Blues' unsung hero: 'You've got to give a bit of credit to Jonathan Ruru to be honest. He did 4.13 last time.'
Rugby’s first tentative steps towards next month’s anticipated return brings several new norms but also the realisation from a performance perspective that what worked before should eventually work again.
That’s the hope for the Blues, anyway. Regressing after finally turning the corner this season is not an option.
Training in smaller bubbles; preparing for same-day return flights to matches and playing in large venues with no crowds all require significant adjustment as New Zealand’s five franchises returned to work this week.
Despite the many varied challenges, Blues hooker James Parsons explained his new-found appreciation for the game.
“You don’t know how good something is until it’s taken away from you,” Parsons enthused.
The compressed four-week window before Super Rugby Aotearoa starts puts the focus squarely on conditioning. In this regard, star recruit Beauden Barrett immediately set the bar with his club record 4 minute 12 second Bronco test that turned heads around the globe on Monday.
“To do a PB shows he’s all in,” Parsons said. “I can’t speak on behalf of the other boys but what it said to me is he’s sent a real message that he’s here to do the business.
“Look, it might not be an outcome straight away but he’s given himself the best possible chance to perform in a Blues jersey and that’s what I as an individual, a fan, player I really appreciate so he’s certainly got my respect for doing that on day one.”
Barrett beat his previous best by seven seconds and he was no doubt inspired after being pushed all the way by Blues halfback Jonathan Ruru.
“It doesn’t sound like a lot but that’s a helluva effort. You’ve got to give a bit of credit to Jonathan Ruru to be honest. He did 4.13 last time so 4.12 is impressive but we were blown away when Jono did that last time. Beauden did beat the record, but Jono got left behind there a little bit.”
Two months away from the team evoked fears many players would struggle to maintain fitness standards. Training alone will never produce the same results as intensely competitive professional environments but, on the whole, Blues forwards coach Tom Coventry appears satisfied by the state of the squad.
The break allowed props Karl Tu’inukuafe and Alex Hodgman to recover from calf injuries while the Blues have welcomed wing Caleb Clarke from New Zealand sevens duty and fellow finisher Tanielu Tele’a who was troubled by a shoulder complaint.
With a near fully fit squad, by the time the Blues host the Hurricanes at Eden Park on June 14 competition for starting spots will be fierce.
For now, the most pressing challenge is delicately progressing contact without risking injuries, and regaining lost muscle mass in such a short space of time.
“That’s probably the biggest concern,” Coventry said. “The conscientious ones have been getting stuck into the weights in their garages and backyards. There’s been a little bit of a drop off in that [muscle] area but I don’t think it’ll take us too long to get them back into shape with the weights. In four weeks we should be back to where we finished.
“We relied heavily on what the boys have done over the course of the lockdown. They’ve had a lot of autonomy to get the training done by themselves. You’d think being away from the environment that would be a disastrous thing but they’ve actually been really good and knuckled down. They’ve come back into the club really well-conditioned.”
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Coventry hopes to somehow minimise the strange element of playing behind closed doors.
“It will be very unusual. I think they’ll put us in the big grounds because it will be easier to make it secure and manage.
“We rely heavily on our crowd and at times they get you through the tight matches so it’s certainly going to be a level playing field. I’m hoping we can adapt quickly to that and put performances on the board regardless.
“We’re very conscious that we need to be on top of this and crystal clear about what we’re doing because we don’t want to stuff this up. It is important for us and for the country and sport. We’re role models for others that come after us. ”
Parsons and the Blues senior leaders have quickly reinforced standards and the need to regain the training edge that propelled the team to second in the New Zealand conference with five wins and two losses prior to lockdown.
To a large degree that momentum has been lost, but in their second year under head coach Leon MacDonald the Blues now have a clear blueprint and understanding of the way they want to play.
Barrett’s numbers suggest they will, in fact, be an even stronger unit.
Comments on RugbyPass
In the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
5 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
6 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
5 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
6 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
6 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
18 Go to comments