Super Rugby is back with the official launch in Auckland today.
COMMENT:
Believe it or not, positive feedback can be rare in this job.
Some time ago I opened an email from a reader which questioned not only my education but also my parentage due to something I wrote (most journalists will be able to relate and funnily enough said emailsare usually littered with spelling errors), and so a recent complimentary note from a Blues supporter about a story on the abundance of quality among the side's loose forwards this season was unexpected to say the least.
His name is Paul and he wrote that he had become tired of seeing too many stories on the Blues written by "Negative Nancys" (his words), and so in the spirit of Paul and a new season as yet unblemished by failure, here are some other points of positivity for the team's long-suffering supporters to cling to.
Public service announcement; they may seem relatively minor to fans of other teams, but at this point Blues fans will probably take what they can get. Many will know full well that they last made the playoffs in 2011 and last won a championship in 2003.
Last year they finished 13th out of 15 teams and their performances were often rougher than the contents of an Australian cricketer's pocket. They lost some close ones but some of those losses, such as letting slip a big lead over the Reds at Suncorp Stadium to fall 29-28, were unacceptable.
Also, any correspondence probably won't be entered into.
Blues head coach Leon MacDonald will be satisfied with what he's seen from his charges so far this year. Photo / Photosport
This week as the Blues prepared for their round-one match against the Chiefs at Eden Park the players finished their two major training sessions well ahead of time, a state of affairs almost unheard of at this stage of the season.
Coaches are always mindful of how long players are on their feet but it's usually more of an issue later in the year or, whisper it, as they approach the playoffs.
What coach Leon MacDonald would give to be in the running for a top-eight place in early June.
The shorter sessions hint at organisation and confidence within the coaching and playing group not always associated with this franchise.
Conditioning
Patrick Tuipulotu will captain the Blues this season. Photo / Photosport
Connected to the above.
The players are said to be much fitter this season and of those the physical condition of their returning All Blacks Patrick Tuipulotu and Rieko Ioane appear to be standouts (we'll know more about their physical state during the Chiefs match as they, like all current All Blacks, are not allowed to play pre-season matches).
Warm-up wins over the Chiefs and Hurricanes suggest their teammates are in good nick.
Tuipulotu, the Blues' skipper, hasn't stopped training since the World Cup finished last November. Ioane has lost about 3kg while retaining his strength and pace.
Akira Ioane scores a try for the Blues during a pre-season Super Rugby match between the Blues and the Hurricanes in Takapuna, Auckland. Photo / Photosport
Bear with me.
The absence of Ioane from the Blues squad to play the Chiefs is a genuine surprise because he has been an incredibly durable player over the past two or three seasons and at times he's been incredibly effective too.
Few can do what Ioane can off the back of an attacking scrum and he can score tries from long range for fun.
But at this point 21-year-old Hoskins Sototu, who at 1.92m is only 2cm shorter than the giant Ioane, is playing better so he has the honour of starting.
MacDonald's message for Ioane is the same for every other player in the squad: earn your place.
It might just all be the start of something a little different.
