Blues' loose forwards could be the advantage they need to take Super Rugby by storm
The phony war of pre-season is over for the Blues but they showed enough during their victories over the Chiefs and Hurricanes in the blazing heat of Waihi and Takapuna that they may finally make an impact this season and their major weapons may be in their loose forward mix.
As the crowd at Onewa Domain last Friday attempted to find respite from the sun, young men such as Tom Robinson, Hoskins Sotutu, Akira Ioane, Tony Lamborn, Blake Gibson and Dalton Papalii set about raising the temperatures further for the Hurricanes with physical performances that even watching legends Eric Rush, Olo Brown and Sean Fitzpatrick would have been impressed by.
It is an area of unrivalled depth for the Blues and may provide Leon MacDonald with his toughest selection decisions this week as he prepares for a round one match against the Chiefs at Eden Park on Friday which will give a much clearer indication of where his team is at.
Two pre-season matches before a late January competition kick-off is not ideal preparation – previously three matches were the norm for most sides – but the Blues may enjoy a slight advantage here as the Chiefs had only an inter-squad trial behind closed doors as their second match.
Continue reading below…
Robinson, the flame-haired 25-year-old who enjoyed an excellent debut Super Rugby season last year, was particularly effective with his front-on defence as the Hurricanes chased the game before losing 29-28.
He clearly has an appetite for hard work and connecting with either shoulder. He was on Steve Hansen’s radar last year and was an outside shot for a World Cup place before requiring knee surgery in June and Ian Foster is likely to be interested in his first year as All Blacks head coach.
Robinson’s connection with Ioane, Gibson and Papalii in particular will be key for the Blues this year as all four are capable of winning turnovers and, while it was “just” a pre-season match last Friday, MacDonald’s men showed far greater patience on attack than last year and should they be as clinical against the Chiefs, a side with a similarly good loose forward trio, the result may be close.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7pASq6AozN/
At 1.98m, Robinson also has the ability to play lock and that’s where he may find himself in the second half as Patrick Tuipulotu, the Blues’ skipper under All Black playing restrictions, is unlikely to play beyond the game’s three-quarter mark.
The clash between the opposing team’s loose forwards will add an intriguing twist to Warren Gatland’s return to Eden Park.
The Chiefs have power and precision among their loose forwards – particular in skipper Sam Cane and Pita Gus Sowakula. All Black Luke Jacobson, sent home from the World Cup without playing due to concussion, is likely to be available from round two or three. Mitchell Brown and Mitch Karpik are also capable players.
Beauden Barrett is undoubtedly a huge signing for the @BluesRugbyTeam, but there are a number of other playmakers in the side that will need to step up before Barrett arrives late in the @SuperRugby season, writes @TomVinicombe.https://t.co/VxCLFO2vzp#SuperRugby
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 5, 2020
Lamborn, 28, a Hawke’s Bay player who represented the United States at the recent World Cup, adds a different element to the Blues’ loose forward mix. He is clearly shorter in terms of stature compared with the rest but there’s no doubting his toughness.
Lamborn suffered a cut head against the Hurricanes on Friday and blood covered the previously white bandage wrapped around it, but he was keen to continue and did so after halftime.
“That’s why we like Tony and that’s why he’s with us,” MacDonald said. He’s pretty rugged and a keen competitor. He’s a little different to Blake and Dalton – he offers something different – but he plays with a lot of heart.”
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.
Catch up on all the highlights from the Round 3 Top League fixture between the Kobelco Steelers and Suntory Sungoliath:
Comments on RugbyPass
Sometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to comments