Rugby: Blues beat Reds to finally win at home

Melani Nanai scores against the Reds. Photo / Getty

Success of sorts at last for the departing Jerome Kaino and the Blues at what used to be their fortress – a victory on Friday night over the Reds, who are a rarity in this competition; a team who appear to have more issues than the Auckland club.

Another strangely passive and mistake-ridden opening from the home side – skipper Kaino's first act after running through his guard of honour with two sons Grayson, 2, and Kobe, 6, was to drop the kick-off - was soon forgotten when the Reds lost two players due to foul play in the space of two minutes.

Midway through the first half, right wing Jordan Petaia went to the sinbin for a lifting tackle on Michael Collins and prop Taniela "Tongan Thor" Tupou, a Sacred Heart old boy, joined him for a dangerous no-shoulders "grasscutter" tackle on Ofa Tuungafasi. For one of the few times this season, the Blues cashed in.

But out of sympathy perhaps, they returned the favour in the second half; lock Matiaha Martin and prop Sione Mafileo binned for maul and scrum offences respectively, but by then the match was safe.

For coach Brad Thorn, the twin cards in the wake of the controversy-riven June series on both sides of the Tasman were mystifying.

"The game's in an interesting place isn't it? I don't know if that's enjoyable for people," said Thorn.

"Probably the number one thing for a lot of people – fans, coaches, players, is that it's hurting the game. If that's what rugby is where you slow things down … the lifting tackle - he didn't drive him into the ground.

"Taniela came up his hands from what I saw were in front of him, he went in hard and low and missed the tackle. If you want to penalise… but then yellow card as well?"

"Obviously it was a loss for us so I don't want to show sour grapes. I want to give respect to Jerome and well done to the Blues – it's been a long, hard season."

Not surprisingly, the Blues' confidence blossomed while they had a two-man advantage and they played with both a freedom and control that had hitherto been missing during this match and their previous seven at Eden Park this season – all of which, incredibly, they had lost.

But there wasn't a whole lot for Tana Umaga to celebrate either, apart from the successful return for openside flanker Blake Gibson and a fitting farewell for Kaino, the 81-test All Black and 137-match Blues player.

The Blues' kick-off receipts were ordinary, and their scrum was a disaster. Loosehead prop Alex Hodgman was penalised four times in four scrums before being replaced by Pauliasi Manu early in the second half and another replacement, Mafileo, was binned after conceding yet another penalty from the set piece.

Umaga, who revealed Sonny Bill Williams' AC shoulder issue could make him touch and go for the Bledisloe Cup test against Australia in Sydney on August 18, said he would ask for clarity on the scrum rulings.

The victory was ugly but it was only the Blues' fourth of the year and they can't afford to be fussy. It was also the least that the 35-year-old Kaino deserves as prepares to move with his family to Toulouse at the end of the season.

"We made a big deal about it all week and to his credit, the way he handled it and his performance goes to show the fortitude of the man," Umaga said.

Blues 39 (Melani Nanai, Rieko Ioane, Matt Moulds, Stephen Perofeta, Caleb Clarke tries; Perofeta 3 pens, con, Bryn Gatland pen)
Reds 16 (Duncan Paia'aua, Alex Mafi tries; Jono Lance 2 pens)
Halftime: 21-6