Blues battering ram: Ma'a Nonu
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The battling Blues restored some pride after beating the Western Force 32-9 thanks to a second-half blitz at Eden Park on Saturday.
It was anyone's game at half-time as the hosts held a slender four-point (13-9) lead over their trans-Tasman rivals.
But it was one-way traffic after the break with the Blues scoring 19 unanswered points, including three converted tries, to competely shut out the hapless Force.
The men from the West have now suffered twelve defeats in 2012, whilst the Blues' victory - just their third of the season - lifts them above the Force into 13th spot on the overall standings and boosts their hopes of avoiding the wooden spoon.
A scrappy first half was littered with handling errors, but the injury-hit visitors (who lost skipper Nathan Sharpe to injury before kick-off) would have been happy with their 6-3 lead after Ben Seymour and Lachie Munro traded penalties.
Ma'a Nonu was denied the opening try in the 28th minute when Napolioni Nalaga put his body on the line to deny the Blues centre. But flank Steven Luatua powered over shortly afterwards for a converted score.
Seymour then slotted over his third successive penalty to narrow the gap to a one-point ball game (10-9), but it would be the last time the Force would score any points in the match as Munro ended the first half with a three-pointer of his own after the half-time hooter.
The Blues came out firing after the break, but it still took them 15 minutes to get over the whitewash when full-back Charles Piutau dived over in the corner after good build-up work from Nonu.
The All Blacks centre was at it again when he took Peter Saili's offload to coast over and score his 100th first-class try, before Luke Braid put the result beyond doubt with a bonus-point try 10 minutes from time.
The scorers:
For Blues:
Tries: Luatua, Piutau, Nonu, L Braid
Cons: Munro 3
Pens: Munro 2
For Western Force:
Pens: Seymour 3
Blues: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Lachie Munro, 13 Francis Saili, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Rene Ranger, 10 Michael Hobbs, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Luke Braid, 7 Daniel Braid, 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Andrew Van der Heijden, 4 Liaki Moli, 3 Tevita Mailau, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:16 Tom McCartney, 17 Angus Ta'avao, 18 Chris Lowrey, 19 Peter Saili, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Orene Ai'i, 22 Hadleigh Parkes.
Western Force: 15 Alfie Mafi, 14 Nick Cummins, 13 Will Tupou, 12 Winston Stanley, 11 Napolioni Nalaga, 10 Ben Seymour, 9 Brett Sheehan, 8 Lachlan McCaffery, 7 Angus Cottrell, 6 Richard Brown, 5 Nathan Sharpe (c), 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Salesi Manu, 2 Nathan Charles, 1 Pek Cowan.
Replacements:16 Ben Whittaker, 17 Ruan Smith, 18 Ollie Atkins, 19 Anare Koliavu, 20 Josh Holmes, 21 Kyle Godwin, 22 Patrick Dellit.
Referee: Mike Fraser (New Zealand)
Comments
rakavi187 says...
Trinats:
Losing players to NZ and Aus has been going on for ages now. We cant stop them seeking better lifes for themselves & their family. In fact, for most of them...we've given them the blessing to move.
As for the injuries with the Reds, that's nothing compared to the Blues. As recently as last week, they had to call-up Piutau (a 7s specialist) to join training on Monday and was named to start for Saturdays game....not forgeting the ageing Ai'i on the bench.
If you think the improving Reds will be scary, then you havent seen nothing yet, when we finally get rid of Pat Lam, appoint a decent & capable coach for next season and hopefully our squad stay intact & injury-free.
Posted 21:42 09th July 2012
Trinats2 says...
rakavi187:
I'm not bagging the people of the pacific islands in rugby, it's the opposite. If they didn't lose them to NZ or Aus, Fiji and Samoa would be very difficult to beat.
Might come as a surprise to you but the Reds have been improving over the past few years, had they not lost heaps to injury this year (lost games to Sharks, Bulls and Force they should have won) and even the Crusaders and the dodgy Bryce game the Reds would be clear leaders. They still have heaps to improve which is scary !!!
Posted 10:55 09th July 2012
rakavi187 says...
Trinats...you really are a fool. It's the same Islanders you're bagging that is helping the Reds (Samo, Ioane, Tapuai, Genia, etc) at least finish on a high after a one-hit wonder season.
Prepare yourself for the Reds to go back to being a mediocre team from next season.
Posted 06:22 09th July 2012
Ramage says...
@hybrid1287 Kearns and Martin what jokes. Kearns was even nominated for an award, give me a break.Those two bring TV commentators into disrepute let alone the great game of rugby.
Posted 13:08 08th July 2012
georgesmith says...
Can Dingo Deans please get his acts together. Tis bout time now, olso the right time.
Y r u not picking Nick Cummins for the Wallabies. Tis a shame on Wallabies coach to leave oout such a strong player. Cummins is the replacement for Sterling Mortlock. Well, do the Wallabies have any other crack player to play 13. Rob Horne is there bt not really there yet. Cummins can step, run and break the line. He is a fantastic utility but 13 is where he belongs. If Wallabies lose the championship, Deans should be kicked out coz he has the players and is not picking them.
Posted 12:43 08th July 2012
hybrid187 says...
sorry jonesy2 its not ill informed, its pure facts. I was replying to Trinats' ill informed rubbish.
Posted 10:55 08th July 2012
Trinats2 says...
Ramage:
well said, and ditto for Australia (even more multicultural) !!!
But i think you're missing theGadflY point.
hybrid187:
Phil Kearns, even though a cockroach (NSW) he is one of the nicest, humourist, level headed guys one could meet. A top bloke, ask anyone who has ever played against him and had a drink at wash up (even Sean Fitzpatrick his worst enemy on the field). So what if he wears his heart on his sleeve, he still congratulates and recognises good rugby at the end of the day. which cannot be said about your sky commentary team, great when they are winning but whingers when they are not (glad it's not that often !!)
Posted 10:35 08th July 2012
Ramage says...
Sorry the GadflY after posting I see your post was in reply to the usual one off quip from Trinuts having his usual dig at the kiwis. Never mind we will have to get used to it as he will have little else to do due to the failure of his Island/Kiwi dominated team failing to make the play offfs Unless the fat lady sings and the Blues somehow defeat the Brumbies.
Interesting proposition arises if they do though. As Trinuts has dined out for weeks on the woeful Blues. I note that they are still ahead of the even more woeful Lions and Force. So if they do beat the Brumbies that means the bottom NZ team defeats the OZ conference leaders and would probably put them ahead of another OZ team on the table. Even better though, is the fact that Trinuts and the Reds now depend on the Blues pulling off this win and after all the put downs Trinuts has made about the Blues it is only the Blues who can save the Reds. This is GOLD. However maybe the Flower girls might even rub it in. Never mind Trinuts 2013 is another year. Thanks for the 2012 memories your one year wonders gave it all they had must be all those Islanders and Kiwis you have in your team that let you down!!!
Posted 10:00 08th July 2012
ruckingkiwi says...
NZ allowed Pacific Island immigration when Australia still had a white only policy so they're only now having their first generation of Australians with Island heritage whereas NZ went through this 20 years ago. At the rate the change this is happening in Australia, there wil barely be a white guy on the team in 5 years, it'll be full of Kiwis, Islanders and a Zimbabwean.
Posted 09:40 08th July 2012
jonesy2 says...
hybrid187 -- im sorry but that was the stupidest and most ill-informed, ignorant thing i have ever read. jog on boy
Posted 06:30 08th July 2012
porridge_time says...
Nonu showed some real class in his distripution and direct running lastnight and looks to be in great shape for the up comming Rugby Championship.
The Blues obvioulsy have their off field issues, but their injury count this year has caused them real grief... maybe next season they will be in a better position to show what they have to offer. Because they do have some talented players there and can play a very entertaining brand of rugby.
Posted 03:00 08th July 2012
porridge_time says...
theGadflY says...
Looks like you been walloped by the ingnorant stick!
Posted 02:25 08th July 2012
2EyedKiwi says...
FFS Trinats, if it wasn't for imports your Reds and Wallabies would be even sh*ter than they are...
Posted 22:10 07th July 2012
Ramage says...
Please don't show your abject ignorance of the makeup of the NZ population the GadflY. These so called Islanders are NZers born and bred in NZ and now robably third generation NZers. If I was good enough to play International rugby according to your view of life I would have to play for Scotland because although being born in NZ my dad was a Scot. Sorry man your thinking is totally outdated so take your bias somewhere else you have been reading too many Northern Hemisphere gutter press newspapers with their misrepresentation of the actual situation. Auckland is the biggest Polynsian City in the world and is a city of many races all proud to call themselves NZers.
Posted 18:04 07th July 2012
theGadflY says...
honestly,both NZ and OZ rugby now float on islanders,though NZ has been doin it for a longer tym.it's useless to point fingers at each other.to say the least an original NZ team should compose of maorians and an OZ team of aborigines,isn't it???
Posted 14:33 07th July 2012
hybrid187 says...
Same could be said of your teams Trinats. The Jammy Reds best players are from NZ and PNG. Imagine the Reds minus Cooper, Ioane, Genia and Harris !!
Imagining? yeah they would be crap, no?
lol. (probably missing a few others too). The rest of your teams are full of kiwis and islanders too, no ?
Imagine the Wobblies minus Pocock, Genia, Cooper, Vuna, Ioane, Timani ?
The Qantas Wannabie Wobllies' best players are from NZ / PNG and ZIM ? So how can you be so hypocritical ?
I strongly suggest you apply for a commentating position at FoxSports, the most biased commentary team in world sport. I would know, Ive only lived in 4 different continents. You would fit right in next to Greg Martin and Phil Kearns !
Posted 13:58 07th July 2012
Ramage says...
One should mention to Trinuts who has made a number of derogatory posts about the Blues and gloating about the fact that the Blues were once last on the table. As they say it is not over until the fat lady sings. Lions and the OZ team the Force are now both below the Blues so all his gung ho statements about the Blues now come back to bite him on the bum as his beloved Reds can now only qualify for the playoffs if there are some mighty upsets including the reliance of the Reds on the Bluesthe team he has derided beating the Brumbies to allow the Reds to win the Australian conference. However the Flower Girls will be waiting to ambush the former champions so its not looking good for the Reds to defend their last year's success.
Posted 13:33 07th July 2012
tweedledee49 says...
Well done Blues! you got yourselves out of the bottom
@bk47, agreed nothing spectacular about this match IMO except for Nonu his passes and hits were pretty cool to watch.
Posted 12:50 07th July 2012
Trinats2 says...
All the Islanders keeping the kiwi teams afloat !!!
Posted 12:33 07th July 2012
KiwiLad says...
Even at the bottom of the table, Cream rises upwards.
Posted 11:46 07th July 2012