'Need to be better': Blues not making excuses after Super Round defeat
Captain Dalton Papali’i wasn’t looking to make any excuses after the Blues’ tough 20-25 loss to the Brumbies on Sunday.
After starting their campaign with a convincing 40-point win over the Highlanders last week, the Blues were handed an early season wakeup call by one of their recent rivals.
The blockbuster between the Blues and Brumbies always promised to be one of the games of Super Round, and the match certainly lived up to the hype.
But the conditions didn’t exactly suit either team.
Playing in the sweltering heat at Melbourne’s AAMI Park, referee Ben O’Keefe paused the game on a couple of occasions so players could have a drinks break.
If anything, these stoppages only added the drama and theatre of the occasion.
The Brumbies took a slender 25-20 lead into the half-time break, and that’s ultimately how the scores remained throughout a scoreless second 40.
As the full-time whistle sounded, a loud cheer erupted throughout the stadium, as the Brumbies were sent into a state of euphoria. As for the Blues, they’re left to rue what could’ve been.
But they weren’t going to start making excuses.
Star flanker Dalton Papali’i said that while his teammates’ legs were “getting heavy” late in the piece, that “it’s our job to bloody work hard.”
“Not feeling the best after that performance. I think we could have had more punch in that second-half, especially in that last 20 minutes,” Papali’i told reporters.
“They came for our breakdown in the last 15 minutes and it really showed that we needed to tighten up that area but we didn’t.
“We just need to be better.
“The boys were actually working pretty well… it was just more the legs getting heavy out there. But it doesn’t matter, it’s our job to bloody work hard.”
The Blues went down to 13 men inside the opening 10 minutes, as Caleb Clarke and James Lay were both shown yellow cards.
But if anything, the Auckland-based outfit managed to take control of the momentum for a period of time.
Hooker Ricky Riccitelli opened the scoring for the Blues in the 13th minute, before flanker Tom Robinson showcased his pace with an impressive try later in the half.
But it was a game of chess out there on Sunday, and the Blues were beaten in a thrilling battle.
Coach Leon MacDonald described the performance as “frustrating”, but insisted that “there’s still a lot of optimism” within the Blues squad.
“We started poorly,” MacDonald said. “Discipline was always going to be a factor for us and to give away penalties, end up with two in the bin at the start, it wasn’t the start we wanted.
“We want to start well and fast and put some pressure on them.
“We fought back pretty well but playing with 13 men in the heat is taxing.
“A pretty frustrating performance overall really, I don’t think there’s any areas that we felt we were exceptional at tonight which was a bit frustrating.
“I can’t fault their effort, I don’t think effort was an issue, I thought our guys really pushed themselves around the park and tried hard,” he added.
“There was no conserving energy, it was just a little bit of accuracy. That’s the frustrating thing because we’ve been training really well.
“Early season, there’s still plenty to work on, there’s still a lot of optimism in this group that’s for sure.”
The Blues have a tough challenge next week, as they travel to Wellington for a match against the undefeated Hurricanes at Sky Stadium.
Following that, they’ll host defending Super Rugby champions the Crusaders in Auckland.
Comments on RugbyPass
anybody who bends at the waist when they tackle
3 Go to commentsThe evidence is not strong that this is necessary. Mounga choked on clutch kicks in the WRC final and lost the match by not performing his core goal kicking role to the level required. He also choked in the Semi final against England and was targeted as the weak point in the defence allowing them to score. Not a test great frankly. Why bend the rules for a player that is competent but not brilliant at test level?
11 Go to commentsDear Robbie, Please return to the Crusaders next season. Sincerely, Scott
1 Go to commentsDid the big E call the Irish the ‘White Can’ts’? That would’ve been good
32 Go to commentsDalton Papalii will be lucky to be selected on the Matchday 23. Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, and Peter Lauki are all as good or better openside flankers
9 Go to commentsScott Barrett is a lock and they have a much longer shelf life than a loose forward. Far more likely that Barrett will still demand a starting position based on performance at age 33 at RWC 2027 than Savea, whose explosive athleticism will have declined and he will in all likelihood have been surpassed by Hoskins Sotutu, Wallace Siti, Peter Lauki and Brayden Iose.
9 Go to commentsExtremely frustrating to get yet more speculation over whether or not Eben actually counted 12 players or not, but honestly big respect to McCloskey for keeping it classy and not pointing out Etzebeth’s hypocrisy. The Irish are a popular team outside of Ireland because they do their talking on the pitch, and its honestly a PR masterclass that they’re keeping it that way following Etzebeth’s provocation.
32 Go to commentsGood option for the lineout lost there.
1 Go to commentsIt’s not like Saffas have a long history of spouting absolute shite at any & every occasion. Oh wait… The dangers of an inferior third world education strike again.
32 Go to commentsI’m so glad we’re revisiting this. Really needs to be dissected further. I’m also so glad that a guy in the stands who wasn’t anywhere near the field when any of it would have been said (and even confirms this) has taken the lead and commented as Ireland. Definitely cleared it all up. This article would be hilarious if it wasn’t so misleading.
32 Go to commentsits such a shame he hasn’t achieved more success at club level. He’s really not been a potent finisher for a while now, but he’s still excellent in the kick chase. That’s the kind of skillset that generally only gets appreciated when you’re playing in premiership and european finals. I’m not sure whether the challenge cup counts given the quality of the competition seems lower than in previous years, but his duel with Mapimpi should be enthralling.
1 Go to commentsThe point is the irish players were arrogant,call it like you want sugar coat it aswell but they were you could see it in their way they handeled themselfs on the field when they got something right so dont tell me it was not arrogance it was,you can fool other people but not me,and to say to one of our players see you in the final put a nail in the coffin for this bullsh@t,just be grown men and accept it that you were arrogant,you could if seen it from a mile away, and then you lost to the allblacks what a cocky move that didnt work out for you ,Eben was right when he said u were arrogant,the point is you will deny it because you lost it all just grow some balls and move on we had won you lost accept it.
32 Go to comments“summer tour of North and South America” so its a summer tour of america?
1 Go to commentsEverybody is giving the Irish players the benefit of the doubt in ‘what they meant’, but none of these pundits or commentators offer the same courtesy to Eben. I don’t think Eben went, 1, 2, 3… etc. What might have happened is he didn’t count and when the 3rd or 5th guy said he went, hang on why are so many of them saying this… and then started to concentrate on it more and more as players continue to say it. So no, he didn’t count it, he realised many Irish players said it and made an assumption based on that… The Irish team was VERY confident at the time and I do believe they believed they were going to win the World Cup, which borders a bit on the arrogant side…
32 Go to commentsI can see how some of the Irish players would have said”see you in the final” as a gentle comment after a victory. It’s open to interpretation but it’s clumsy language. I don’t know the fella but I assure you Eben doesn’t have an axe to grind with Ireland. He has never been the media seeking pro. Oh and BTW it is I’ll be our winter in July so won’t be wet.
32 Go to comments*McCloskey*: _I saw this clip. Like, I wasn’t playing that game; I was in the stands…so you don't know sh!t in other words, infact you know just as much as Goode on this matter. I will believe the guy who was on the pitch when things were said as appose to two people speculating over what was said._
32 Go to comments@ turlough dream on buddy. Your boys are in for one tough time down in sa this summer…
32 Go to commentsI think Goode is looking to establish a platform for himself. Eben said “Probably” so that suggests he wasn’t counting. It’s an estimate Goode. I think even with your short and uneventful experience with the Sharks you probably realise winding up Saffas will get you some airtime. It’s a none event. Move on
32 Go to commentsRugby has never been as structured and synthetically pleasing as it is at this moment. The game is simply beautiful and messing with it too much will ruin it for everyone. I can't help but feel that over the past decade or so many rules have been changed to accommodate a certain hemisphere and counter another. Perhaps I am wrong but I somehow don’t think so.
2 Go to commentsNoted some excellent defensive steals from the Rebs last week against the Reds, largely J Canham, I think. It’s not a Rolls Royce but they are a real threat with their defensive line out at the beginning matches. What do you make of Canham Nick, WBs squad material?
86 Go to comments