John Kirwan: Blues' game plan is working

The Blues coach Sir John Kirwan. Photo / Getty Images.

It's full steam ahead at the Blues, with the players and coach John Kirwan insisting there is nothing wrong with a game plan which has them still without a victory this season and dead last in the competition.

The Blues' looked confused at times during their 13-10 defeat to the Lions at North Harbour, their worst loss of the season following their three previous ones to the Chiefs, Stormers and Cheetahs, yet Kirwan said they were on the right track.

Asked today what needed to change, Kirwan said: "We just need to get a win."

When the reply came that what the Blues were doing so far wasn't working, he said: "Not at all, you've got to have complete faith in what you're doing." He added with reference to the most recent loss: "Held up over the line four times. What we are doing is working, we just need to execute it a wee bit better."

Kirwan said he remained impervious to the pressure on him, but conceded his "biggest concern is for the fans".

He implored for them to not lose faith in the franchise, saying one of the positives is that his players hadn't given up in any of the defeats.

The clock, however, is ticking. The Blues play the in-form Hurricanes in Palmerston North on Friday, without skipper Jerome Kaino, who Kirwan said was suffering from a case of delayed concussion during his 101st match for the Blues at the weekend.

After that assignment, and two more away fixtures against the Waratahs and Chiefs, the Blues host the Brumbies for their first match of the season at Eden Park. Following that there will be a mid-season review and Kirwan, in the last year of his contract, was confident he would be given a mandate to continue.

"I drive the mid-season review. We did it last year as well, they're very important, it gives everyone in the organisation a say.

"I'm pretty confident the review will come out and say that we're heading in the right direction."

Asked whether he wanted to be at the Blues next year, he said: "I want to be here for the next five years. I came home to do a job and I'm not going to leave until it's finished.

"The irony is the last three weeks have been outstanding from a leadership point of view and from the players doing a lot of hard work, but we just haven't got the results."

Veteran hooker Keven Mealamu said the players were fully supportive of Kirwan. "Most definitely," he said. "We're in this together. We're right behind coach."

Blues team to play Hurricanes in Palmerston North on Friday, kick-off: Lolagi Visinia, Frank Halai, Charles Piutau, Francis Saili, Melani Nanai, Ihaia West, Jimmy Cowan/Jamison Gibson-Park, Steven Luatua, Luke Braid (c), Brendon O'Connor, Patrick Tuipulotu, Josh Bekhuis, Charlie Faumuina, James Parsons, Tony Woodcock. Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Angus Ta'avao/Sam Prattley, Hayden Triggs, Akira Ioane, Jamison Gibson-Park/Bryn Hall, Simon Hickey, George Moala.