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Blues player ratings vs Chiefs | Super Rugby Pacific

Rieko Ioane in action for the Blues. Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images

The Blues faced an almighty challenge in Hamilton for round six of Super Rugby Pacific, squaring off with the unbeaten Chiefs in the “battle of the Bombays”.

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The game couldn’t have started much worse for the Auckland side, receiving the kickoff just to have it ripped and for Damian McKenzie to put the grubber kick through with Emoni Narawa winning the race to score in the corner.

The game then settled into a back-and-forth with hard-fought tries going either way while the conditions worsened. Handling errors crept into the game for both teams but the Chiefs continued their high-volume kicking tactics and punished the Blues for their lack of execution under pressure. halftime score: 17-10.

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Scoring was almost non-existent in the second 40, keeping fans on the edge of their seat as the Blues went close to scoring on several occasions but again just couldn’t execute.

The game was still in the balance in the dying minutes and the Blues made their way into the Chiefs’ five-meter line, a couple of strong carries built hope that they could steal a draw but again, they suffered a knock on and the game was lost. Fulltime score: 20-13.

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Here’s how the Blues rated:

1. Jordan Lay – 6.5/10

The Blues scrum performed well throughout the night, giving the Chiefs problems which confounded the host’s ill-discipline and saw them receive a warning just 20 minutes into the game. Lay contributed just a handful of tackles and found limited impact around the park.

2. Ricky Riccitelli – 7

Out-muscled in the contact early. Would have blown an attacking opportunity with a misthrown lineout five meters from the Chiefs’ line but was bailed out by the Chiefs’ ill-discipline. Subsequently scored a strong try two phases after the ensuing scrum. Settled into a more characteristic game in the end, finishing as one of the Chiefs’ best tacklers.

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3. Nepo Laulala – 8

Went searching for ways to inject himself physically, nailing Damian McKenzie in an early exchange. Showed great dominance throughout the many scrums he was a part of, putting in a big shift without easing the pressure.

4. Cameron Suafoa – 5.5

A mixed bag early, discipline was called out but also stole a lineout. Wasn’t able to make his mark on the game physically. While you’ve got to admire Suafoa for filling in whatever position Leon Macdonald has asked of him, you’d have to think he’s hoping to get a chance back in the loose forwards at some point soon so he can express his more dynamic skillset. In the meantime, he’ll take learnings from being involved in more of the gritty work and come through a more robust player for it.

5. Sam Darry – 6.5

Coughed up the ball off the opening kickoff which led to the Chiefs scoring 20 seconds later. One of the Blues’ stronger carriers on the night, playing with real enthusiasm.

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6. Anton Segner – 6

The youngster went about his business as a solid contributor around the park but just couldn’t find the opportunities he did last week. The few times he went searching for a turnover the Chiefs were all over him.

7. Dalton Papalii (c) – 7

Blues fans were looking to their captain for a big performance in this one, as Papali’i squared off with Sam Cane. Papali’i had a quiet opening 40 but found ways to inject himself early in the second. The match perhaps served as a learning for the young captain as the tight game handed him plenty of tough decisions and while he admirably backed his players to execute by looking for more than the three points on offer, the team just looked out of sync and couldn’t get the payoff.

8. Hoskins Sotutu – 7

Wasn’t able to have much of an influence on attack in the first half but his pace served the Blues well during some of the Chiefs’ threatening runs.

9. Finlay Christie – 7.5

Found himself under pressure often as clean ball was hard to come by in the slippery conditions, kept his composure though and made good decisions. Caught out by the new rules around the scrum once but executed his own set-piece moves well.

10. Beauden Barrett – 5

Started the match with some poor conversion attempts and botched a sure try as he was over the try line attempting to get closer to the posts, but ankle tapped by Tupou Vaa’i and hit the dead ball line. Handed the Chiefs the ball with a couple of handling errors. Showed glimpses of coming to life in the closing minutes when the game was on the line but it was too little too late. Overall an uncharacteristically indecisive and inaccurate outing.

11. Caleb Clarke – 7

Out-paced by Emoni Narawa as his opposite scored the opening try. Proved as always to be an incredibly strong finisher. Some great work under the high ball, chasing well and timing his jumps perfectly.

12. Harry Plummer – 4

Struggled to find a rhythm in the game. His short balls were ineffective and the Blues’ attack in general looked like it was lacking some identity and purpose.

13. Rieko Ioane – 7

Very strong defensive work throughout. Quiet on attack in the opening 40. Found half gaps and used his incredible acceleration to good effect in getting some post-contact meters. The Blues just couldn’t find ways to set their X-factor players free.

14. Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens – 5

Just a handful of touches for Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens in this one.

15. Stephen Perofeta – 6

Out-hustled by Narawa for the opening try. A maul call after he got a knee to ground in a Brodie Retallick tackle would’ve caused flashbacks from the end of the Crusaders game. A couple of knock-ons under the high ball were uncharacteristic. Had just a couple of chances at first receiver where his playmaking looked to unlock elements of the Blues attack that were rarely seen in the match.

 

Reserves:

16. Kurt Eklund – 6

17. Ofa Tuungafasi – 7.5

The All Black came on and continued the momentum the Blues had at scrum time.

18. James Lay – 7

19. Patrick Tuipulotu – 8

Had a good impact on the game when he entered, tidying up the phase play with some strong and controlled carries.

20. Tom Robinson – 6

21. Sam Nock – 6

22. Corey Evans – N/A

23. Zharn Sullivan – 6

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Comments

2 Comments
W
William 693 days ago

Very generous with the scores when you consider they lost

J
JB 693 days ago

Pretty generous to Beauden Barrett, he had a stinker. Both he and Richie Mo’unga have had slow starts this year, RM was also ordinary against the reds

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J
JW 1 hour ago
Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

Players like Prendergast and Finn Smith already have a few seasons at top club level under their belt and are now test players, at an age when NZ players make their debuts in SR.

That’s just a difference in standards. You’re confusing SR for being their local domestic comps, where it’s more accurately comparable to Champions Cup, apart from that teams are happy to throw games as it’s in a bit of a limbo in terms of importance atm.


All these kids have been playing for a comparable NPC team for years now. Sam is no where near ready for tests but he has a great temperament, much like Sextons, that makes it a good choice to speed up his development. He wasn’t even a comparable Super Rugby starter before playing for Ireland, so not a great comparison.


Fin would be much better example, but then England don’t have 3 world class Test tens in front of him (not that I’d put Beauden their but obviously in terms of young NZ players chances, he is). Would he otherwise have debuted at the same age as Fergus Burke (injury and leaving withstanding), around 24, a couple of years later? England also aren’t as pedantic to who they give jerseys to, in NZ a test jersey is very hard earned for the most part.


In general I think the effects are as you say, but the only difference is the money involved, as you yourself said, their paths are just as all over the show being loaned out playing for clubs etc. My solution to that, and what you perceive as the problem, would be to introduce university football that utilitizes the large investment they have into high performance sport.

88 Go to comments
J
Jennifer Ross 4 hours ago
One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

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Regards.

28 Go to comments
J
Jennifer Ross 4 hours ago
One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

The topic of recovery services and the efficacy of Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech warrants a closer examination. Recovery services are a critical component of any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, as they provide the means to restore systems, data, and operations in the event of a breach or other disruptive incident. Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech is a leading provider in this space, offering a suite of advanced recovery solutions designed to ensure business continuity and mitigate the potentially devastating impacts of cyber attacks. At the core of their offerings is a robust, AI-driven platform that continuously monitors systems, detects anomalies, and triggers rapid, automated recovery procedures. This allows organizations to bounce back quickly, often with minimal downtime or data loss. Wizard Hilton’s approach also emphasizes the importance of comprehensive testing and simulation, putting recovery protocols through their paces to validate effectiveness and uncover potential weaknesses. Additionally, their team of seasoned cybersecurity experts provides hands-on guidance, tailoring solutions to the unique needs of each client. By combining cutting-edge technology with deep industry expertise, Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech has established itself as a trusted partner in the realm of recovery services, empowering organizations to safeguard their most valuable digital assets and ensure business resilience in the face of ever-evolving cyber threats. Contact: for assistance,

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J
JW 4 hours ago
Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

JJ and DMac shows how little attention you actually pay to the substance of the articles.

What do you mean by that? For lack of an answer from you I’d suggest yuo need to look at the game again and then read your article. Because although I’m not going to again but I did quickly review the videos and they all match correctly with my perception.

JTPL is shifting towards overseas players being JQP in future

No they’re not, thats a flatout lie Nick. You can find an article on here with their CEO where they want more out of their deals but it’s standard professional sports fair, nothing underhand like the NH does. I find that quite foul that you would share such a view.


I suppose the new World Club League thats starting would die for the best ABs even for just a year, and probably set them up even better. Mo’unga hadn’t done enough to earn a sabbatical though. This is where NZR needs to start questioning itself. You can’t blame the player if the NZR are not even interesting in offering you a contract. In situations where say NZR aren’t able to reach 70% of the offer I think a great starting point would be for them to be treated differently than someone who just left for money. NZR could say make that player immediately eligible if NZR decide to make a fair offer and they sign to return, with players putting in their overseas contracts a right to leave early if they resign back with NZR.


Even with Japans fading desire for sabbaticals I still think NZ can make it a good destination and have many reciprocal agreements with JRFU and the JRLO teams. The situation still very much favours NZ and Australia but it’s upto them to make the most of it or the JRFU won’t see any reason to be the ones always giving the favours.

88 Go to comments
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