Round 3 of Super Rugby edition 2015 is done and dusted and even though the competition is in its infancy already the talking points are flowing thick and fast.
The good: the Hurricanes winning 3 out of 3 of their matches and topping the log and the other surprise package, the Cheetahs, who find themselves scaling the heady heights of the top 3. What a dream start for both teams who in the past were known to have exciting talent, and yet never fully delivered on their potential.
The shocking: Karmichael Hunt – of Rugby League and Australian Rules Football fame – accused of supplying cocaine. This leaves his new team, the Queensland Reds, in a difficult situation with the debacle sure to cause team and supporters alike many unwanted distractions and ugly headlines.
The not so unusual: the Crusaders have started slowly again taking a battering in Hamilton on Saturday after a so-so start that saw a loss to the Rebels on opening weekend and an unconvincing win against the Highlanders a week after.
The 7-time champion Crusaders can take heart, however, as they usually overcome their jaded starts to mount strong campaigns that always see them challenging for the trophy in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for their northern rivals, the Blues.
The Blues’ inauspicious start to this year’s tournament – 3 losses out of 3 matches – is their worst start in the history of the competition. They suffered back-to-back defeats on the road in South Africa with both matches highlighting their indiscipline – lock Hayden Triggs being red-carded in the 24th minute against the Stormers for punching – and their dubious luck – a penalty at the death in their match against the Cheetahs on Friday, which saw the Cheetahs pip them by 1 point.
The old adage seems to be true: when you’re winning all the decisions go in your favour, but when you’re struggling and losing, the opposite happens. As the Blues are finding out.
Historically, the Blues and the provincial team from which they are borne out of, Auckland, is New Zealand’s most celebrated provincial side. It was often said in NZ rugby circles that when Auckland did well, so did the All Blacks – that’s how important they had become on the landscape. And when you look at the great players to have donned that provincial jersey – Sean Fitzpatrick, the Brooke brothers Robin and Zinzan, Sir John Kirwan, Carlos Spencer etc. – it’s easy to understand why they are constantly scrutinized closer than other NZ franchises.
In the past few years, however, the Blues have failed to honour their glittering legacy and have become a frustrating and vexing issue on the rugby landscape. Their standings in the last 3 years (12th, 10th and 10th) don’t tell the full story, but the fact that they have only made the semi-finals twice since their championship victory of 2003 is a far more damning statistic.
But what exactly is missing? Their coach, John Kirwan, has always had progressive ideas when it’s come to rugby and as a former All Black great he is well-respected. But it is worth remembering that his coaching career and results with the likes of Italy and Japan before are fairly modest and, perhaps, he is not the man for this particular hot seat?
What about the players? They have talent to burn with the likes of Charles Piatau, Steven Luatua, and Ihaia West and have experienced World Cup winners in the form of Jerome Kaino, Keven Mealamu, and Tony Woodcock. And because this is World Cup year motivation to make the showpiece event surely isn’t lacking?
The exact issue isn’t clear, but what is certain is that whatever is going on with the Blues is complex. There doesn’t seem to be a quick fix solution that will elevate them out of their current predicament and maybe they may even need to wait till next season before making a clean slate in the expanded Super 16.
Perhaps there is still time to salvage this current season and their actions might need to be radical if they are going to be successful. After all, they owe it to their proud legacy as well as their legion of loyal supporters.
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