Rugby: Blues and Highlanders wrap up pre-season

Michael Hobbs dives over for the Blues. Photo / Getty Images

Today's final pre-season game for the Blues and the Highlanders saw the changeable weather at Auckland's Unitec match the contrasting fortunes of the two Super 15 franchises.

The first half, in which the visitors struggled to get a grip on the ball, was set in a storm replete with ominous thunder - perhaps a harbinger for the Highlanders' season after the southerners lost all three pre-season games.

The second spell saw the sun shine on the Blues, with some enterprising attack matched by uncompromising defence, providing a pleasant outlook for the home side who went unbeaten in pre-season.

The final scoreline read 29-12 to the Blues, and the two coaches' moods post-game suited the changeable conditions.

The Blues' Pat Lam was "really pleased'' with his attack, "pretty happy'' with his defence, and probably quite relieved at his side's minimal injury list.

The views of Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph, on the other hand, can probably be summed up in one sentence: "We're chipping along nicely - well, I wouldn't say nicely, but we're chipping along.''

Thankfully for Joseph, and unfortunately for Lam, there are no trophies handed out in pre-season.

The Blues dominated today's match early and, aside from Kurt Baker's intercept try, that dominance was reflected on the halftime scoreboard. Tries from Alby Mathewson and David Raikuna saw the home side take a 15-7 lead to the break.

It was a similar story in the second stanza, with Michael Hobbs - appearing victorious in his battle with Gareth Anscombe at No 10 - and Dan Prior dotting down for the Blues, sandwiched around a Jamie Mackintosh reply for the Highlanders.

After watching his depleted charges take their third straight loss, Joseph said they were as "ready as we were last year''.

Considering the Highlanders started 2011 with three wins on the trot, maybe the prospects for the season aren't as gloomy as they seem. And once the wealth of talent still to come into the side is factored in, this pre-season may prove to be an anomaly.

"The first thing we have to sort out is to field a team without using coaches,'' Joseph said, alluding to scrum coach and former All Black Kees Meeuws getting a brief run at the end of today's hit-out. ``When you've got a team with so many injuries to key players...you have to put that into context. (First five-eighth) Colin Slade comes back, you put (Jarrad) Hoeta into the pack, you put Ben Smith at the back and, all of a sudden, the team gets more confidence.''

Lam's squad is comparatively injury-free. Aside from minor knocks to loose forwards Jerome Kaino (eye-poke) and Daniel Braid (face laceration), a twisted ankle to utility back Lachie Munro was the only concern today.

Piri Weepu appeared short of 100 per cent, but Lam was pleased with the halfback/first five-eighth combination of Mathewson and Hobbs.

"For me, it's all about who performs and the competition, regardless of names and what they've done,'' he said. "The acid comes on from the guys who are in good shape, and that's what you want - competition and guys pushing each other.''