Reid pledges to fight back from knee injury
Tana tells his struggling Blues side: ‘It’s time to step up’
The backsliding Blues have clearly circled the wagons, embracing a ‘‘nothing to lose’’ mentality for this weekend’s third Super Rugby round against the undefeated Lions in Johannesburg.
But whether that makes any difference after an inauspicious buildup against against one of the best teams in the competition is doubtful. It has already been that sort of season for Tana Umaga’s men, in which words ring a little hollow after back-to-back defeats leave them clinging to a familiar position at the foot of the New Zealand conference.
If the Blues’ 80 minutes at Ellis Park are near as problematic as their journey to the republic, it could be another tough day at the high-veld office for New Zealand’s perennial underachievers. Last time these two teams clashed, at the same venue in 2016, the home side ran in seven tries to thrash the Kiwis 43-5 in an embarrassingly one-sided encounter.
The Blues, who have won just one of their last 10 matches in South Africa, spent nine hours last Sunday waiting at Auckland airport for takeoff clearance, only to have their flight pushed back a day, and preparation plans thrown out of kilter with a late Monday night arrival in Jo’burg.
Meanwhile, the unchanged Lions sleep like babies and prepare like maniacs in their home environment, sharpening the game that has seen them log three straight victories to open the new season without leaving the cosy confines of Gauteng province.
‘‘There’s no going away from
what the Lions do well, and how they get their points,’’ said Umaga in reference to that powerful postlineout mauling game that has yielded eight tries already this season. We’ve entrusted these guys that are starting, and with the makeup of our bench [a 6-2 split] that’s a mix of playing at altitude, All Whites and West Ham United defender Winston Reid has vowed to fight through another injury setback.
Reid’s English Premier League season ended last weekend when he injured his knee during a 4-1 loss to Swansea City.
arriving late and trying to negate some of that [forward strength].
‘‘Those guys on the field need to step up and do the job. They know what’s coming, we’ve trained for it, and it’s now about execution. The big thing we’re asking this week is around the execution of everything we do.’’
The New Zealand skipper wrote on his Instagram account that his ‘‘commitment and love for the game will never stop.’’
The 29-year-old has suffered a number of injuries in recent years that have limited his appearances for club and country.
Umaga has mad respect for the Lions under Johann Ackermann, with their runners-up finishes the previous two seasons reflecting a dramatic turnaround from perennial competition doormats.
‘‘Settled sides are usually good sides,’’ he said of the unchanged nature of the home lineup. ‘‘After
‘‘Sometimes in life you come across challenges both on and off the field lately most of mine have been on with regard to injuries,’’ Reid wrote.
‘‘The way you carry yourself in good times and bad times define you as a person ...I assure everyone last week’s performance [a 27-21 home defeat to the injury-ravaged Chiefs] we’ve been looking at ourselves, but also them because we that I will do everything I can to be back better than before through hard work and dedication.’’
Reid will miss New Zealand’s next international, a friendly behind closed doors against Canada in Spain on March 24. know where their strengths lie. We know they’re a team with a lot of confidence and playing well, and we need to get to that level.
‘‘When we have urgency and excitement, we can do a lot of things. We’ve got nothing to lose over here, our backs are against the wall after our first two outings, and we’ve just got to go out there and take it to them.’’
Umaga continues to search for a fluent Blues lineup, making nine changes to the XV that ran out against the Chiefs, with Rieko Ioane’s shift to centre to partner a fit-again Sonny Bill Williams in midfield the most notable. The coach admits it’s an about-face from his previous stance that he wasn’t shifting ‘‘the world’s best left wing’’ anywhere, but there is already that sort of a desperation around this franchise.
Jerome Kaino also gets his first start, after knee and ankle issues slowed him in the pre-season, and Sam Nock steps in at halfback for crocked skipper Augustine Pulu, who is set to miss six weeks and a-half. Michael Collins returns to fullback, Melani Nanai shifts to the wing and the bench has a 6-2 forwards-backs split.