KEY POINTS:
After a solid start to rugby's Super 14, the Blues are looking to take advantage of their draw over the coming month.
They host the Queensland Reds at Eden Park tomorrow night in the first of four consecutive matches in Auckland.
Coach David Nucifora said the Blues wanted to use the run of home fixtures to kick on from their record of two wins and a loss, which has them in fourth spot on the points table.
"Certainly victories are what we're aiming at, there's no doubt about that," he said.
"We want to build on the good start that we've had in the initial three weeks of the competition, so a good performance on Saturday night is what we're looking for to begin with."
Nucifora wasn't too upset over the one-point loss to the Hurricanes last weekend, despite the missed chances and the result.
He believed the performance in Wellington was a step up from the Blues' gutsy display in their narrow victory over the ACT Brumbies the previous weekend.
"I'm still quite happy with the way we played, to be honest, especially in the last half of the game, so we will move on from that."
He said his players had been reasonably hard on themselves even after beating the Brumbies, which meant they recognised that the scoreboard did not always reflect performance.
One thing the Blues haven't had this week is the off-field distraction that the Reds have endured over the citing of coach Eddie Jones.
Competition organiser Sanzar last night fined Jones A$10,000 ($11,300) and ordered him to apologise to referee Matt Goddard for comments made after the Reds' 6-3 loss to the Brumbies.
At the post-match press conference, the former Wallaby coach described Goddard's refereeing as "disgraceful", "ludicrous" and "lacking common sense".
His outburst had raised the possibility that he might even be suspended from his Queensland job.
Nucifora will be happy that didn't come to pass and that Jones is free to guide his side at Eden Park.
Speaking before the Sanzar decision, Nucifora said: "I certainly hope he's over here.
"It would be unfortunate if something stopped him from being with his team."
While the Blues have a full squad to pick from apart from players on All Black reconditioning duty, the Reds, with one win from their three matches, have been hit by injury and suspension.
Prop Greg Holmes and hooker Stephen Moore are out with shoulder and knee problems respectively, while centre Lloyd Johansson is beginning a two-match ban for a high tackle.
- NZPA
