At a glance
The Blues have the proverbial blinkers affixed ahead of a Friday night Super Rugby Pacific clash in Melbourne that they should handle with ease. That is to say, all talk of a seismic matchup against the Hurricanes eight days hence is being given a Mark Tele’a-like sidestep.
Undoubtedly the spectre of the Canes, who host the Waratahs just a few hours earlier in the capital, hovers over Vern Cotter’s side heading into their match against the Rebels at AAMI Park.
The Auks sit one point south of the men from Wellington at the top of the standings, and just happen to host them at Eden Park next Saturday afternoon.
But the 8-1 Blues, riding a six-game win streak, understand the wisdom of avoiding wistful future-gazing ahead of a clash to which they would be wise to give their full attention.
The Rebels may be fresh off a 39-0 walloping from the Crusaders in Christchurch, but their record (5-4, fifth overall) portrays a competitive outfit guilty of a bad day at the office last weekend.
Senior Blues forward Dalton Papali’i didn’t want to know about the Hurricanes factor (their loss to the Brumbies in Canberra last round has thrown the minor premier race wide open) as he wrapped up preparations on the Sunshine Coast.
Rebels: Andrew Kellaway, Filipo Daugunu, Matt Proctor, David Feliuai, Darby Lancaster, Carter Gordon, Ryan Louwrens; Rob Leota (capt), Vaiolini Ekuasi, Josh Kemney, Josh Canham, Angelo Smith, Taniela Tupou, Jordan Uelese, Isaac Kailea. Reserves: Ethan Dobbins, Matt Gibbon, Sam Talakai, Tuaina Taii Tualima, Maciu Nabolakasi, Jack Maunder, Ja ke Strachan, Lachie Anderson.
Blues: Cole Forbes, Mark Tele’a, Rieko Ioane, AJ Lam, Caleb Clarke, Harry Plummer, Taufu Funaki; Hoskins Sotutu, Dalton Papali’i, Anton Segner, Laghlan McWhannell, Patrick Tuipulotu (capt), PJ Sheck, Ricky Riccitelli, Ofa Tu’ungasfasi. Reserves: Kurt Eklund, Joshua Fusitu’a, Marcel Renata, Sam Darry, Cameron Suafoa, Sam Nock, Corey Evans, Bryce Heem. Referee: Angus Gardner (Aus).
“I don’t really care,” said Papali’i when prodded on the top-table ramifications. “The one thing that’s always worked for us is we worry about the team that’s in front of us, which is right now the Rebels … I know the job in front of me, and it’s the Rebels.
“I’m not gonna lie, it was sort of good to see [the Hurricanes] go down, but, man, they’ve been a quality side. They tripped up now, but I know they’ll be back stronger. We’ve got to get over the Rebels to
get our momentum back because the Reds game [last week] could have gone either way. We’ve got to be better. This is a good opportunity to stamp our mark.”
Papali’i is right, on multiple fronts. The task at hand is all that matters, and last week’s ever-so-flighty 41-34 lastgasp victory over the Reds in Brisbane assuredly serves as a wakeup call for a side that won its four previous matches by a collective 169-24.
The Blues dug themselves into a 31-20 second-half hole against the Reds by allowing rookie wing Tim Ryan to run amok, and though there was an icy coolness about their finish of three tries in the final 11 minutes, it was still a performance that hinted at fallibility.
“Those are the games you learn off the most,” noted Papali’i. “When you put a lot of points on teams it’s hard sometimes to find things you can work on. It’s always good to keep ourselves in check with games like that.”
And after conceding just two tries in
“The one thing that’s always worked for us is we worry about the team that’s in front of us, which is right now the Rebels.”
Dalton Papali’i