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Opinionated Rugby Commentary - by Fans for Fans
Spill what you really think about events in the rugby world.
What Is Wrong With The Blues? 14 views
12 April 2012 by The Swede Eaters
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Scotty Donaldson looks at New Zealand Rugby's problem-child the Blues. They have the population and players but are sitting at the bottom of the New Zealand conference.
The Blues sit at the bottom of the New Zealand Super Rugby conference despite having hte strongest looking squad on paper at the start of the season (32% of this website rated the Blues as the strongest New Zealand Super Rugby 2012 squad). While the season is only halfway through, it is difficult seeing the Blues turnaround their troubled season and win some matches. Here are some potential reasons for the Blues dismal start to the Super Rugby season.
1) Injuries - the Blues have struggled with injuries to key individuals this season. Experienced All Blacks like Jerome Kaino, Anthony Boric and Isaia Toeava have been huge losses and the Blues can't afford to lose three such experienced players. There have also been several other injuries, leaving them a bit short on players.
2) Lack of discipline - Piri Weepu returned to training over-weight, while Rene Ranger's late no arms tackle against the Bulls after a try had been scored showed a lack of discipline in the Blues. Peter and Francis Saili stood down for breaking team protocol. You would think professional rugby players would know better.
3) Blues catchment - The Blues catchment area is the most populous in New Zealand. They can draw on players from Auckland, North Harbour and Northland, but they seem to be instead mainly drawing on players from the Auckland academy like Ben Lam who happens to be related to the coach. Surely North Harbour and Northland have a sprinkling of players who are better players than Ben Lam who didn't cover himself in glory earlier in the season when he played. North Harbour and Northland players like Bronson Murray, Mike Harris and Tom Chamberlain have moved to other teams and/ or countries to get Super Rugby contracts. Northland and North Harbour probably aren't as flush with too many rising stars, but surely Nafi Tuitavake and Bryce Heme would have filled in admirably on the wing for the Blues in South Africa. I also think that Rugby League has stolen some of Auckland's best young rugby players thanks to the NZ Warriors and other Australian NRL clubs.
4) Rugby World Cup Hangover - There are several players in the Blues who experienced the win of a lifetime at the Rugby World Cup 2011. Unfortunately some of them like Ali Williams and Piri Weepu are struggling to get back into any kind of form now and you wonder when these guys will go overseas for the money. We already know Jerome Kaino and Isaia Toeava are going to Japan, but you wonder when Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Daniel Braid, Ali Williams, Ma'a Nonu and Piri Weepu will also be heading overseas.
5) Cohesion - The Blues simply don't seem to be gelling as a team. They have plenty of great individual players, but they seem to struggle to perform as a cohesive unit. Plenty of this comes down to playing time together and the types of player on the books at the Blues.
6) Coach - Pat Lam is a great guy but he has made some interesting selections this season. He seems reluctant to start the exciting Gareth Anscombe and seemed like he would rather pick either Michael Hobbs or Piri Weepu out of position ahead of him at Number 10. He also picked relative Ben Lam on the wing. It is hard to know why Pat Lam can't get the best out of his players? I remember in the past there were player power issues with the Blues and outsiders who would come in to coach them. Guys like Jed Rowlands and David Nucifora are two who felt the wrath of the experienced Blues players. Pat Lam is a local and Pacific Islander and so it seems that he does have the respect of the players at least. The only problem is that he doesn't seem to be getting the best out of them. It leaves you wondering if they were to get a new coach how they would fit in? Things could be easier if the senior core of players like Ali Williams, Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock and company were to leave and the new coach could do what Mark Hammett did with the Hurricanes and start with a clean slate. Lam has had enough chances and probably needs to go at the end of this season.
7) Racism - The Blues do have heaps of Pacific Island and Maori players which is hardly surprising given that Auckland has such a diverse population, but surely having a Samoan coach is a good thing as he should be able to get the best out of fellow Pacific Islanders who may train differently to the white guys.
I think the racist card comes into it where people think the Blues need to build combinations of types of players, and this may require some more grafters like Conrad Smith who make few mistakes and play the percentages. This type of player is often a white in colour, although someone like Benson Stanley is a good foil for the flair type players like Rene Ranger. I am not afraid to admit that for years I have called for my Highlanders to get some more flair and I am not afraid to admit that this often comes about by recruiting Pacific Islanders and Maori players. The Highlanders continue to rely on Maori or Pacific Island players in the draft to complement their strapping white southern lads upfront.
I think this is why the All Blacks are so successful, they have the combination of solid grafters and flash harries. Many of the flash harries are of Pacific Island or Maori ethnicity.
8) Finally the Super Rugby competition is so difficult with so many top level players in every team and it only takes for one team to be slightly off their game for a team to lose. Remember that the Blues only lost to the Crusaders in the opening match by a whisker and sometimes there is a bit of luck, a referee's call and some injuries in the way of being a successful team. It is about building confidence and trying to make winning a routine.
Why do you think the Blues have been rubbish this season and how should they fix it?
http://www.superrugbytips.com/2012/04/what-is-wrong-with-blues.html
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Tags:
Blues, Super Rugby
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