Perofeta shines as slick Blues side put Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath to the sword
A slick Blues pre-season team put the Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath to the sword in front of All Blacks legends Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith, watching the cross-border fixture from the stands.
The Sungoliath did not field their big guns in Sam Cane and Cheslin Kolbe with the club on a break from the League One season where they have five wins from six so far. Similarly the Blues named a young outfit full of up and comers.
Leo Gordon and Corey Evans started in the midfield outside All Black Stephen Perofeta and Sam Nock in the halves, while New Zealand Sevens rep Caleb Tangitau, Kade Banks and Cole Forbes made up the back three.
The Blues led 19-0 after 17 minutes as the Aucklanders ran rampant on a cold sunny afternoon in front of a healthy crowd at Prince Chichibunomiya stadium.
Second five-eighth Gordon burst through a handful of defenders after picking up a loose ball, setting up play a metre out. One phase later lock Sam Darry crashed over in front of the posts.
The Blues had their second try less than 10 minutes in when hooker Kurt Eckland powered over down the shortside on a trick lineout play.
A piece of Perofeta magic set up the third, with the N0 10 attacking the shortside from a scrum play. He skipped around his defender and drew in two more defenders before flicking an offload around the corner for wing Tangitau to score.
Sungoliath managed to hit back on the half hour mark with a well-worked set play for fullback Kotaro Matsushima.
But the Blues were never under threat and struck again just minutes into the second half through reserve halfback Taufa Funaki.
Gordon sparked the movement with hands to flanker Anton Segner on the edge, who placed a perfectly weighted grubber kick infield into the path of Funaki.
With options inside and out, Funaki took the hard option of beating the last man himself before crashing over for the try.
Tangitau had his second try just minutes later as the Blues threatened to really pile on the points at 29-7 after 45 minutes.
The Sungoliath showed some resolve with a scoreless 25 minute period before the Blues pounced on an error. No 8 Hoskins Sotutu boot the loose ball downfield and winger Banks outran everyone to score.
The Blues backs then put a dazzling display of hands on for a try for fullback Forbes after a brainfade error by the Sungoliath on their own line.
Centre Corey Evans was awarded man-of-the-match as the Blues won 43-7 in their first game under new head coach Vern Cotter playing an expansive game of rugby.
Comments on RugbyPass
Yes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe 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?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 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!
5 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 …
34 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 comments