Blues prop Angus Ta’avao says his side “let themselves down” during their defeat to the Crusaders in Christchurch which robbed them of a chance to guarantee themselves the No.1 spot heading into the Super Rugby Pacific finals.
The Blues were favourites to beat the struggling Crusaders but ran into a side who dominated them up front and in the collision areas during a 29-27 victory, a setback which exposed a few chinks in the side’s previously impressive armour.
Speaking today to reporters after a “brutally honest” review session ahead of their final round match against the Chiefs at Eden Park on Saturday, Ta’avao said: “We were in a position to put ourselves a step forward … in terms of locking in a home final and a No.1 spot and we probably let ourselves down in a few areas.
“Obviously, our set piece – scrum – didn’t go too well, and the collisions probably weren’t as consistent as we’d like.
“The frustrating thing is we didn’t expect anything less from them down there.
“We didn’t shy away from it [in review]. The boys who were put on blast – it was deserved. The beauty of it is we get a chance to back up at home this week against a Chiefs side that is going to bring similar challenges.”
The Blues have looked a different side this season under new coach Vern Cotter, who has brought a harder edge to their pack and a defence that has looked almost watertight. They have been consistently excellent, a run which took them to the top of the table.
The defending champion Crusaders have, too, under their new coach Rob Penney, but not in a good way. Their 10 losses this season is by far their worst ever and they headed into the match with Penney under pressure for his conduct after a midweek press conference.
But they ripped up the form book with a dominant performance up front, the Blues’ scrum going backwards.
“Our scrum has been operating really well this year,” Ta’avao said. “We’ve put teams under immense pressure… it’s not a matter of starting from new – it’s looking at the little things and adjusting those. And still backing ourselves. We’ve shown this year what we can do with our scrum.”
The Blues, first equal with the Hurricanes with an identical 11-2 win-loss record but on top thanks to their superior points differential, can still finish top of the table after the regular season with a victory over their close rivals.
“I’ve lived both sides of it,” former Chiefs player Ta’avao said. “When I was down there there was a lot of colourful language about how much of a big fixture this is heading up State Highway 1.
“Both teams will be up for it. When I was at the Blues initially we never beat the Chiefs. It’s been a battle over the last few years.”
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