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Is this the backline the Blues need to unleash to unravel their Super Rugby rivals?
The Blues have seemingly turned over a new leaf in 2020 and prior to Super Rugby’s suspension at the beginning of March, were sitting second in the New Zealand conference. When the new replacement competition Super Rugby Aotearoa kicks off in less than a month’s time, coach Leon MacDonald will be wanting his charges to continue where they left off but will also have to cope with having an influx of fit players.
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The Blues backline, in particular, has flourished this year with men like Joe Marchant and Mark Telea impressing in their debut Super season.
The wider Auckland region has never struggled for outside back talent and MacDonald, himself a former fullback, will have to make some tough decisions leading into the Blues’ opener against the Hurricanes on June 14.
Telea has had a breakout season on the left wing and could well be the only starting certainty in the whole backline. English import Marchant has impressed both in the midfield and on the right-hand side of the park but will face competition from the likes of Matt Duffie, Emoni Narawa and returning players Tanielu Tele’a and Caleb Clarke.
Tele’a has been sidelined due to a shoulder injury this year while Clarke was committed to the national sevens set-up.
Duffie and Narawa have both spent time in the 15 jersey in 2020 but Stephen Perofeta, who was once trumpeted as the future saviour of the Blues in the first five role, has found a home at the back of the park.
Of course, there’s also the arrival of Beauden Barrett to consider.
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MacDonald will have to decide whether Barrett is better employed at fullback, where’s he spent most of his recent test career, or at first five where he can probably have the most influence over the side.
If the season hadn’t been put on ice for so long then it may have been best to integrate the All Black slowly and start him in the fullback position where he would be free to focus primarily on his own game but the extended break may have changed MacDonald’s thinking.
Regardless, there will be some talented players who will miss out on starting and bench berths with Otere Black, Harry Plummer and Perofeta all genuine options in multiple jerseys.
Plummer, Marchant, Rieko Ioane and TJ Faiane have all clocked up minutes in the midfield but money will be on the latter pair to take the lead when the Hurricanes come to Auckland next month.
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While Ioane lost his place on the wing in the New Zealand backline to George Bridge and Seve Reece last year, he’s had a spring in his step in 2020 and will have new All Blacks head coach Ian Foster frothing at the possibility of shifting the 23-year-old into the midfield late in matches to blitz tiring defences.
Fainae, meanwhile, has been Mr Consistent for the Blues and has continued on from his fine showing in 2019.
That leaves just the halfback jersey, which will likely be entrusted to Sam Nock who looked sharper and sharper as the weeks passed in the original 2020 competition.
All Blacks star Beauden Barrett has returned from lockdown in peak condition as the Blues returned to training on Monday.https://t.co/ab6pa04I1k
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 18, 2020
Finlay Christie’s return to full fitness could put Jonathan Ruru’s place on the bench under scrutiny too, despite the Auckland halfback being one of the fittest players in the squad.
Of course, the sheer intensity of derby after derby, week after week will mean that plenty of rotation is needed and you would expect almost everyone to get a run at some point.
The Blues will be wanting to continue the exceptional form that saw them win four matches in a row earlier in the year, which means Leon MacDonald has some big decisions to make ahead of the first round of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Possible backline for Blues’ opening game of Super Rugby Aotearoa: Sam Nock, Beauden Barrett, Mark Telea, TJ Faiane, Rieko Ioane, Matt Duffie, Stephen Perofeta; Jonathan Ruru, Otere Black, Joe Marchant.
Comments on RugbyPass
The Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to comments