adminAUCKLAND. — A sensational penalty kick from the touchline by replacement flyhalf Ihaia West with two minutes to go enabled the Blues to withstand a concerted second half comeback from the Brumbies and clinch a drought breaking 16-14 Vodacom Super Rugby win at Eden Park yesterday.
It was the Blues’ first victory in eight starts this season, and they did it the hard way. They dominated the first half, with their straight running sapping the energy of the Brumbies, who had to make a huge amount of tackles in that period, and probably deserved to lead by more than 13-0 at the break against a Brumbies team that looked strangely off-colour.
However, as dominant as the Blues were in the first half, so the Brumbies were dominant in the second, with openside flanker David Pocock leading the way by wrecking the Blues’ flow of possession at the breakdown and thus precipitating a wave of nerves and self-doubt through the ranks of the hosts.
The Brumbies fought their way back gradually. They started the second half strongly and swarmed onto the attack, with a penalty being awarded their way as they swarmed towards the Blues’ line. Christian Lealiifano had missed a sitter in the first half and this was another easy kick, but this time he made no mistake to cut the deficit to 10 points.
The Brumbies never had the flow to their game or the ruthlessness that has characterized most of their other performances this season and which has enabled them to reach this juncture of the season in second position on the overall log. Perhaps they were put off by the loss of flyhalf Matt Toomua early in the first half to a leg injury. —SuperSport.
Online Reporter