Senior hooker says continuity puts Blues in good stead ahead of Super season
The Blues will head into the coming Super Rugby Pacific season knowing that it will take a monumental effort to continue their success from last year’s Trans-Tasman tournament, where they earned their first silverware in almost two decades by defeating the Highlanders 23-15 in the competition final.
Some fans – primarily from the Canterbury region – have suggested that the Trans-Tasman title counts for little, given the Blues only had to beat one fellow NZ team throughout the campaign to land the trophy. That kind of talk will only further fuel the Blues’ ambitions in 2022, however, and they’ve entered the year with a team that remains mostly in tact following the successes of 2020.
There have been some knocks in the second row, with Patrick Tuipulotu, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti and Jacob Pierce all taking their talents to Japan, while Otere Black was a key figure at first five throughout last year’s campaign. Thankfully, those losses have been somewhat offset by the arrival of experienced Crusader Luke Romano and the return of All Blacks pivot Beauden Barrett.
Elsewhere throughout the team, consistency is the name of the game – although the additions of Caleb Clarke and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck won’t harm the Blues’ chances either.
Speaking ahead of the season, hooker Kurt Eklund has suggested that it’s taken the side no time at all to gel thanks to the work that’s been done over the past few years – which should put the Blues in good stead going into their Round One clash with Moana Pasifika next month.
“I notice this year we picked up really quickly from where we left things,” Eklund said. “There’s a good core group of people here and not a hell of a lot has changed.
“I think we’re getting used to how everyone plays and you get those combinations going and things like that. I think it makes it a lot easier, especially in the early stages of the season.”
“Everyone’s pretty excited, you know? There’s a bit of momentum off the back of last year. People say [winning Trans-Tasman was] a bit like kissing your cousin but we’ll take it. It’s still a trophy that we got to hold up and put in the cabinet. We loved it and if we can just keep building off of that then we will, for sure.”
2022 will mark Eklund’s third season of Super Rugby and while he’s certainly earned the most Blues caps of any of the current hooking contingent in the squad, with 24 to his name, the arrival of Hurricanes rake Ricky Riccitelli, who’s featured in 71 Super matches throughout his career, should add some solid competition to a group that also features Under 20s star Soane Vikena.
“I’m not sure about [being the senior hooker],” Eklund said. “I’m just floating round. There’s some good hookers in here, Soane [Vikena] and Ricky [Riccitelli]. We all get along really well and we’re pushing each other to be better and helping each other where we can. It’s going well. I’m enjoying it, I think they are too, by the looks of things.”
The 2022 season kicks off in late February with the Blues heading to Mt Smart Stadium to take on new side Moana Pasifika in the opening match.
Comments on RugbyPass
This is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
85 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
226 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
226 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
19 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to comments