Blues titanic win over the undefeated Stormers changes everything
Liam Napier/NZ Herald
Time away from home has proved the perfect tonic for the Blues. Few, if anyone, predicted they would pull off an unbeaten two-match tour of South Africa. Having achieved exactly that feat, their season now has a very different complexion.
Stunning the previously unbeaten, league-leading Stormers in Cape Town is no easy feat.
This season the Stormers were four-from-four. Coming into this match they had conceded seven points in three home matches, holding the Hurricanes and Bulls scoreless.
In this 33-14 victory, the Blues made a mockery of those defensive efforts to break the game open from the outset and improve their record to three wins from five games – all three of those successes coming away from home.
Here Leon MacDonald’s men delivered South Africa’s leading contenders a swift reality check – the 19-point margin reflecting their overall dominance and leaving Stormers coach John Dobson irate at his side’s discipline and frequent mistakes.
Buoyed by their last-gasp win over the Bulls last week, the Blues relished the chance to unleash their attacking game at a sun-drenched Newlands.
Locals were stunned as the Blues raced out to lead 20-0 after 23 minutes. While the Stormers came back, the Blues refused to relent.
It was impeccable rugby early from the Blues. Patrick Tuipulotu led from the front with crushing tackles that forced turnovers and powerful prop Karl Tu’inukuafe put in a busy 68 minute effort in the taxing heat.
Collectively the Blues forwards, the loose trio in particular, physically dominated through strong carries to establish the desired front-foot platform. They retained possession for long periods which built pressure and allowed the backs to flourish.
Slick handling between the Blues backs and forwards regularly identified and exploited space. They used variety in attack with cross-field kicks successful, but often it was simple and effective set and reload efforts which worked in frustrating the Stormers.
Otere Black, following his sweetly-struck match-winning penalty in Pretoria last week, again pulled the strings with composure and his flawless kicking display, in which he collected 18 points, offered a steadying influence the Blues have lacked in recent times.
As has been the case this season, Stephen Perofeta was a threat every time he injected from the backfield, supporting Black well in the playmaking duties.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9KkEtBgOql/
TJ Faiane, in his return from injury, was prominent too with offloads and one classy skip ball laying on a try while halfback Sam Nock, in his first start of the season, delivered an assured decision-making performance from the base.
Three first-half tries, including a brace from English recruit Joe Merchant, who was named man of the match after impressing in his move from the more accustomed midfield role to the wing, gave the Blues a surprise 27-14 halftime lead.
That margin could have been much better but for a couple of coach killer errors.
Defensively the Blues were, largely, well organised and clinical, pulling off several dominant hits and scrambling superbly in the wide channels. This aspect, more than anything else, epitomised their attitude which set the tone.
Two first-half errors from Rieko Ioane in his return from injury, the first in which he spilled the restart 10 metres out from his line, let the Stormers back into the match with a subsequent try to No 8 Juarno Augustus.
The locals then made the most of Mark Telea’s yellow card for disrupting his opponent in the air by closing within six points after Sergeal Petersen’s try – Ioane’s defensive read from centre exposed on this occasion.
There were shades of the Blues’ opening round loss to the Chiefs when they blew their 19-5 halftime lead at Eden Park.
As they did last week, though, the Blues regrouped and responded with Merchant’s second strike – sparked by Telea’s hot stepping – after the half time hooter.
The second spell was a case of the Blues controlling the tempo and showcasing a ruthless edge to close out a second straight victory.
They will now trek home in positive spirits, hoping to harness this new-found confidence against the Hurricanes in Wellington next week.
Blues coach Leon MacDonald and Patrick Tuipolotu after the win over the Stormers:
This article originally appeared on the NZ Herald and is re-published with permission here.
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
76 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes 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.
2 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 comments