Rugby: Blues face looseforward crisis

Justin Collins suffered concussion on Saturday. Photo / Getty Images

Situations Vacant: Blues looseforwards, multiple opportunities, applicants please attend training today, must be available to travel and play Friday night against the Hurricanes.

Compounding the bad news after Saturday's shabby defeat to the Reds, the Blues have lost their entire looseforward trio to injury.

Promising No 8 Chris Lowrey damaged knee ligaments and is out for the season while Josh Blackie twisted his knee and Justin Collins was concussed, meaning both will miss the next match. Backup flanker Onosai Auva'a is on crutches and Jerome Kaino is battling a knee problem.

That casualty list increased yesterday with lock Anthony Boric ruled out with a broken toe and five-eighths Tasesa Lavea moving gingerly after aggravating his hamstring strain.

"All year we have had a few problems but to lose four or five players in one game, that is a big hit," coach Pat Lam lamented. Young Utility looseforward Peter Saili, who was used from the bench in the team's 24-31 loss to the Reds, will move into the selection frame with Tom Chamberlain and Dean Budd who have been with the wider training group.

Lam expects Kaino to be cleared for action even though he has not trained much in the past fortnight, while he might be tempted to use Kurtis Haiu again on the blindside.

"It will certainly be backs-against-the-wall stuff but we have got to front," Lam said about the match against the Hurricanes.

"Our destiny will be in our own hands, we have got to get our attitude right and though the Hurricanes have been in hot form, the beauty is we get a chance to go down there in front of a good crowd and have a crack.

"We probably need to win our last three games [Hurricanes, Brumbies, Crusaders] to make the playoffs now but we have that chance."

The Hurricanes were the only New Zealand side to win in the latest round of the Super 14 in a result which promoted them into the series lead. They roasted the Brumbies 56-7.

The Highlanders were squeezed out in a modest scrap, the Chiefs missed out in a torrid duel with the Bulls while the Blues and Crusaders rested players and, in mishaps which may cost them playoff spots, lost games against teams at the bottom of the table.

Keven Mealamu and Kaino have been carrying injuries for some time and the Blues coaching staff probably figured it prudent that they be spared against the Reds for the tough run home. That journey just became a whole lot tougher for many reasons.

The Crusaders decided to use Leon MacDonald, Andy Ellis, Kieran Read and Isaac Ross from the bench but their introduction could not stem the side's losing flow against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein. It was a match the Crusaders needed to win as their opponents are anchored at the bottom of the ladder.

That defeat has dropped them to eighth and may cost them a shot at a title defence while the Hurricanes were the main beneficiary of the tournament reshuffle as the Bulls and Chiefs swapped places after their scrap in Pretoria while the Sharks eased to fourth after their bye round.

The Hurricanes conceded a try after two minutes before exploding with four tries in each half in a destruction of the Brumbies.

"I thought physically at the breakdown we were completely beaten to the ball, I thought they really dominated us there," Brumbies coach Andy Friend conceded.

The midtable Force also scored eight tries in their rout of the Lions but face twin games against the Bulls and Stormers in South Africa if they are to stay in the finals race before their last match in Perth against the Highlanders. SEE ALSO

Shabby loss makes Blues' job harder - B3