.
TEAMS
Blues: 15. Melani Nanai, 14. Tanielu Tele'a, 13. TJ Faiane, 12. Ma'a Nonu, 11. Rieko Ioane, 10. Otere Black, 9. Jonathan Ruru, 8. Akira Ioane, 7. Blake Gibson (cc), 6. Tom Robinson, 5. Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu (cc), 3. Sione Mafileo, 2. James Parsons, 1. Alex Hodgman.
Replacements : 16. Matt Moulds, 17. Karl Tu'inukuafe, 18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 19. Scott Scrafton, 20. Dalton Papalii, 21. Augustine Pulu, 22. Harry Plummer, 23. Sonny Bill Williams.
Stormers: 15. Damian Willemse, 14. Sergeal Petersen, 13. Dan du Plessis, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Dillyn Leyds, 10. Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9. Herschel Jantjies, 8. Jaco Coetzee, 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6. Siya Kolisi (c), 5. Chris van Zyl, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Wilco Louw, 2. Bongi Mbonambi, 1. Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements : 16. Scarra Ntubeni, 17. Corne Fourie, 18. Frans Malherbe, 19. Cobus Wiese, 20. Juarno Augustus, 21. Justin Phillips, 22. Joshua Stander, 23. SP Marais.
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