QUICK GUIDE TO SUPER RUGBY AOTEAROA 2021
2021 BLUES SQUAD
Hookers: Ray Niuia, James Parsons, Soane Vikena
Props: Alex Hodgman, Nepo Laulala, James Lay, Marcel Renata, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Ofa Tuungafasi
Locks: Gerard Cowley-Tuioti , Sam Darry, Josh Goodhue, Jacob Pierce (North Harbour), Patrick Tuipulotu
Loose forwards: Blake Gibson, Dillon Hunt, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii, Taine Plumtree, Tom Robinson, Hoskins Sotutu
Halfbacks: Finlay Christie, Sam Nock, Jonathan Ruru
Inside backs: Otere Black, Stephen Perofeta, Harry Plummer
Midfield: TJ Faiane, Rieko Ioane, Tanielu Tele’a
Outside backs: Caleb Clarke, AJ Lam, Jone Macilai- Tori, Emoni Narawa, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Zarn Sullivan, Mark Telea
RECRUITMENT BALANCE
It’s a little bit weird that they have strengthened themselves in an area where they were already strong – prop. Still, the arrival of Nepo Laulala gives the Blues front-row depth and the opportunity to use their scrum as a weapon.
The other key arrivals in that regard are young Crusaders lock Sam Darry who will add lineout height and competition to start alongside captain Patrick Tuipulotu.
And Dillon Hunt at openside gives them a genuine fetcher and ball winner.
But while the pack has been bolstered, the overall balance is massively impacted by the absence of Beauden Barrett who is in Japan on sabbatical.
The Blues desperately need his experience and game management and without it, they simply won’t be the same team.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TACTICALLY?
There is no doubt they are going to tighten up and play around the physicality of their pack. And why wouldn’t they? They have Laulala, Ofa Tuungafasi, Karl Tu’inukuafe, Tuipulotu, Hoskins Sotutu, Akira Ioane and Dalton Papalii. That’s plenty of ball carrying firepower and bulk and an opportunity to use the set-piece more effectively.
We suspect they will slow down, play in more narrow channels and be prepared to be patient and grind out wins.
GUT FEEL – RISERS OR FALLERS?
They are slight risers. We would have them as major risers if Barrett was with them, but even without him, there is a sense the Blues have grown collectively in the last 18 months.
Akira Ioane has come of age and Sotutu will be all the more effective having had a season with the All Blacks. In young Caleb Clarke and Rieko Ioane they have finishing power and the missing ingredient is belief, composure and an ability to play under pressure.
We think they will have taken some big strides in all of those areas and see them winning more of those close games that two years ago they would have lost.
WHERE WILL THEY FINISH?
They have turned Eden Park into a much tougher place to visit and with bigger crowds and the city more interested in rugby than it has been in the recent past, we feel they will win all their home games and do enough away from Auckland to sneak into the final.
RECRUITMENT BALANCE
The Chiefs will say they have done well and picked up a couple of promising first-fives and recruited the younger Boshier brother Kaylum.
But overall it’s a poor return as they have lost three key forwards – Tyler Ardron, Michael Allardice and Nepo Laulala as well as the underutilised Solomon Alaimalo. The loss of Aaron Cruden will also hurt them and this Chiefs team looks decidedly weaker than the one that started 2020.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TACTICALLY?
New coach Clayton McMillan is going to have to settle on a style of rugby quickly and definitively as arguably that’s something his predecessor Warren Gatland didn’t do last year.
The Chiefs were a mix of grind and wide and it never quite worked. They look like a team that will be more dangerous the faster they play and use the twin talents of Boshier and Sam Cane to win them ball to play off counter attack.
GUT FEEL – RISERS OR FALLERS?
Given they didn’t win a single game in Super Rugby Aotearoa 2020 we can’t really imagine things can go any worse. So statistically at least they are risers because they will – surely – win a few games this year.
But we don’t see them being a genuine force in this competition. They look like they might be one of the weaker teams, if not the weakest
WHERE WILL THEY FINISH?
They will likely win a few home games. They have to don’t they? They can’t go through another season with a win. But winning on the road will challenge them and we are struggling to see them finish higher than fourth.