What the Blues must do to save their season
1. Stop worrying about the weather
All we heard about the Durban match was how freaking hot it was. This is nothing new for the city in February. It is summer, for God’s sake. The Blues trained through one of the hottest January months on record. Granted, last weekend’s defeat did see a slippery ball due to sweat, but last time I looked two sides contest a game of rugby. The temperature is due to hit 27 degrees in BA this weekend. Start hydrating now.
2. Tighten up the lineout
The Blues lost two on their own throw against the Sharks. So did the Sharks. But the Blues have no less than five lineout options, including Dalton Papalii and Akira Ioane, neither of whom were thrown up. Get it right.
3. Give Rieko Ioane the ball
Rieko Ioane was criminally under-utilised against the Sharks, while Melani Nanai saw little ball in the first spell before sparking up in the second. Leave the All Blacks protocols to one side for the Jaguares. Maybe play Ioane at centre and get him the pill.
4. Tell SBW to stop kicking the ball
He did it four times against the Sharks, can you believe? Only Otere Black kicked the ball more often (17 times). He did one cross-kick, where he should have used his left foot, which came off, but he looks like Frank Bunce when he puts boot to ball. Come to think of it, I cannot recall Bunce ever kicking the ball. Stick to your knitting, SBW.
5. Get all the forwards to play like Tom Robinson
They call him ‘Little Red’ and he plays with fearless, some might say reckless, abandon, clattering into rucks and charging around the field. Norm Maxwell, if you will. He was the best Blues forward in Durban and has now racked up two quality 80-minute displays.
6. Take your goal kicks on offer
The Blues turned down no less than six (penalty) shots at goal. They lost by 26-7. You do the maths. But they cannot afford to keep pressing for a try when their attack is stilted. I was going to write that it reminded me of the Xavier Rush days, when the former skipper would often seek a try before a tee, but they have played like that since 2004.
7. Otere Black must either take the line on or kick like a mule
The No 10 was a mixture against the Sharks. His long pass to Tanielu Tele’a for the try was a thing of beauty but he threw an intercept pass and made other errors. It is not his natural game to take the ball to the line, a la Stephen Perofeta, and he relies on a dominant pack. But either play right up on the line or sink back into the pocket and kick the stuffing out of the ball like Jonny Wilkinson or Owen Farrell.
8. Come up with a strategy to stop the lineout drive
I don’t have answers to this one, because I have no idea how to legally stop a well-executed rolling maul, but the Crusaders targeted them here and the Sharks scored via Akker van der Merwe.
9. Stop dropping the ball
Tele’a’s try was the 1000th by the franchise since 1996, just the fourth team to do so. But they have just four in two games in 2019 and are lacking patience and accuracy, not to mention just dropping the ball or throwing dusty passes. The backline looks out of sync on attack, and it does not help having three second-fives plus two halfbacks yet to click.
10. Just get the W
No matter how ugly it gets in BA, the Blues must find a way to win. Or the (Sun)wolves will gather.
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments