Caleb Clarke on the charge during the Blues' win in Fiji. Photo / Getty
Blues 30
Fijian Drua 14
The Blues have kept in touch with the Super Rugby pace-setters by overcoming a host of challenges to hold off the Fijian Drua this afternoon.
Leon MacDonald’s men survived a sloppy start and withstood some poor handling to produce enough moments of quality in steaming conditions at Churchill Park.
The home side had been unbeaten in Fiji this season but the Blues avoided the fate that befell the Crusaders when they were stunned during the last match played in Lautoka.
A similar upset never looked likely today as the visitors earned the victory they needed to remain firmly in the mix to earn a home quarter-final.
The Blues attacked with only some of the pace and elusiveness that has been a hallmark of their season, scoring three tries that owed more to determination than flair. The battle was won on defence with MacDonald’s side largely controlling the match throughout and ceding just a double to bruising No 8 Elia Canakaivata.
Sweat might have been the most influential factor during the first half in particular, as both sides struggled for continuity despite the firm track.
The ball was invariably spilled whenever a foray into opposition territory threatened to lead to a breakthrough and it took almost half an hour before Rieko Ioane grabbed the game’s first try.
The disjointed nature of proceedings worked in the Blues’ favour on that occasion as Finlay Christie’s quick free kick caught out the opposition before Zarn Sullivan’s clever offload created a hole for the centre to slip through.
In general, with the Drua fierce and physical while defending around the ruck, the Blues found more success on the outside, with wings Mark Telea and Caleb Clarke proving effective when they received the ball with a bit of space.
The home side, in contrast, rarely enjoyed the same opportunities to stretch the Blues’ defence. But they did have enough ball and enough of a foothold in the contest that a 13-0 deficit looked harsh when Harry Plummer landed a penalty from inside his own half.
Fortunately for the Fijians, they eventually overcame their own handling difficulties to cross through Canakaivata before the break, though a tackle-busting charge from the impressive Cameron Suafoa then handed his side a 13-point halftime lead.
MacDonald had said the visitors would lean on their leaders to navigate the difficult conditions and Dalton Papalii, returning to the starting side following a rib injury, capped a strong performance while increasing the advantage to 20 after the break.
With the Drua losing their discipline and referee Ben O’Keeffe blowing a string of penalties, the Blues established territorial ascendancy and began to exert much greater command in the second spell.
They cut down on mistakes in possession and defended with few flaws, completing their tackles and forcing turnovers. But they did eventually allow the hosts a potential route back into the contest with 15 minutes to play, committing too many men to the ruck as Canakaivata spied sufficient space to complete his double.
Beauden Barrett’s penalty soon snuffed out any hope of an unlikely revival, however, as the Blues were rewarded for their hard graft with a third straight win.
Blues 30 (Rieko Ioane, Cameron Suafoa, Dalton Papalii tries; Beauden Barrett 2 pens, 3 cons, Harry Plummer pen)
Fijian Drua 14 (Elia Canakaivata 2 tries; Teti Tela con, Kemu Valetini con)
Halftime: 20-7
Hagley Oval has a new head groundsman ahead of the first test of the summer.