Bittersweet finish for Tana’s frustrated Blues

Bryn Hall and his Blues team-mates sipped some bittersweet beverages as they toasted a season of what might have been in the Eden Park changing-rooms.

Contrasting wins over the top two Australian teams in their final outings of the year suggested the Blues had more to give this season.

As time passes, the regret Tana Umaga holds about results such as the poor draw against the hapless Reds in Brisbane will subside.

The Blues’ record of eight wins, six losses and a draw − for a probable ninth place finish and their first positive ledger since 2011 − offers genuine hope for 2017, especially with Sonny Bill Williams and Augustine Pulu set to bolster the roster.

But in the immediate aftermath of the 34-28 victory over the Waratahs on Friday night, Umaga couldn’t help but consider what more he could have done to push his team into the playoffs.

That’s Umaga to a tee; always pushing for more. And it’s that sort of attitude that should drive this team further next season.

The building blocks − defensive resolve and attacking confidence − came too late in the campaign. It’s now a matter of accentuating those.

‘‘You always want to get right to the top and when you don’t you think about the what-ifs,’’ Umaga said of his first year in charge.

‘‘It’s great we finished with a hiss and a roar but now we’re finished and some teams keep going. We wish we were there.

‘‘It says a lot about the level of rugby in New Zealand and what Australia is going through at the moment.

‘‘We haven’t lost to an Australian side and we only lost to the Lions in terms of the overseas teams. It’s just the local derbies we’re getting tipped over so if those weren’t that tough we’d be all right. But that’s how you measure yourself, against the top teams.’’

For the likes of Hall, Josh Bekhuis and Tevita Li, they at least sign off their time at the Blues on a positive note.

‘‘It’s pretty disappointing that we didn’t make the finals but we talked about it after the loss to the Hurricanes that we had a lot of play for and we wanted to finish the season with a winning record,’’ Hall said.

‘‘It’s unfortunate we kind of clicked at the end but going into next year if they keep building with Tana and the coaching staff there’s no doubt in my mind they’ll definitely be contenders.’’

Hall’s career has been reflective of the Blues − up and down with form and injury. But after featuring in every match and regaining the starting role this year the former NZ under-20s halfback is keen to make his mark at the Crusaders next year.

‘‘I’ve been here my whole life and I feel it’s a really good opportunity to go down there and experience something different, especially with the excellence they have and the culture I’ve heard about. I’m going down there to get my game to another level.’’