Blues back their muddled midfield

If the Crusaders back attack are not licking their collective lips in anticipation right now, it’s probably just because they are too polite to do anything so grandiose.

But they should be preparing to fill their metaphorical boots after Blues coach Tana Umaga decided to stick with his midfield of Rieko Ioane and Michael Collins for tomorrow night’s regular season finale in Christchurch.

Ioane and Collins are both outstanding players, but Ioane – arguably the best wing on the planet – has not set the world on fire at second five-eighth this Super Rugby season, and Collins is a better fullback than No 13.

Collectively they are also coming off a defensive horror show last time out against the Hurricanes.

To be fair to Umaga he is not exactly overflowing with midfield options and it’s not as if his team is playing for anything at the back end of the Super Rugby season. But still it’s a surprise to see Ioane and Collins retained as a makeshift midfield combination after their defensive channels effectively became a main highway en route to a four-try explosion from Ngani Laumape Blues: Matt Duffie, Melani Nanai, Michael Collins, Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clarke, Stephen Perofeta, Augustine Pulu (capt); Akira Ioane, Blake Gibson, Jerome Kaino, Ben Nee-Nee, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Ofa Tuungafasi, Matt Moulds, Alex Hodgman. Reserves: Ross Wright, Pauliasi Manu, Sione Mafileo, Jacob Pierce, Murphy Taramai, Sam Nock, Bryn Gatland, Tamati Tua.

in a 42-24 Canes victory last Saturday.

‘‘We have to do well on both sides of the ball,’’ Umaga said after making just one change to his starting XV with Ben Nee-Nee in for the crocked Matiaha Martin.

‘‘We had some individual lapses in defence [against the Hurricanes] and that’s something we’ve worked on.’’

Umaga is clearly backing his men to make the adjustments, which are plentiful, after what was no doubt a video horror show in Monday’s review.

Umaga said tomorrow’s game meant a lot to his men, despite their 4-11 record and exclusion from yet another playoff run.

The Blues have lost their last seven against the Crusaders and 10 straight in Christchurch.