Blues’ All Blacks duo set to hit milestones in Super Rugby Pacific semi-final against Crusaders
The Blues have named a strong matchday squad for Friday’s Super Rugby Pacific semi-final in Christchurch, with All Blacks duo Rieko Ioane and Hoskins Sotutu set to hit milestones in the highly anticipated encounter.
Ioane will make his 100th appearance for the Blues, while Sotutu is set to play his 50th game for the men from Auckland in what promises to be a thrilling showdown between two of the heavyweights of the New Zealand game.
All Blacks flyer back from injury
The Blues have also received a boost with All Blacks flyer Caleb Clarke returning to start on the left wing, after recovering from a hamstring injury, and he comes into the side as a replacement for AJ Lam.
That is the only change to the side who won their semi-final against the Waratahs last weekend, and Blues head coach Leon MacDonald is happy to show faith in the players who brought the team to this point in the competition.
“It’s nice to be able to show some consistency in selection at this stage of the season; the boys going out there know what they need to do,” he said.
“There’s a history of epic battles between these two sides, and I’m sure Friday will be no different. The Crusaders in Christchurch is a stern test, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s games like this we all look forward to.”
MacDonald knows that accuracy and cool heads will be required in a high-pressure knockout match against the Crusaders, who are Super Rugby‘s most successful side.
“Our season has been geared towards this, we showed patience against the Waratahs, held the ball for long periods and were accurate off the tee – we want to mirror all those qualities in another knockout contest this Friday,” he added.
MacDonald also paid tribute to the two milestone men – Ioane and Sotutu – saying both have played pivotal roles for the men from Auckland this season.
“Congrats to Rieko and Hoskins on reaching their 100th and 50th game milestones respectively,” he said.
“Rieko has been a rock for us at centre all season, and I know he’s fired up to put in a big performance on Friday night. To play 100 games for the club is testament to the hard work he puts in to keep himself fit and available for selection. He has a leadership role within this team and I’m sure he’s got plenty more appearances in blue to come.
“Hoskins has had a really strong season to-date – his ball playing ability and work around the field make him a threat to any defence he comes up against. I know the boys want to put in a big one for both him and Rieko on Friday night.”
Ready for the challenge
Blues skipper Dalton Papalii said his team had spoken about relishing the opportunity to go to Christchurch and take on the Crusaders on their own turf.
“Their record speaks for itself, they’ve never lost a finals game at home, and we know we’ll have to be at our best to win this semi-final,” he said.
“We can take a lot of heart from the way we defended our line last time we were in Christchurch. We know we’re going down into enemy territory and are prepared to face the music.
“As a team we are walking towards this challenge and embracing everything that comes with being in a Semi Final – we can’t wait!”
Blues: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Bryce Heem, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Dalton Papalii (c), 6 Akira Ioane, 5 James Tucker, 4 Tom Robinson, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Ricky Riccitelli, 1 Ofa Tuungafasi
Replacements: 16 Kurt Eklund, 17 Jordan Lay, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Cameron Suafoa, 20 Adrian Choat, 21 Sam Nock, 22 Harry Plummer, 23 Stephen Perofeta
Date: Friday, June 16
Venue: Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19:05 local (08:05 BST, 07:05 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), James Doleman (New Zealand)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
