[VIDEO] Blues vs Highlanders highlights: Super Rugby scores, blog

Roar Guru

12th June, 2015

3250 Reads

Kickoff: 5:35pm (AEST)
Venue: Eden Park
Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus)
Last meeting: Round 10, 2015 - Highlanders 30-24 Blues
Head-to-head: Blues 15, Highlanders 10
Betting: Blues $4.00, Highlanders $1.22

Blues
15 Charles Piutau, 14 Ben Lam, 13 Hamish Northcott, 12 George Moala, 11 Melani Nanai, 10 Ihaia West, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Joe Edwards, 7 Brendon O'Connor, 6 Chris Vui, 5 Josh Bekhuis, 4 Hayden Triggs, 3 Angus Ta'avao, 2 Keven Mealamu (captain)1 Sam Prattley
Substitutes: 16 James Parsons, 17 Nic Mayhew, 18 Sione Mafileo, 19 Will Lloyd, 20 Jack Ram, 21 Jimmy Cowan, 22 Matt McGahan, 23 Lolagi Visinia

Highlanders
15 Ben Smith (captain), 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Richard Buckman, 12 Shaun Treeby, 11 Patrick Osborne, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Dan Pryor, 7 John Hardie, 6 Elliot Dixon, 5 Joe Latta, 4 Alex Ainley, 3 Josh Hohneck, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Daniel Lienert-Brown
Substitutes: 16 Ash Dixon, 17 Brendon Edmonds, 18 Ross Geldenhuys, 19 Jackson Hemopo, 20 Gareth Evans, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka, 22 Marty Banks, 23 Kurt Baker

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The Highlanders head to Auckland looking for a top-four spot. (AAP Image/NZPA, Dianne Manson)

Nicholas Hartman

Roar Guru

12th June, 2015

102

3250 Reads

The Highlanders travel to Auckland hoping to smash the Blues and finish fourth. Join The Roar for live scores, commentary and a loads of Highlander tries from 5:30pm (AEST).

The Highlanders come into this game with hopes of improving their playoffs position: a win would thrust them up the table, with places three (almost certainly taken up by the South African conference champions) and four hosting their respective preliminary final opponents.

Currently, the Highlanders are fifth, on equal points with the Chiefs above them, and one point ahead of the Brumbies below them. If any of those teams or the Waratahs (definitely in the playoffs, currently winning the Australian conference, but on equal points with the Brumbies) slip up, there could be a shuffling of positions.

And that could happen, too: the Chiefs are home to runaway champs the Hurricanes; the Brumbies are facing the Crusaders at home; and the Waratahs are up against the woeful Reds in a derby that could defy the form book.

The highest place the Highlanders could hope to achieve, given the conference system mind, is fourth.

The Blues, on the other hand, don’t have anything to play for. They’ve been rubbish since almost day dot, and only have themselves to play for. Last week against the Crusaders they zoomed out to an early lead, only for those six points to be the only ones they scored until a consolation try at the death.

Their pathetic, sloppy play against a focused Crusaders side led to a sorry affair.

A shoutout to Blues hooker Keven Mealamu, the most capped player in Super Rugby history, who will make his 175th and final appearance. The 36-year-old has kept mum on what he’s up to next, or whether he’s going to internationally retire, but he has said he won’t be with the Blues next year.

In other player news, Highlanders wizard Malakai Fekitoa has done his hamstring in, and it looks like he’ll be out for next week too.

Prediction
Highlanders have been pretty good all season. They’re going to win this one by a canter, which in rugby terms, technically means 21 points.

102

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