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The Blues flexed their muscle and unleashed the hustle to equalize to set up next Sunday’s Super Rugby Aotearoa showdown against the Crusaders to perfection.
On a sweltering Sunday summer afternoon at Eden Park, Leon MacDonald’s men dismantled the 39-17 Highlanders, five attempts to two, to score two wins out of two in this year’s competition and retain the Gordon Hunter Memorial Trophy with victory for bonus points.
They will then face the also undefeated Crusaders – three out of three now and progressing very well themselves – next Sunday in Auckland in a contest that should attract far more than the 15,000 who showed up late to watch this first home game. . It will be a showdown of heavyweight proportions, and it should tell us a lot about the balance of power in this competition.
Brett Phibbs / Photosport
Rieko Ioane throws a volley for the Blues in their Super Rugby Aotearoa win over the Highlanders at Eden Park.
The Blues clearly had something to prove Sunday after being compared to a South African team by the Southerners in the run-up to this match.
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They didn’t care much about that, with the inference that they depended too much on their huge pack.
But after an emphatic performance, unleashing the full gamut of skills, from the power of the play to breakneck speed, it was difficult to argue against the overall supremacy of the Auckland team who squeezed the lives of the visitors in impressive fashion . .
Brett Phibbs / Photosport
Blues winger Caleb Clarke adds another try to his growing account at Eden Park.
Led by an outstanding performance up front from Akira Ioane, with No. 8 Hoskins Sotutu not far behind him, the Blues were wildly impressive, as they extended their winning streak at home to five and did it three in a row against the Highlanders.
Otere Black led the effort at home excellently, Rieko Ioane displayed his distribution skills in midfield, and Caleb Clarke, Mark Telea and replacement Emoni Narawa enjoyed the opportunities presented to them.
The Highlanders, who lost fit forward Jona Nareki to a knee injury in the first half, simply couldn’t win enough ball to upset the home team and paid dearly for the last half of the first half that Josh Dickson hit the lock. . At least they kept working and had attempts in the second half to replace Ash Dixon and Folau Fakatava to demonstrate their efforts.
Winning the start, winning the race may be the subject of that other event in town; but it was certainly not the case in this one.
Brett Phibbs / Photosport
Blues No. 10 Otere Black gets off to a good start against the Highlanders.
The Highlanders came off the line quickly, with all the ball and an early penalty to show their fast start, then spent almost the rest of the half under the cosh of a dominant Blues team.
The MacDonald’s men scored the only two attempts of the half, running 247 meters at 93 and passing vast tracks of the first 40 minutes camped in Highlanders territory as they thundered to a 17-3 lead.
In fact, it could have been a lot worse for the Southerners, as the Blues were unlucky enough to have a special try with Rieko Ioane just after the cleared half-hour mark for a forward transfer from Akira Ioane to his looking brother. get off the court. hands backwards.
That followed a key defensive loss from Dalton Papalii to Nareki and a big break on the right touchline from Akira Ioane.
Then just before halftime, the home team also looked confident to score with a great lineout, only for hooker Luteru Tolai to toss the ball down the line.
Still, the Blues built two excellent attempts, for Black and wing Clarke’s first five games, to ensure they get some rewards for their dominance.
Black’s score, in the 10th minute, came as the Blues punished a bad kick from Josh Ioane, with Stephen Perofeta and Rieko Ioane showing good ability to serve the score for their number 10.
Clarke’s try followed soon after, as the Blues attacked via scrum and Rieko Ioane again became the creator with a perfect draw and pass to put his wide wing down the left.
Replacements Narawa (from the rear of a large driving maul) and Kurt Eklund (straight from lineout-drive) crossed early in the second spell to extend the Blues’ lead to 29-3, and from there it was just about of the final score. .
The Highlanders recovered two to gain some credibility, and Akira Ioane capped off an outstanding game with the Blues’ final score, after a good job from behind in the previous one.
Then those ‘Saders.
Blues 39 (Otere Black, Caleb Clarke, Emoni Narawa, Kurt Eklund, Akira Ioane tries; Black 2 pens, 4 cons), Highlanders 17 (Ash Dixon, Sailing Fakatava tries; Josh John pen, 2 cons). Height: 17-3.
