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The unwanted record Warren Gatland's Chiefs just bagged

By AAP
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

The Blues have returned to winning ways as they sent the Chiefs crashing to an unwanted record with a 21-17 victory in their Super Rugby Aotearoa clash watched by more than 33,000 fans at Eden Park.

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The Blues produced a massive defensive effort on their line in the final five minutes to record a win that moved them to 17 competition points, two behind the table-topping Crusaders, who have a game in hand.

The Crusaders suffered their first loss of the domestic competition on Saturday when they went down 34-32 to the Hurricanes in Christchurch.

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The next generation of All Black hookers.

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The next generation of All Black hookers.

Both the Blues and Chiefs were desperate heading into Sunday’s match to arrest their respective slides with the Auckland side having lost their last two games after winning the first three.

The Chiefs were in even more dire straits, having lost their past six games across both Super Rugby and the domestic competition and Sunday’s defeat was a team-record seventh in succession.

The hosts, with Beauden Barrett in h is preferred position of five-eighth, looked the more dangerous as they raced out to a 14-0 lead courtesy of converted tries to Matt Duffie and captain Patrick Tuipulotu.

The Chiefs, helped by a succession of penalties, gradually began to build sustained pressure but were held out by a staunch defence and only had a try to Lachlan Boshier to show for their first-half endeavour.

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Solomon Alaimalo tied the game up after he finished off a sweeping movement in which Brad Weber, Aaron Cruden and Anton Lienert-Brown combined beautifully for an attack down the blind side early in the second.

Damian McKenzie gave the Chiefs the lead for the first time when he slotted a penalty three minutes later.

However, Blues halfback Finlay Christie grabbed the advantage back with the hosts’ third try and they held onto their four-point advantage for the 25 minutes.

“We probably didn’t want it to get that close,” Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu said.

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“I think we had p lenty of opportunity in their half which we didn’t ca pitalise on.

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Bull Shark 23 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically. I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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