Rugby: Blues need to bury Super 15 away game farce

Blues Coach John Kirwan during Blues' Super 15 rugby training. Photo / Dean Purcell

John Kirwan says his outnumbered Blues team ran themselves to exhaustion in making up for Hayden Triggs' red card in the Super 15 loss to the Stormers.

Against the Cheetahs on Saturday they must exercise their brains, as well as their bodies, because another loss will send them into a deep hole.

A defeat will be their third in three games. Victory, however, against a Cheetahs team they are more than capable of beating in Bloemfontein, will make their trip back to Auckland all the more comfortable, as they prepare for another very winnable match against the Lions at North Harbour the following weekend.

The Blues' heroes in the 27-16 defeat at Newlands were their forwards. They were not embarrassed in the scrum despite Triggs' departure after 24 minutes and the fact that skipper and No8 Jerome Kaino was forced to move to the second row alongside Josh Bekhuis.

Another plus was the way in which they nullified the Stormers' lineout drive, an idea suggested by new assistant coach Glenn Moore, according to Kaino. Twice, the Blues, hard on their own line, refused to engage with the opposition maul, which earned Kirwan's men a scrum for accidental offside from referee Craig Joubert. Penalties have been given in similar cases.

The Blues kicked more to make up for their numerical disadvantage, with the Stormers unable to take advantage on the counter - evidence of an ability to change their game plan - but there was plenty of untidy stuff, apart from Triggs' punching Duane Vermeulen. Hooker James Parsons was penalised for a late shoulder charge on fullback Cheslin Kolbe, and wing Dillyn Leyds was given far too much freedom after fielding Charles Piutau's high kick and running in from 55m.

Wings Tevita Li, Ben Lam and replacement Lolagi Visinia were particularly disappointing. It is time for first five Ihaia West to start taking on the line because midfielders Francis Saili and Hamish Northcott looked bereft of ideas.

Why must they win? To put their almost farcical inability to win away from home to bed. Under Kirwan, the Blues won once on the road last year - a big victory in Perth against the Force. The year before it was the same - one away victory, in round one against the Hurricanes in Wellington.

Victory will help them believe they have turned that corner. Defeat, with the Hurricanes, Waratahs and Chiefs to follow the Lions match - all away - will make them feel as if they are stuck in a cul-de-sac. They will not necessarily be finished for the season if they fall over in Bloemfontein, but the pressure on Kirwan, in the last year of his contract, and his players, will increase significantly.

The Cheetahs will not be easy. They put four tries past the Sharks in Durban in round one in their 35-29 victory, and in fullback Willie le Roux and halfback Sarel Pretorius they have speed and guile. But they also had the bye in round two and could be ripe for what, on current form, will be an upset.

A Blues win will be a statement of intent - that they are contenders. Another loss, no matter how encouraging, will be just that.