After two back-to-back losses, Leon MacDonald’s team was desperate for a win against the Hurricanes at Eden Park.
The Hurricanes needed a win, as they had won one game to date.
The first half was tense. Despite two yellow cards to Du’Plessis Kirifi in the 17th minute and Ardie Savea in the 31st minute, the Hurricanes trailed the Blues by a point at halftime. It took 27 minutes for either team to score, and it came through a penalty for the Hurricanes.
Fullback Jordie Barrett converted the penalty to give the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead. The Blues hit back through a penalty try in the 31st minute, resulting in Savea being given a yellow card. The Hurricanes’ forward pack had no answer to the Blues’ forward pack as they muscled their way to the try line and Savea left the field for ten.
Former All Black and Sky Sports New Zealand commentator Jeff Wilson critiqued the decision, claiming that it was a harsh decision to yellow card Savea. The visitors reduced the deficit to a point in the 37th minute through a penalty.
Otere Black then took the score out to 10-6 in the 39th minute through a penalty. Then, in added time, Barrett helped reduce the margin to a point with a penalty. The score at halftime read 10-9 in favour of MacDonald’s men.
In the 46th minute, the Hurricanes took the lead for the second time in the game through another Barrett penalty. The Blues then regained the lead through a TJ Faiane try in the 50th minute. Stephen Perofeta made a clean break and assisted Faiane for the try. Black converted the try to give the Blues a 17-12 lead in the 52nd minute.
The Blues took the score to 24-12 via a try from winger Mark Telea and the subsequent conversion by Otere Black. Centre Rieko Ioane made a clean break and drew a defender in. He then passed the ball to Telea, who pulled off a one-handed try in the corner.
Flanker Reed Prinsep gave the Hurricanes a consolation try in the 76th minute, but it was too late. The Blues had already sealed the game. Black converted a penalty in added time. The score at full-time read 27-17 in favour of the Blues.
The stars for the Blues were centre Faiane and Perofeta. Faiane made five carries for 31 metres, scored a try, beat one defender, made seven passes and 11 tackles. Perofeta made five carries for 49 metres, beat three defenders, made a clean break, seven passes and three tackles.
Dalton Papali’i also had an excellent game for the Blues. Papali’i made four carries for 27 metres, beat one defender, made one clean break, two passes and 15 tackles.
The Blues have the bye next week, while the Hurricanes play the table-topping Crusaders at home in a must-win clash on Sunday 11th of April at 1:35 pm AEST.
In brief
Guest
You nailed it - the nz refs appear to have a school teacher complex- especially the little fella whose name escapes me - really over officious and as you say appear to have a point to prove - and no feel for the game
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
So would l, love him or hate him, I think BBBBB is still the most dangerous back in broken play. Is he the complete first five?... nope, no way (DC holds that mantle as far as I am concerned and there is no one on the horizon to challenge that IMO), but I have seen him make/create opportunities like no other.
Id love to see BB have a season at 10 with that backline....."watched it twice" LOL At least they won each time for you!!!
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
I’d still prefer BB over Mo’unga anyway. Less mistakes
moaman
Roar Guru
Naturally, Tradge.
moaman
Roar Guru
Aybowen CUW, Mate, I am not a close watcher of the refs and rarely comment on their decisions because IU rightly assume they know a whole lot more than me. I think the penalty-try was for collapsing.....the swimmer looked legal to me.Because I had no skin in the game I barely gave it another thought! :silly: On the subject of cards---I would prefer that most players stay on the pitch and that refs only go to red for legitimate foul play.Having said that..I would back a NZ team to score plenty of tries in a 13 -a-side game!
Carlin
Roar Rookie
Have to agree especially with 10 options. Out of all the 10s playing in Super Rugby Aotearoa, apart from Mo’unga there is no real other 10 option you would be confident starting in a test match against a top Nation. Some are improving like Hunt and Black but there is a massive gulf.
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
Moaman, it was a shocker but we’ll take the win ..
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
I reckon Perofeta when Ok Jacko. He, TJF and Papalii earned their pay checks, cannot say that for the others. So many elementary mistakes, painful to watch: I’m, a glutton for punishment. I watched the wretched game twice, I need my head examined.
moaman
Roar Guru
Hard to argue with any of that Piney.
Pinetree
Roar Rookie
I think your post is a fairly accurate assessment of the game, Moaman. Sounds harsh, but true! I must be blind to what some coaches see in R Ioane as a 13, as from where I stand, Rieko is not only lacking in distribution skills (to put it kindly), but he also falls short as a defender at centre, lacking the positioning nous to defend such a wide channel. It is not a position where getting cocky in your ability pays either... R Ioane is nothing but an outright winger for me, as his asset is speed/power/footwork, with little else to compliment those skill-sets to align to any other position on the field. Sometimes I think coaches can accelerate a player closer to the end of their rugby playing career by persisting with them in a position that never felt right from the start of the positional shift...
CUW
Roar Rookie
having BB didnot help blues last season :silly: their selections seems to be an issue take Robinson for eg - starts his first game as captain ? has he captained at any level before? whereas TJ Fainae captained at miter 10 and super rugger level but only started his first game and not made captain. lucky to win becoz hurricanes were poor when the chances came and the reffing was poor all the while. atm there is not a single ref in form in NZ - they will create havock if given a test match worse than the frenchies !!!
CUW
Roar Rookie
@ MOAMAN the penalty try was critiqued by all pf the commentators including Cullen and SJK what i found interesting as an observer was that the ref was on the left of that maul and the touchie was on the right. in most cases of a maul in Gallagher premiership - the ref usually positions right behind the maul from the ball carrying teas side. from my limited knowledge of Laws and rugger - i think a ref at the back of a maul will see clearly the player who comes thru the middle than someone with a side view of the action. this super rugger season Rugby pass only shows one match from NZ and nothing from Aussy. but they show all the gallagher and pro 14 matches! from what i have seen must say the reffing in NZ is very poor - its as if they have a superiority complex and go about doing it as if to say we know the law!!! another issue i have notices is the lack of cards for the number of penalties. while i dont know how many penalties were given in gallagher - there were like 20 cards given last week !!! 16 yellows and 3 red (9 one red for 2 yellows) so how many cards in NZ and aussy ? i see people quoting the high number of penalties ...
Hello There
Guest
Crowd?
Both Black ( playing 10 ) and Perofeta ( playing 15 but a 10 ) are good players without much hope of reaching a higher level than SR and are only medium SR standard…..They will play SR for their whole careers without setting the world on fire with their skill level….. Good on them they have achieved far more than I ever have at rugby but they arnt great 10s who can dictate and control a game…….. Its not a criticism of them….
Loosey
Roar Rookie
Can someone please explain the penalty try? Thanks.
Loosey
Roar Rookie
Black and
perofetaare journeymen at best Please explain.Blues got very lucky with the pen try......I am not seeing a decent 10 at the Blues and hope BB gets back there next season and sorts that out...Black and perofeta are journeymen at best and just filling spots untill the Blues get some better ones.... A very un NZ like game where rather than the best team winning it was the 2nd worst team that won. Reiko has forgotten how to pass and Clark has forgotten what made him an AB.....Maybe that is the result of not having decent 10s but something needs to change as RI and CC wont be ABs based on that game.....
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
Canes were terrible in that game. Very poor service from the forwards and some dumb decisions at 9 & 10. NZ is quite poor in the pool for both of those positions and need some development
moaman
Roar Guru
This game was only rendered watchable by the desire of the two teams to prevail. The sheer number of handling errors and poor passes coupled with scrum restarts left only the front row 'purists' enthused, I imagine. Throw in a few dubious refereeing calls and the recipe was complete. Aussie viewers may wonder if the Hurricanes have stolen a fake blueprint of their classic game plan because it seemed they only wanted to score tries from lineout mauls or kick long -range goals. In a telling jibe post-match, winger Mark Telea blamed Reiko Ioane for hogging the ball----Caleb Clarke had another forgettable (and frustrating) match too and I am sure he would concur. Of course the one time Ioane has passed in living memory, Telea managed to squeeze a try in and thus sealed the 'Canes fate as Cellar Dwellars in the comp.