What do the Blues need to do to show they're genuine title contenders?
A seven-year away losing streak to Kiwi opposition finally broken, three wins in a row, and Beauden Barrett now formerly into the training setup – what could possibly go wrong for the Blues?
Quite a lot, really.
This is the Blues, after all, and fans would be best suited to err on the side of caution when it comes to hyping up any genuine title aspirations just yet.
The Blues might no longer be the worst of the Kiwi sides in Super Rugby – that title must surely go to the Highlanders based on what has happened so far – but Leon MacDonald and his men are still far from being the best.
What’s exciting, however, is that the last three weeks have shown that the Blues are capable of playing some truly gutsy rugby. Led by their defence, the heart on show last weekend in Wellington was nothing short of outstanding and will leave the Blues believing that they can keep any side in Super Rugby from crossing the chalk in those pressure moments that make or break a result.
Continue reading below…
Blues sides of the past would’ve succumbed to the torrent of pressure that the Hurricanes put on, particularly at the start of each half, as was the case in the Blues’ season-opener against the Chiefs.
Since that opening game, they’ve seemingly turned a new leaf.
In the most recent example of pure pressure, three or four tries would’ve been let in during pressured moments in other Blues campaigns but last weekend, they only let in two and managed to score a few times themselves.
But let’s not kid ourselves, the Hurricanes were a shell of their former selves that night. Their leadership was non-existent and their discipline even worse.
Going back to the performances in the Republic, the Blues were indeed firing on all cylinders early against the Stormers, but they also barely scrapped themselves over the line against the Bulls, arguably the worst performing side in the comp this year, thanks to a last-minute penalty.
Whilst those moments can be truly defining for a side trying to pull itself out of the rubble, it doesn’t automatically make the Blues genuine title contenders and any talk of it should be culled immediately.
That’s not what Leon MacDonald and his players need to be hearing right now.
What the message should be to the Blues is this: nothing else matters at this point apart from keeping this streak alive through until April – because that’s when the rubber will really start to meet the road.
Players like Jared Payne, Bundee Aki and Ben Tameifuna could well have never played international rugby if NZ had been fielding this team in prior years. #AllBlacks https://t.co/yKEZOE18o7
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 10, 2020
Before then, the Blues will face off with the Brumbies after what should be a formality against the Lions this weekend.
Don’t underestimate how tough it will be for the Blues to beat the Brumbies in two weeks’ time. The Canberra-based side is a team kicking into gear in a big way and they will be relishing their opportunity to return to New Zealand and attempt to repeat what they did against the Chiefs, a feat that if achieved, would be two wins on the trot over Kiwi opposition.
Then, on April 3rd after a bye week, the Blues travel to Christchurch for their second meeting of the year with the Crusaders.
Now, if MacDonald and his men can win that, then we might be cooking with gas.
By that time, Beauden Barrett will be about to lace up the boots after confirming in a press conference this week that his first outing in Blues colours will almost certainly be in the Round 11 clash at home against the Hurricanes. The value that Barrett will add to the team as a whole will be massive when he does finally step out onto the green grass, but what of his role prior to that?
Barrett is officially in camp and training with the squad from now onwards. His existing relationships with Rieko Ioane and Patrick Tuipoloutu have time to be expanded on, but herein lies the challenge that the Blues have consistently found themselves on the losing side of in recent years: getting the processes right behind the scenes in order to get a side on the park capable of winning the big matches.
Barrett’s off-field influence on the squad must certainly be one of the key reasons why the 28-year old was desperately wanted by the Blues.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9iZQ5rgg8q/
What’s true is that, right now, the Blues are a side that is humming. Talk of a greater wellbeing has come out of the camp by rugby scribes close to the action and this is something that the arrival of Barrett will only add to.
What’s required from here is results, and the only way that happens is for good decision making by the players on the park, particularly in those pressure moments.
That area of the game has been on the up and up for the Blues in recent weeks.
What will be truly interesting, if the Blues can keep their streak alive and head into the Crusaders clash still on a high, will be how their clearly improved defence can match the absolute mammoth forward pack and overall sound attacking game of the three-time-defending champs.
If we are to engage in predictions for a moment, this season is starting to slowly shape into a similar trajectory that previous ones have. Positioning yourself with the best chance possible, come the playoffs, may well depend on these kiwi sides winning the derby games played away from home – and the Blues still have three of those to come.
All that is certain right now is that the Blues winning regular matches is good for Super Rugby as a whole, but don’t be too quick to patch over the holes that still linger from the past; this is still a team far off being near what’s required to go all the way.
WATCH: Catch up on the highlights from the Blues’ win over the Hurricanes.
Comments on RugbyPass
late hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 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 Crusades , you can keep going.
1 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
4 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 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.
24 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 commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt 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.
28 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 🤐
24 Go to comments