Pat Lam had to plead his case about staying on as Blues coach on Friday, but it was the day after that perhaps he made his biggest statement.
His lowly Blues pulled off one of the Super Rugby upsets of the season on Saturday, winning 30-16 at Canberra Stadium over the Brumbies, who were playing for a finals berth.
The Blues were playing for pride.
They destroyed the Brumbies with a wide running game, consigning the home side to an embarrassing 33 missed tackles and one of their worst defensive games of the year.
After the match, Blues captain Keven Mealamu gave his full support to Lam, whose future after a four-year tenure at the helm of the Auckland-based franchise is in doubt.
“We wanted to go out and do it for him,” Mealamu said.
“I’m really grateful we’ve got a coach like Pat – someone who puts the team first.
“We wanted to make sure we finished his last two games well for him and it’s good we were able to do that.”
Lam, meanwhile, rued a performance that came perhaps too late.
“To finish like that, I wish the season was starting again,” he said with a smile.
“But it’s just been one of those seasons and we’ve copped it quite a bit.
“I’m just so proud for all that we stayed united and we went out there to show what we’re really made of.”
Injuries have marred the Blues’ year, and saw them plummet from title contenders at the start of the season to last place in the New Zealand conference.
Of their 43 contracted players, only 16 were available for the Brumbies game.
But Lam said there was still huge potential for the club next year, noting a significant jump in performances since employing an extra full-time coach.
“We are the most under-resourced coaching team, but (since getting another coach) … we’ve been able to put some quality work in.”
“I look forward to the day when the Blues are where they should be – whether I’m there or not.”
The Blues’ triumph over the Brumbies was their second consecutive win of the season, having beaten Western Force by 32-9 last round at Eden Park.
The Blues are expected to confirm their coach for the next Super Rugby season after the weekend.
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