Telea extends deal

Blues rookie sensation Mark Telea senses something special is in the process of unfolding at the Auckland Super Rugby franchise.

It’s why he had no hesitation in joining team-mate Hoskins Sotutu in extending his contract another two years until the end of 2022 and it’s why he heads to Christchurch for Super Rugby Aotearoa’s top-of-the table clash on Saturday with a firm belief his red-hot team can scale what might be professional rugby’s toughest peak.

‘‘It’s mean with the boys. You can feel it when you’re out there, you can feel it in our meetings. It’s an exciting time for us,’’ the 23-year-old wing told Stuff after a wet and cool Blues training session at Alexandra Park yesterday that evoked images of conditions coming their way Saturday.

‘‘We’re trying to do the best we can, and with the momentum we’re building, we’ve got our city behind us, our fans, our families, and we’re just trying to go with that wave.’’

If Telea sounds excited, he has good reason to be walking on the proverbial air. In his first season as a fully contracted Super Rugby player he has lit it up on the right wing for the Blues, starting all 10 matches thus far (alongside Patrick Tuipulotu, the only player to have done so) as the Auckland outfit has taken a giant stride towards shaking off its underachiever tag.

The Blues are riding a sevenmatch win streak (four of those on the road) heading into their battle of the unbeaten teams in Christchurch.