'It sneaks in pretty quickly': Covid behind Blues' early-game inaccuracies
While the Blues managed to secure a 32-20 win over the Highlanders at North Harbour Stadium on Friday night, it was far from a vintage performance for the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman champions.
Down 13-3 at halftime, it took some excellent work in the second spell from the likes of flanker Taine Plumtree and wing Mark Telea, plus an improved showing from the forwards as a whole, for the Blues to flex their muscles over a Highlanders side that now sits on four losses from four matches played in 2022.
The Blues were incohesive and inaccurate throughout the first 40 minutes, dropping passes, kicking away possession and ultimately struggling to build any pressure on their opposition. Some of those inaccuracies, however, can likely be attributed to the late changes made by the Blues due to the emergence of Covid within the squad.
All Blacks Nepo Laualala and Beauden Barrett were both initially named to start on Friday night but were withdrawn ahead of kick-off. That saw Marcel Renata promoted from the bench into the No 3 jersey while fullback Stephen Perofeta moved into Barrett’s vacated spot at first five and Zarn Sullivan joined the run on side in Perofeta’s place at the back.
While there were aspects of his side’s performance that left Blues coach Leon MacDonald frustrated throughout the first half, he acknowledged that the late changes to the team may have been behind the Blues’ lack of cohesion early in the piece.
View this post on Instagram
“I think it had a part to play,” MacDonald said following the match. “We were shuffling the team around, the guys hadn’t really trained in those positions. Stevie had no time at first five this week and Zarn had limited time at fullback et cetera.
“Those things, they don’t help, but we have been training together as a squad now [for a while] and we’ve been talking about that this will happen, we’ve been expecting this to happen [but without the changes we] might be clicking a bit earlier than what we did.”
With Covid rampant in New Zealand at present, the Super Rugby sides have been well versed in minimising the impact of the pandemic but, as the Blues’ situation in the build-up to Frida has reinforced, it’s impossible to prevent emergences altogether.
“You can’t fully protect yourself,” he said. “We have guys going home to their houses with their partners who work, or flatmates who work. So you can only do as much as we can and when we’re in our environment we’ve got control but once you go home, we haven’t.
“It sneaks in pretty quickly and when it does, it takes off through the environment pretty quickly. It’s a bit of an awakening for us really.”
Despite the early-game hiccups, the Blues roared into life immediately after the halftime break with 22-year-old Plumtree scoring two tries in the first 10 minutes of the second stanza after some good work in the tight by the Blues’ pack and from that point on, the home side were in control of the match.
Having scored wins in their past two matches at home, the Blues will now take to the road for fixtures against the Crusaders and Highlanders in the South Island. That first game, in particular, will be a massive challenge for the Blues who could still be without some of their top players due to Covid – although MacDonald is hopeful that all the positive cases have already been identified in camp.
“Obviously they need to recover and come back after their stand-down period,” he said. “Hopefully we’ve ring-fenced it and hopefully that’ll be it.”
Having already lost Harry Plummer for the season, Barrett’s unavailability would strip the Blues of their two first-choice flyhalves. It would also rob the fans of the chance to see New Zealand’s two premier pivots face off in what’s sure to be an enthralling contest at Orangetheory Stadium next Sunday.
As Highlanders coach Tony Brown said earlier in the week, it appears that whichever team remains the healthiest will have the best shot at taking home the spoils this season.
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe 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….
82 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 💪
13 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.
13 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.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 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?
13 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?
44 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 comments