The defending Super Rugby Pacific champions welcome back some heavy artillery for a crunch game against the Hurricanes — and must use them wisely, writes Patrick McKendry.
Last year, the most surprising thing about the Blues sweeping all before them on the way to their first Super Rugby title since 2004 was how they did it.
Known for using a highly ambitious attacking strategy with an occasionally loose grip on the fundamentals, the Blues during Vern Cotter’s first year in charge used a forward-oriented, narrow, almost mistake-free game. It was so effective there were worries in some quarters that such pragmatic tactics could be copied by others – to the detriment of the competition.
Now, the Blues languish in 10th position on the table, one place ahead of the Fijian Drua, with one victory in six matches. Last year, they lost a total of two games in four months.
The questions about whether the Blues could evolve their game plan to challenge for back-to-back titles have now been answered.
They are a collection of players troubled by injuries, yes, but one that appears to have lost its identity – one teetering on the brink of falling back into the bad old days.
“Of course, we are aware of our position on the table, but our focus is on our performance,” Cotter said this week.
That focus, with lock Patrick Tuipulotu, hookers Kurt Eklund and Ricky Riccitelli and loose forwards Anton Segner and Adrian Choat back, must be to return to what made them so hard to break down last year: They must re-discover their ruthless, direct mindset.
Skipper Tuipulotu — badly missed in the defeat to the Crusaders at Eden Park before last weekend’s bye — will bring much-needed leadership and grunt to the second row, but he must shoulder some responsibility for the 21-20 defeat to the Brumbies a week earlier.
With nine minutes remaining in that loss at home and leading by two points, the Blues were awarded a kickable penalty.
Never mind that they had seen their 20-10 halftime lead eaten away via a try and a penalty from the visitors, the Blues – with presumably Tuipulotu at the forefront of the decision making – kicked to the corner for an attacking lineout that they promptly lost.
Three points would have given them much-needed breathing space, a fact doubtless pointed out by Cotter afterwards. As it was, the Brumbies got home via a penalty in the 80th minute.
It will come as no surprise to read that the Blues’ theme over the past few days following their bye has been to "re-set".
They have no choice but to close the door on a highly unsuccessful six weeks.
Granted, that included narrow losses to the Brumbies, Chiefs in Hamilton and Hurricanes in Wellington. But it also included a walloping at the hands of the Crusaders and a 29-21 defeat to the Highlanders. The latter being a side that has only one All Black in Ethan de Groot and now paying the price for having such an under-powered pack.
Ofa Tu’ungafasi’s season-ending neck injury is a big blow but the Blues have enough heavy artillery returning to trouble the improving Hurricanes up front in a big match for both teams tomorrow night.
Recent wet weather around the country should be another prompt for the Blues to go back to what worked for them last year, least the rain warning turn into a reign warning.
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