No team likes to have their pride in the jersey questioned, so expect a response from the Blues this Friday, after coach John Kirwan wondered aloud today about this intangible aspect of his team.
He wasn't questioning their effort as much as "staying in the fight" - which they patently failed to do after surrendering a 17-13 halftime lead to fall to a heavy 39-20 reverse against the Hurricanes on Friday night.
"At critical moments of the game we just didn't take our opportunities. We just need to work harder and stay in the fight... It was a disappointing loss. We need to show a lot more pride in the jersey and we've been doing that the last 18 months, losing games but fighting hard.
"The Canes just wanted it a bit more than us," said Kirwan, of the shambolic second spell in the capital where the home side hammered them at the breakdown, which left Benji Marshall, in his first extended run in the pivot role, looking lost.
