Blues: Rock Brumbies and open play-off door for Reds
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In another twist to the play-offs permutations, the Blues saved their best performance of the season for last after beating the Brumbies 30-16 at Canberra Stadium on Saturday.
The result leaves the Brumbies sweating over the result in Brisbane where the Reds require a bonus-point win over the Waratahs to top the Australian conference and book their place in the finals.
All the Brumbies needed was a losing bonus point, but they couldn't even manage that as their trans-Tasman rivals outscored Jake White's troops three tries to one.
It has been a dismal season for the Blues, who have battled an unprecedented run of injuries and lurched from one defeat to another, but they managed to sign off 2012 with a convincing win.
It was a faultless effort from the visitors who were scintilating on attack as they carved up their opponents on countless occasions.
Blues scrum-half Piri Weepu missed an opening penalty kick in the second minute of the match, but after that it was full steam ahead for the Aucklanders who were celebrating their first try of the match when lock Liaki Moli powered over from close range. Weepu added the simple conversion.
The Blues' early domination continued and four minutes later flank Daniel Braid charged down the left touchline and barged his way through Jesse Mogg to score in the corner. That score signalled the Kiwi outfit meant business as Weepu converted from far out to give his side a handy 14-0 lead - the Brumbies yet to touch the ball.
After 20 minutes, the hosts finally made their way inside Blues territory and made it count when Zack Holmes slotted over a three-pointer to put the Brumbies on the board.
Some excellent work by Henry Speight then gave the home crowd reason to cheer after the winger danced his way through several Blues defenders for a superb solo try - converted by Holmes - that closed the gap to four points (10-14).
Another Holmes penalty three minutes later made it a one-point ball game (13-14), but the Blues had the final say in the first half following a monumental team effort that ended with wing Hadleigh Parkes over the whitewash. Once again, Weepu was on-target from far out and the Blues went into the half-time sheds 21-13 ahead.
The Brumbies opened the scoring in the second half courtesy of a Jesse Mogg penalty - his first successful kick after missing three prior to that.
But the Blues hit back with another two quickfire Weepu penalties to keep the Brumbies playing catch-up.
The scorers:
For Brumbies:
Tries: Speight
Cons: Holmes
Pens: Holmes 2, Mogg
For Blues:
Try: Moli, D Braid, Parkes
Cons: Weepu 3
Pens: Weepu 2, Hobbs
Brumbies: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Andrew Smith, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Zack Holmes, 9 Nic White, 8 Ben Mowen (c), 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Peter Kimlin, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Scott Fardy, 3 Dan Palmer, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Ben Alexander.
Replacements: 16 Anthony Hegarty, 17 Ruaidhri Murphy, 18 Leon Power, 19 Fotu Auelua, 20 Ian Prior, 21 Tevita Kuridrani, 22 Robbie Coleman.
Blues: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Sherwin Stowers, 13 Francis Saili, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Hadleigh Parkes, 10 Michael Hobbs, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Luke Braid, 7 Daniel Braid, 6 Chris Lowrey, 5 Steven Luatua, 4 Liaki Moli, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Keven Mealamu (c), 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Tom McCartney, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 Andrew Van der Heijden, 19 Peter Saili, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Orene Ai'i, 22 Albert Nikoro.
Referee: Jonathon White (New Zealand)
Comments
powerplay says...
If a player knocks on, and his team mate whose in front of the him, picks up the ball not knowing it was a knock on and runs with it, how is it a penalty for accidental off side?? It should just go back to the knock on!!! Brumbies had a chance to score, but this call went against them right on 78 minutes, in the BLues half...
Posted 14:06 14th July 2012
powerplay says...
Some of the best super tries from the blues of old today!
Posted 14:00 14th July 2012
Trader2 says...
Wow out at dinner but here comes Trinats. Have to blame myself here I was cheering for the Blues even though it gave the Reds a chance, just cannot bring myself to back an Aussie side v a Kiwi one (unless it would benefit the Highlanders of course) Must go, people looking at me a bit strange - have they never seen an iPad at the dinner table before? Anyway the Reds still gone it just may take another week or two.
Posted 12:11 14th July 2012
tha_mai says...
Blues . . . what could have been. Way back in their first game, lost 18-19 to Crusaders they looked OK. 13 of that game's 22 are 'missing in action' plus another five from the initial squad (Woodcock and Nonu started late). We're seeing not quite Blues B, but certainly Blues A-minus.
Posted 10:55 14th July 2012
georgesmith says...
P.Lam still has to go. Great game by C. Piutau. J. Mogg was awful. Brumbis don't deserve to be in the finals after such a display. H.Speight was good.
Posted 10:38 14th July 2012
new_j4a says...
Ahem, excuse me for asking, but wasn't that Australia's finest soundly trounced by the wooden spooners of the Kiwi conference? Does anybody see a trend here? First Scotland the laughing stock of the NH and now the Blues expose Oz. It is no wonder that the foreign player cap is being lifted....
Posted 09:43 14th July 2012
zambokke says...
Exposed!! Have avoided the big guns to get to where they are. Shows up the weakness in this format.
Posted 09:39 14th July 2012
tha_mai says...
result shouldn't surprise; this Brumbies team there on the back of so many soft games, the 'test intensity' of double matches v Force and Rebels plus Cheetahs and Lions; have only beaten one (Hurricanes) of the other top 8 sides, didn't get to play Stormers or Crusaders.
Posted 09:24 14th July 2012
Trader2 says...
Trinats has been quiet all week but he will be a little excited now. The Reds have been kept in it by their Kiwi players all season and now the Blues have given them a faint hope. 4 tries against the Tahs will be a big ask so to repeat myself "The Reds are gone". So the Kiwi and Oz conference winners are beaten and guess what the Stormers won't be. I think it was March when I said I liked the Stormers and nothing has changed.
Posted 08:28 14th July 2012
rugbylover says...
@Jmanngod
.............well, they weren't awful today.
Posted 08:24 14th July 2012