BLUES 23
BULLS 21
KEY POINTS:
The Blues' escalating struggles with South African teams are over, for now, but there is no guarantee that this respite will offer an easier passage to the Super 14 playoffs.
Coach David Nucifora is naturally optimistic about that scenario. But Saturday's win over the Bulls - the latest of four modest performances and mixed results - had drained some of his bullish nature.
The Blues narrowly avoided defeat for the second straight week, withstanding three clear-cut chances for the Bulls to counter what turned out to be Nick Evans' victorious dropped goal. It was an unnerving eight minutes for the 22,562-strong Eden Park crowd, the Blues and their coaching staff.
"The only positive is that I have not had a heart attack," Nucifora said of the escape which followed the penalty goal win on fulltime last week against the Stormers.
It was a messy match with both teams complaining about the rulings of referee James Leckie, unhappy with TMO decisions and befuddled by more than 35 free kicks and penalties which infested the stop-start game.
It had been a tense but tough watch and Nucifora hesitated before voicing his thoughts on whether the Blues could kick on in the competition now they had weathered the physical onslaught from the fifth and final South African rival.
"Yes," he said with a lengthy sigh. "I am hoping that we can get that 'go forward' back in our game which is critical.
"In saying that, the Waratahs are a very good defensive side and will come off their line hard at us. Whether they have the same sort of physical muscle the South African teams have got, I suppose we will have to wait and see but they won't be any slouches at it either."
Once again the Bulls showed tactics that ruffled the Blues. They rushed in defence, they shut down their space, they slowed down the tempo and scrapped and challenged for every piece of possession at the breakdowns.
Without time, the Blues were shuffled sideways on attack so they became easier targets for the rugged Bulls defenders and were then at the 50-50 mercy of the referee in rulings at the breakdown.
There was not enough direct running from the Blues and until late in his comeback game, Evans played deeper than normal - perhaps as a reaction to his recent concussion - while his tactical kicking was not as varied as usual.
Backline coach Greg Cooper accepted his line did not deal with the Bulls' holding and drifting defence as strongly as they wanted, they had not attacked the advantage line directly enough. The Blues were outscored three tries to two, while their pack was also blunted.
The Bulls were able to slow the ball coming back to halfback Danny Lee so they could fan out in cover, while on occasions when Joe Rokocoko was given room, he was easily overhauled by the cover or smoking shoes of Bryan Habana.
Tighthead prop John Afoa only lasted half a game after suffering a corked thigh and had to be replaced by Nick White. No 8 Nick Williams and halfback Taniela Moa were introduced for the last quarter and Ben Atiga for the final 10 minutes but none of them could influence affairs.
There are fullback problems without Isa Nacewa; some senior players need to freshen but Nucifora has been reluctant to veer far from his core choices. Had the Blues dumped the last two games, the mood would have been much gloomier. They have struggled but they won and that is the best tonic at the start of a working week.
