Analysis: The Blues' decision making in the opposition's red zone is hugely improved and could tip the balance in the playoffs, writes Patrick McKendry.
One of the many things that used to hamper the Blues in their bad old days of mediocrity — yes, the time frame is a little wide but in this case I'm talking about 10 years ago — was their inability to score tries once they got into the opposition's red zone.
It must have been infuriating for their coaches because there was no question about the quality of the players.
It was just that their absence of a clinical edge meant that once they progressed into an opposition team's 22m area their ability to plot their way across the try-line abruptly left them and their chances of winning the game would inevitably follow.
Now then, well.
If anything proved that they are very much title contenders this season is the way they plotted their way back from a seven-point deficit with five minutes remaining to win 34-27 against the Reds at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium last night — replacement hooker Kurt Eklund and reserve halfback Sam Nock scoring converted tries, the latter in the 82nd minute, to spark wild scenes of celebration among the visitors.
There were long-range tries, sure, and Nock's was one — the Reds coughing up the ball with time on the clock and the Blues calmly shifting the ball to Caleb Clarke on the left, who brushed past his opposite and gave the final pass to Nock, running the perfect halfback line up the middle.
Hoskins Sotutu's was another long-range classic — the Blues No8 continuing his superb form this season by backing up a Tele'a breakout to narrow the gap to 31-27 after Harry Plummer's conversion and keep the visitors in it.
But the less flashy short-rangers — all four of them — were perhaps more important. Lock and skipper Patrick Tuipulotu went straight through several would-be defenders a metre from the line in the first half, with prop Angus Ta'avao following suit in the second half. Eklund's try, from a concerted attack, required a little more footwork but the process was similar: he received the ball five metres out and used his bulk and strength to get across the line.
A word here too on Cole Forbes' try in the first half, the fullback finishing a flowing movement on the left which began five metres from the Reds try and required Plummer, Tele'a and Sotutu to recognise the space in front of Forbes and get the ball to him with accuracy and speed.
And this is what marks this Blues team under Vern Cotter as a little different to what has come before — indeed, it has taken them all the way to second on the Super Rugby Pacific table and only one point behind the Hurricanes.
They can still do the highlight reel tries — and with men such as Clarke, Tale'a, Sotutu and Rieko Ioane involved you can be sure there will be plenty more of those over the next five weeks of the regular season, it's just that now they seem to have a more rounded attack.
Their big men are, finally, putting their size and strength to good use. This has been a criticism of Tuipulotu and he finally seems to be leading the way in this area.
Elsewhere it is clear that their bench is providing an impact that, dare we mention it, is reminiscent of the Crusaders of old.
Eklund and Nock started the game on the bench, but left wing Clarke made a huge contribution to the latter's try, with replacement loose forward James Thompson doing his job accurately in the build-up, too.
The Hurricanes' goal of ending the regular season undefeated was crushed in Canberra, a 27-19 defeat to the Brumbies which sets up a huge meeting with the Blues at Eden Park in a fortnight.
The Canes host the Waratahs next Friday, with the Blues playing the Rebels in Melbourne later that night before the two Kiwi teams meet in Auckland for a match which will likely dictate which side finishes on top of the table.
The Crusaders, under pressure like never before, finally found some attacking fluency and defensive grit to beat the Rebels 39-0 in Christchurch, with the returning Scott Barrett making a big difference to their pack.
The victory, only the Crusaders second of the season, put them into 10th and on the brink of the top eight.
The struggling Highlanders edged the Force 7-6 in Dunedin for just their third win of the season, while a final-quarter blitz from the Chiefs helped them to 38-22 win over the Waratahs in Sydney.
Of all the Kiwi victories, the Blues' was the most impressive and perhaps the most significant.
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