Telea bags four as the Blues see off Hurricanes in thriller
Four tries from Mark Telea has propelled the Blues to a 36-25 win over the Hurricanes, who have been left to rue a misfiring lineout and goal kicking in poor conditions as the rain came down for a soggy night at Eden Park.
Second five-eighth Jordie Barrett missed four kicks at goal and reserve No 10 Brett Cameron added another which ended up costing the visitors 16 points.
The visitors had a horror start with two injuries in two minutes, losing prop Xavier Numia to a shoulder injury early after a cleanout.
Moments later Julian Savea suffered a pectoral injury during a tackle on Caleb Clarke which forced a substitution for Salesi Rayasi.
Jordie Barrett opened the scoring 3-0 with a penalty goal to settle proceedings.
A 50-22 by Harry Plummer gave the Blues field position and following a scrum the home side was able to score the first try through Mark Telea.
The All Black winger powered through the Hurricanes defence directly off the scrum to give the Blues a 7-3 lead.
A break by Caleb Clarke was finished off by Hoskins Sotutu close to the line with a pick and go to extend the Blues advantage to 12-3.
Sotutu looked to have his second after a Hurricanes’ error coming out of their own 22, only for lock Isaia Walker-Leawere to slap the ball out of his grasp at the last moment.
The Blues went out to a big 19-3 lead when Telea scored his second on an incredible solo run straight up the middle after a loose Blues’ pass went 15 metres backward.
With nothing happening having lost territory and momentum, Telea spotted a disconnected line and stepped on the gas to rip the Hurricanes up the middle.
In need of a response, it was Walker-Leawere who produced a brilliant offload to second row parter James Blackwell to spark a comeback.
Blackwell found halfback Cam Roigard in support with a ball over the top who scampered away to score under the posts.
The Blues led 19-10 at the half but the Hurricanes roared back into contention after a blown scrum play from the home side early in the second.
A dropped ball was hacked ahead twice and centre Billy Proctor won the footrace to narrow the gap to 19-15.
But it was man of the moment Mark Telea who slipped four Hurricanes’ defenders close to the line to score his hat-trick try in the 63rd minute and gave the Blues a 24-15 lead.
Rayasi was injured on the play and was replaced by Jamie Booth, leaving the Hurricanes down to just one winger.
With 10 minutes remaining a pinpoint pass from No 8 Ardie Savea to Kini Naholo down the blind side of a scrum closed the gap to 24-20 to begin a chaotic final period.
The Blues hit straight back through Rieko Ioane after veteran Bryce Heem smashed through before linking with his midfield partner.
Another Blues error let the Hurricanes back in as Billy Proctor snatched a loose pass and produced a brilliant offload for Naholo’s second try.
Telea then latched onto a Bryce Heem grubber that stumped three Hurricanes defenders with a one-hand pick up that sent the wet Eden Park into raptures.
The loss all but rules out a home playoff for the Hurricanes who have to regroup for a final round match with the Crusaders.
The Blues moved up into third position while the Brumbies, yet to play the Chiefs, moved to fourth.
The Blues will host the Highlanders next week, who are in a battle to make the final eighth play-offs spot after keeping their hopes alive with a win over the Queensland Reds last night.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar 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.
9 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.
35 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.
2 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
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 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
35 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.
35 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.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments