RETURN TO WINNING FORM

by Peter White

The Blues lost in the Super Rugby Pacific final last year and they have the credentials to go all the way in 2023.

LAST YEAR:

SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC: SECOND

What a season to behold for Blues fans. Their team led through qualifying rounds only for the outstanding campaign to end in a 21–7 defeat to a supercharged Crusaders outfit in the final. The Blues played some scintillating rugby and brought not just the crowds back to Eden Park but mana to their jersey.

LUCK OF THE DRAW:

The Blues play their opening three matches away from home in Dunedin, Melbourne and Wellington. Two home games at Eden Park follow against the Crusaders and Western Force, then two more away games before a bye in round eight. There is a trip to Fiji to look forward to and the final two round-robin matches are, crucially, back at Eden Park.

CAMPAIGN PREVIEW:

It was a case of what might have been for the Blues in 2022.

The Leon MacDonald-coached side went top of the table after round nine and stayed there all the way through to the final against the Crusaders, which proved to be one step too far.

Despite that result, there was much to like about the style of rugby they played and, more importantly, the determined resilience not seen in the Blues for years. Excluding their Super Rugby trans-Tasman win, last year marked the first Super Rugby final appearance since 2003.

This year’s squad is mostly the same as the last campaign. Karl Tu’inukuafe is the biggest loss, with the loosehead prop off to Montpellier in France, but the return of lock and former captain Patrick Tuipulotu from Japan is a major boost with veteran Luke Romano retiring.

Three outstanding rookies in prop Josh Fusitu’a, flanker Rob Rush and wing Caleb Tangitau are worth keeping an eye on when they get game time.

“We’ve injected some youth into our ranks such as Rob and Josh in the forwards and Caleb in the backs. The key for those younger squad members will be to soak everything up, to learn from the more experienced players and to grow as individuals,” says MacDonald.

The popular head coach is well aware that Blues fans are keen for their team to bring home the title in 2023, after going so close last year.

“Obviously we want to go one further. We took some really promising strides last season, so for me as a coach it’s about building on what went well, while also bringing some fresh thinking and ideas to the table.”

The continuing saga of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck rolls on. The 29-year-old, who won an NRL Premiership with the Sydney Roosters and is a Dally M Medalist, switched codes from rugby league in 2021. A combination of bad timing, as COVID-19 delayed crucial time to relearn the game at NPC level with Auckland, and possibly being played in the wrong position of second-five rather than on the wing, means his progress has been slightly less than the over-hyped expectations placed on him. Being a regular starter for the Blues and playing for the All Blacks last year are hardly insignificant achievements but with the mercurial skills that he possesses, what we have seen so far from him has been underwhelming.

If he gets a chance on the wing, where he has room to display the best step in either rugby code, it could do wonders for his confidence. MacDonald has the people skills and knowledge of playing test-match rugby as an outside back to get the best out of RTS.

WHO’S NEW:

Forwards: Patrick Tuipulotu (Japan), Josh Fusitu’a (Auckland), Rob Rush (Northland).

Backs: Caleb Tangitau (Auckland).

WHO’S THROUGH:

Forwards: Karl Tu’inukuafe (France), Josh Goodhue (Japan), Luke Romano (retired).

Backs: Tamati Tua (Brumbies).

Coach: Leon MacDonald

Captain: Dalton Papalii

Home ground: Eden Park, Auckland

Website: www.blues.rugby

Tickets: www.ticketmaster.co.nz

Contact: PO Box 77012, Mt Albert, Auckland 1350. Phone 09 846 5425

Email: info@blues.rugby

Team TAB odds: $3.50

TEAM SQUAD

FORWARDS: Players…

BACKS: Players…

Kurt Eklund, Soane Vikena, Ricky Riccitelli, Alex Hodgman, James Lay, Ofa Tuungafasi, Marcel Renata, Nepo Laulala, Josh Fusitu’a, James Tucker, Sam Darry, Patrick Tuipulotu, Cameron Suafoa, Taine Plumtree, Tom Robinson, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii, Anton Segner, Rob Rush, Hoskins Sotutu, Adrian Choat.

BACKS:

Finlay Christie, Sam Nock, Taufa Funaki, Beauden Barrett, Harry Plummer, Roger TuivasaSheck, Tanielu Tele’a, Rieko Ioane, Corey Evans, Bryce Heem, Mark Telea, Caleb Clarke, AJ Lam, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Caleb Tangitau, Stephen Perofeta, Zarn Sullivan.