Baby Blues go down
27 20
HOSEA Gear increased his chances of getting back in the All Blacks by scoring two tries in the Highlanders’ 27-20 win over the Blues last night.
Just days after turning down a hugely lucrative deal to play in Japan in favour of fighting for a place back in the All Blacks, he helped his cause no end but getting on the score sheet twice, each time by backing up other Highlanders who’d made breaks.
Whether this was enough to earn a recall will soon be known.
But his efforts in this bonuspoint win for the Highlanders will be gratefully appreciated in the deep south nevertheless.
For the Highlanders to stay in the hunt for the playoffs, they desperately needed this win and there was always that risk that resting Aaron Smith and Mike Delany from the starting team would cost them.
However, despite one awful forward pass from Jimmy Cowan, the departing All Black played well, while Noakes continues to be a steady and reliable player at this level.
This was the least experienced Blues side that has ever taken the field and if you were being cruel, you could say it was the worst, too.
But at the beginning of the game what they lost in skill, they made up for in passion and enthusiasm.
Starting just his second Super Rugby game, Steven Luatua showed that he’s a real talent for the future and was a commanding force at the breakdown.
The Blues started with far more intensity than they had in recent weeks, looking to smash the Highlanders breakdown and put Highlanders: (H Gear 2, T Ellison, A Thomson tries C Noakes 2 con, pen) Blues: (T Mailau, T Woodcock tries; G Anscombe, L Munro cons, Anscombe 2 pen) Ht: 6-15 MATCH RATING: 6 There were a few nice passages of plays in the game, although most of them came from the Blues but it was good to see Ma’a Nonu on fire again, despite the Blues still frustrating with their errors. UPSHOT: The four-try bonus point is huge for the Highlanders, keeping them right in the hunt for a spot in a top six. The Blues’ bright spot is only having to endure this four more times in 2012. them on the back foot – and their reward for this was a penalty from Gareth Anscombe in the eighth minute.
Chris Noakes levelled the scores in the 20th minute in the same fashion and the Blues’ big issue of turning over the ball when they’re in the opposition’s 22 proved costly again when Tamati Ellison put a big kick down the field once the ball had been gifted to the Highlanders and after a scramble on the Blues’ goal line Ellison was awarded a try.
Seven minutes before the break, Anscombe kicked his second penalty but straight after Kurt Baker made a break down the right wing and Hosea Gear backed up and got a try to give the visitors a comfortable lead.
It took the Highlanders just 21 seconds of the second half for Gear to score his second try.
Six minutes into the half Ali Williams came on for his 100th Super Rugby appearance and it was a disappointing way for such a great player to reach this milestone, coming from the bench to play in a game already lost.
Ma’a Nonu added some real bite to the Blues attack when he came on for Michael Hobbs but the next try was a complete farce from the Blues’ point of view.
James Parsons threw the ball straight to Adam Thomson at a lineout on their 5m line and the All Blacks flanker skipped over for the easiest try he’ll ever score.
Tevita Mailau and Tony Woodcock scored late tries for the Blues. While the Highlanders will go onwards from here, another week of licking wounds lies ahead for the Blues. They are likely to get another beating from the Chiefs next week and the reality is that there is only one game left this year that they have any chance of winning, against the Force in the penultimate round.