Rugby: Blackie stays focused

Josh Blackie, left, steps out on Friday against his former team. Photo / Getty Images

SUPER 14
Blues 36
Lions 12

Josh Blackie must be pretty focused on helping the Blues squeeze into the playoffs.

The openside didn't realise that the 36-12 win against the Lions on Friday night was the first time he'd ever enjoyed a Super Rugby victory at Eden Park. In six seasons with the Highlanders, not once did he walk off the hallowed turf with his heart dancing.

Blackie doesn't have the time to get caught up in peripheral stuff right now. All he cares about is this Friday and a critical clash with the Highlanders. And he certainly doesn't have time to wonder how he'll feel when he runs out to play his former team.

He'll keep the emotion at bay this week by making sure his team-mates understand two things - the significance of playing for the Gordon Hunter trophy and the importance of securing another win in what essentially looms as a make or break game for both sides.

Hunter is the former Blues and Highlanders coach who died in 2002 from cancer. The New Zealand Rugby Union honoured him with the introduction of a trophy whenever the two sides meet.

As a long-time Highlander Blackie knows the men from the South get themselves up for this fixture and feel deeply about a man who made a massive contribution to the franchise.

"My main focus this week will be getting the significance across of who Gordon Hunter was," says Blackie. "It's a big thing down South. You learn about his character, who he was and what he did and that really means a lot.

"We are also pretty much in finals football. We have to keep the foot on the throat. Tonight [performance against the Lions] was a step in the right direction. We all needed to step up and we did that but we have to step up again this week."

The Blues were much improved from their last outing against the Waratahs, showing greater intensity and determination at the breakdown as well as lower body positions that bundled Lions bodies off the ball.

Blues coach Pat Lam said he had an inkling there was going to be improvements after Keven Mealamu and Justin Collins made some honest dressing room speeches after the Waratahs loss. There was more evidence that a turnaround was coming, when at training on Tuesday a contact session was requested by the forwards and they went at each other with little mercy being shown.

"We needed that," said Blackie. "It was good to get straight what we needed to be doing in contact."

That fierce clean-out will be needed again on Friday against a Highlanders loose trio that is possibly one of the best in New Zealand if not the competition.

The Blues also need to maintain the cutting edge they showed in their back division where Tasesa Lavea turned in possibly his best performance. The first five made his decisions early and passed beautifully all night. When he kicked he stuck it high and aimless hoofing downfield was conspicuous by its absence.

Lavea was helped by the threat posed by Isaia Toeava who fixed the Lions inside backs and that created space on the outside channels for Paul Williams to make timely intrusions.

There was better timing and flow to the whole operation and Grayson Hart should be acknowledged for jumping off the bench before half-time and more than doing his bit to keep the momentum building.

His passing off the deck was crisp and no one should be too worried if the 20-year-old halfback has to start against the Highlanders, which may happen if Taniela Moa is further disciplined and Chris Smylie doesn't recover from his hamstring strain.

There are further concerns over Lavea, who has a strained hamstring and John Afoa's ankle knock.

Lam says he is going to continue to pick his team on a week-to-week basis rather than settling on a best XV and it is likely he will make changes to play the Highlanders.

If Tony Woodcock and Ali Williams are declared fit, both will resume immediately, while it's possible Justin Collins might replace Chris Lowrey on the blindside with a view to injecting the latter off the bench in the final 20 minutes.

The improved timing and flow of the backs will tempt Lam to retain the same starting formation if injuries allow with the build-up focused on improving the post-linebreak handling and execution which was too often sloppy against the Lions.

Blues 36 (C. Smylie, A. Tuitavake, R. Wulf (2), J. Rokocoko, P. Saili tries; I Toeava 3 cons).

Lions 12 (H. Mentz, J. Vermark tries; A. Pretorius con).