The Blues have hung on against the Highlanders with a 16-9 victory at Eden Park but questions will be asked of both teams after this encounter in which the playoffs-bound home side had huge advantages in terms of possession and territory and yet only scraped home.
Skipper Dalton Papali’i admitted as much afterwards – the Blues scoring the game’s only try through lock Patrick Tuipulotu in the first half (although they had two ruled out), and taking a 16-6 lead into halftime before the Highlanders won the second half.
The Blues had more than 60 per cent of the possession and territory but a dominant final quarter by the Highlanders meant that was skewed a little. Near the start of the second half it was more like 80 per cent for both categories.
The visitors carried the ball for only 167 metres (the Blues had 535m), with the Blues dangerman Mark Telea, the competition’s joint top try scorer with 11, running 112m by himself.
And yet, like last weekend against the Hurricanes, the Blues couldn’t make the Highlanders pay.
They had by far the more penetrative backline with Telea and Rieko Ioane constant threats, and a dominant lineout drive, but a Jekyll and Hyde performance at scrum time meant they couldn’t press home their advantage and the Highlanders wouldn’t go away.
The result means the Blues qualify for a home quarter-final against the Waratahs next Friday, while the Highlanders, who earned a losing bonus point, face a nervous wait.
They went into this match in eighth place but are highly likely to be overtaken for the last playoffs spot over the weekend which is a little ironic because they would likely present a far sterner challenge against the high-flying Chiefs in Hamilton than the likes of the Fijian Drua, Rebels or Force.
They showed grit and determination after a high-pressure start but the weight of history was undeniable; the visitors went into this having not beaten a New Zealand team in more than two years. They have now lost 16 derbies in a row and haven’t won at Eden Park since 2018, although tireless flanker Bill Harmon gave it a good shot.
It was likely Aaron Smith’s final match on this patch of grass (and his 185th Super Rugby game in total) and he may carry a sense of regret that his side couldn’t bring such starch to their other derby matches this season.
Both Ricky Riccitelli and Telea were over for tries which were later disallowed on review, with Tuipulotu powering over for the game’s only five-pointer after sustained pressure.
With loose forward Anton Segner in the ascendancy and his pack putting in a muscular performance, there appeared no way back for the Highlanders in the second half, but the visitors weathered a scrummaging storm after the break – tighthead prop Jermaine Ainsley sinbinned for collapsing and getting an earful from Ofa Tu’ungafasi on the way off, only for Saulo Ma’u to drive over the top of Tu’ungafasi in the next scrum.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, it was the Highlanders who finished the stronger and they didn’t concede another point.
Sam Gilbert was over for a try which was disallowed due to a knock-on and, in a frantic finish, play was stopped due to a post pad falling on to the field.
Gilbert’s penalty put the Highlanders within seven points but they didn’t get another opportunity.
The Blues did; prop Marcel Renata short of the try-line and penalised for not releasing. It was the story of their night.
"We got the win but we’ll need to have some deep conversations this week and learn some lessons because we left a lot of points out there,” Papali’i told Sky TV afterwards.
“They’re a bloody good side and they held in.”
Blues 16 (Patrick Tuipulotu try; Harry Plummer 3 pens, con)
Highlanders 9 (Sam Gilbert 3 pens)
Halftime: 16-6
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