Wynne Gray: Blues and Chiefs may be beyond repair

If the Blues and Chiefs had plastered more resolve and thought to their work it would have been easier to accept their Super 14 failings.

Instead, both New Zealand franchises are marooned in the cellar of the competition with the Reds and Force, who were expected to be nowhere else.

Teams have only just ambled off in this Southern Hemisphere rugby marathon and it would be foolish to predict results in late May on the evidence of what has occurred in early February. But equally, a long-haul revival is much more daunting if there has been an early stitch.

The Blues and Chiefs have had enough spasms to create disquiet about the repair kit available to their coaching staff. It is difficult to decide which side is playing worse.

Meanwhile, the Highlanders have made the most of their restricted resources. They have accepted their boundaries and grafted a workman-like backline to a quality pack. How sensible.

They challenged the champion Crusaders for some time and then mocked the Blues' reputation at Carisbrook.

The Crusaders and Hurricanes were not at their best in round two either but they held their nerve, kept their patience and claimed inevitable wins against the Reds and the Force.

Both victims mixed grit with some verve but they have depleted resources after Australia decided to go with a fourth franchise.

Neither the Reds nor the Force should beat the Blues or Chiefs this weekend. However, the reputations of the New Zealand sides have taken a dent in the first two rounds, and their confidence will also have been shaken.

The Chiefs thought their series start in South Africa would be an ideal way to develop the squad and nab a win against underprepared opponents. That bonding will be tested now after twin defeats, including the latest to the Cats, who were a man down for the second half.

The Chiefs were hammered by referee Stuart Dickinson but they are also an ungainly side at the moment, playing without any great rhythm or leadership.

Ditto the Blues, who lost flanker Justin Collins for the season with an Achilles tendon tear against the Highlanders and midfield back Luke McAlister for a month with a cracked jaw.

With Angus Macdonald still troubled by a hamstring strain, Brent Ward by a bruised shin and Ben Atiga out for another few weeks, there is some heat on the Blues' resources.

Coach David Nucifora will seek a replacement for Collins and probably some midfield help because of the injuries to McAlister and Atiga.

First priority, though, is to find a win against the Reds on Saturday.

"It is embarrassing to lose to anyone," the coach said after the latest 13-25 loss to the Highlanders. "I am working on a way of getting this right."

Nucifora will square off against old club, state and test teammate Jeff Miller, who has rekindled some spirit in the Reds without finding a win.

Nucifora said Troy Flavell would be considered for the game in Brisbane but he was looking to change the side's demeanour rather than any great number of selections.

"We have played a bit frantically and, if anything, I think we have tried too hard," the coach claimed.

"There is no doubting their enthusiasm but I think we need some more composure, we have to have a change in attitude, we do not need to make all the running."

Those concepts will help but the Blues also need to be more direct in their play. Against the Highlanders they made so many lateral offloads they became easy targets for the defence.

A repeat is possible against the Reds if the Blues remain reluctant to take a great deal of contact and shift the ball to colleagues who are often static or lacking depth on attack.

They are coaching and leadership issues and, so far, both sections have failed to front.