Is blue becoming the new all black?

OPINION:

The Blues might just be back and New Zealand rugby should be better for it.

It wasn’t that long ago – though it must seem a lifetime for the Blues faithful – a well-used saying rang true: ‘‘When Auckland rugby is strong, New Zealand rugby is strong.’’

That was on the back of some remarkable blue and white dominance of national championships and Ranfurly Shield clashes, culminating in 10 Auckland players lining out in the All Blacks starting team that won the inaugural Rugby World Cup on their beloved Eden Park in 1987.

The last time the All Blacks won the World Cup, at London’s Twickenham in 2015, Jerome Kaino was the only Auckland and Blues player in the starting XV with front rowers Keven Mealamu and Charlie Faumuina on the bench.

That summed up the long and painful slide for a Blues outfit that had dominated the opening phase of Super Rugby but then been thoroughly overtaken by the Crusaders as the power base of the New Zealand game shifted south.

It’s no coincidence that it has taken a Crusaders stalwart in Leon MacDonald to generate the Blues revival as head coach.

A bit of red and black tenacity added to the traditional blue and white adventure has produced a pretty potent mix.

It might be too early to suggest the Blues really are the real deal again but five wins from seven games before the coronavirus pandemic stalled Super Rugby and an enthusiastic win over the Hurricanes as the domestic version took over last weekend make for some truly positive signs.

And the national game should be rejoicing.