Rugby: Blues aim to end painful season in style

Pat Lam. Photo / Dean Purcell

Pat Lam was decked out in a new suit. It was a bargain, about the only reward he got from his side's latest trip to Canberra, and it looked quite sharp.

Some of the Blues bought similar threads and it remains to be seen whether they cut a fresh dash on Saturday for their final Super 14 match at Eden Park against the Crusaders.

The roll-call on the injured has scarcely improved, with only flanker Justin Collins considered to be a strong chance of convincing the medicos he has recovered from his concussion.

Lam cancelled practice yesterday in the hope a few more troops will be fit enough for Saturday. Those decisions will not be made until tomorrow.

But at this stage Ali Williams, Anthony Boric, Onosai Auva'a, Chris Lowrey and perhaps Tony Woodcock, Jay Williams and Josh Blackie will be unavailable for the forwards.

Backs Taniela Moa, Chris Smylie, Tasesa Lavea, Benson Stanley, Michael Hobbs and maybe Anthony Tuitavake and Rene Ranger are struggling to get in shape for the end to a modest season.

This match was all about finishing the season on a high, said Lam, ending their schedule with some compensation in the clash with their southern rivals.

"We need to finish well.

"We have had three weeks where we struggled at times and there is a real determination to finish well," he said.

When the medical reports were completed after the loss to the Brumbies, there were about only 12 players who could train properly, so Lam said it made more sense to cancel the contact work till later in the week.

"I have probably never been involved [in] or seen an injury crisis like this, because we did the stats from the first game against the Force where we had seven unavailable then, and right through I think the best we had was five unavailable," said Lam.

"We averaged seven or eight and in the last two weeks we have had 10 unavailable from our 28, and guys from our wider training group have been involved in every single game."

The greatest issue, said Lam, had been the hit on the squad's experience and multiple defections from positions like loose forward.

But that was the challenge in this competition, where the difficulties were underlined with 10 Blues players making their debut this season.

"They will be better for that, but it certainly has an effect when you are under pressure and you have to make decisions under pressure, and that is when experience counts," Lam said.

The group was determined to finish strongly even if a victory cost a fellow New Zealand side a playoffs berth.

"It is about us getting out there and doing the job well for the Blues."