Brumbies vs Blues: Super Rugby live scores, blog

West! Mate, Stevie Luatua heading off over yonder is a massive loss not only to Auckland but the National squad also! ~ Sigh!!

Geoff! I reckon you're right on there as Gus Pulu on his day combining with a capable guy outside him is as good as any top half back in New Zealand. The Blues I think I'm correct in saying have tried to entice one or two first fives from around the Kiwi Franchises but none seem to want to go there, B.Barrett was one and Otere Black another, but he seems intent on remaining in the Windy City!

RT, I come from the 'Naki' and should be traditionally a Hurricanes follower, but I'm a Fan of any Kiwi team mate matters not who, but I actually have always followed the Crusaders and Canterbury before that and about as long as Canterbury have worn red and black ~ I think it was just something I admired in their play from way back well before Super rugby kicked off, not very patriotic but as I say I follow any Kiwi team regardless. Taranaki in the Local Competition though, always! I do and always have admired the Blues though as I just can never forget those wonderful days of Sean Fitzy and his compadres in that period which spanned over around about ten years was it? Rugby at it's very, very, best ~ Buncey', Little and co to name just a couple, awesome, ~ so in a sense it is frustrating to see them playing as they are at the moment because I think it's fair to say they do have a very good complement of players there and you'd know better than me as I've lived here in Perth for a lot of years now and am pretty much just going on what I read and see on game day, and I'm sure they should be doing better than they are and, as you say it's frustrating!!

OB, Glad you saw something there mate, but I'm afraid I didn't see that much to be enthused about, but they are better than that, we all know it!

Danny! Wholeheartedly agree mate, Pulu is better than that display he put on the other day I think we could all say that, ~ but he's been off his game for a while now and heavens only knows why. In saying that, the whole Blues Team just isn't firing as it should either as, against the hapless Brumbies and with the rubbish they played, the Blues should have been able to put them away in style but instead they were just fumbling and bumbling all over the place, getting in each others way and in the main playing just typical Schoolboy rugby stuff full of errors. They certainly didn't deserve to lose but, on paper the Blues have an absolute embarrassment of riches in their playing roster so why the hell are they making it so damn hard for themselves. What about the Coach?, everybody loves Tana but perhaps there could be a problem there! I certainly hope I'm wrong on that score,

The flaws of the conference system have been well and truly exposed in 2017. The sad reality that two teams who sit could on less points than all 4 WCs will get a home final is embarrassing. What is even worse is one of these teams could end up with less than teams outside the 8 (currently less points than 2 teams outside the 8).

i still maintain my view - give Gus a dominant 10 ( even Donald will do) and he will play better. i think the Hurricanes know Otere Black is due for renewal and are making efforts to give him 10 -15 every game here and there. last season i dont think he played 80 minutes the whole tournament :) also i still maintain my point that u guys have too many attacking centers /wings and no defensive minded guys - a crotty or a fekitoa or even a buckman. pity ranger is not fit or playing ; he used to turnover ball like a flank. but why did Umanga did not start Nanai at 15? he and Shaun Stevenson are the gliders among NZ backs :)

Nice, empathetic use of the words 'look different'...you're too kind Geoff?

Kirky, you are obviously a 'long suffering Blues fan' too ... Umaga has built a pretty good squad around him but imo they lack a decent on field leader and definitely a decent No 10 With respect to Ihaia West, he had 3 years to nail down the possie, that he failed to was very frustrating as some things he did were brilliant but straight away he would undo that with poor options ... for three years that went on ... now Francis ... No, anyhow he's going. Perofeta might be the answer but he is injured so we cannot see what he can do. Now we have Gatland filling in. Well others might disagree but I thought he had an OK game today, sure he made a couple of kicking areas and his shots at goal were crap .. but it was his first run-on .... I thought Pulu, when he signed on would be the making of both the No 10 and the backline .... based on his past few performances, ...... I was wrong for reasons I have been on about. But in terms of playing stodgy rugby, I think that will come with confidence .... the talent is there (other than damn 9/10) And yes... I remember those days of Fitzy and even further back ... good days

*laughing* ....

Thanks Thugby ... its a bit of a worry... having to front up now in Sid-er-knee to confront a Tahs side with a bit of confidence .... and having a little wager with the Chookman .... I could be on a hiding to nothing here! ... Oh well ... someone's gotta do it!.... Your Tahs game was a good game.... I enjoyed it though I tipped the Reds. Better game than today's game as a spectacle ... but I'll take any win nowadays!... lol

Watched Pulu several time this season and it doesn't make any sense. He quick, physical and can cause havoc around the scrum and rucks, but his passing and general rugby smarts are not there......probably better suited to league.

Congrats, mate. The better team won on the day. It would honestly have been a bit of travesty if we had won given how much of the match you spent in our 22 with the ball in hand. You just need a better 10, I think, and then you'd really be pushing some of the top teams.

Thanks OB. Dunno about great game mate but I'd forgotten what it's like to 'be a winner'.... it feels good!! .. Yee Haa!

"I can’t help thinking A Smith would transform this Blues team" I think that can be said about a lot of teams :P. I think the Blues' biggest problem is the lack of a good fly-half. If they had Cruden or Barrett or Sopoaga they would be right up there.

Yes it's true, there's no structure, hasn't been for years, and not having effective 9's and 10's makes it much more difficult to build one. Blues survive off scoring from x number of breaks and on this occasion Brumbies just had no creativity of their own to apply pressure. Blues would have lost this match by a lot to any of the NZ sides, which is just another pointer to how bad it is for oz sides.

Oh, I thought it was Duthie...cos I copied of RTs post... ?

If Tana doesn't either put a total bomb under Pulu or drops him - from the 23 - what little respect I've still got for Tana as coach will quickly fade to zero. I've been grizzling for months that Pulu's pass is way way too slow. I don't remember him being this poor last year at the Chiefs but maybe it suited to come off the bench at 60min when tiredness was a factor? Or maybe rugby players fall to pieces when they move further north than the Bombay Hills? Whatever it is I can't help thinking A Smith would transform this Blues team. Biggest problem I see in Pulu is he appears to think he's a lot better than he actually is. He needs dumping until he gets his head around all asked of him is to whip the ball out of the ruck/maul/scrum the millisecond it appears and tackle. Other than that get out of the way. I would argue Pulu's well over 50% of the Blues problems.

Write a pro ARU article on how wonderful Oz rugby is. 0-15 wake up you ostrich

Well if that doesn't prove 2 things Umaga is a rubbish coach and the Blues are a joke Thrashed by every other NZ side they have played the Blues managed to make the Brumbies look like championship contenders The sooner the Board, the Management, the Coach and half the talentless players are sacked the better