Rugby: Morale-boosting win for Blues

Hooker James Parsons at the Super Rugby Auckland Blues v The Bulls at Eden Park 15 May 2015 New Zealand Herald photo by Jason Dordaygg

Blues 23
Bulls 18

The Blues have finished the week from hell with a morale-boosting victory over the Bulls which they will rightly be very proud of.

It was an ideal way for them to prove their togetherness in the wake of continued speculation over John Kirwan's coaching future, but, as has become traditional for this franchise, there was also a big downside.

The shoulder injury to Blues skipper Steven Luatua which forced him off in the second half looks serious. Already a battered figure this season, he took the leadership duties from Jerome Kaino who was injured here at Eden Park a fortnight ago and the Blues might be forced to look further afield for a captain after this latest problem.

Elsewhere, there was much for a crowd of about 8000 to cheer about. Wracked by controversy all week, the players hung tough and maintained their remarkable record at their fortress against a tough, but slightly limited, Bulls.

George Moala's try, after a sustained, clinical build-up, put the Blues ahead with 12 minutes remaining and Ihaia West's conversion, which put the margin past three points, was important. The breakthrough came after a fair amount of pressure from the Bulls, and in the absence of loose forward Luatua - with lock Josh Bekhuis also flat on his back receiving treatment.

It was a good reward, with Blake Gibson looking good as Luatua's replacement, and Francis Saili taking the right option and spearing a break near the prone Bekhuis.

Saili had a chance to score a try which would have sealed it, but his hands let him down. However, his spot tackle with two minutes remaining which earned his side a penalty was crucial.

Poor Marcel van der Merwe. The Bulls tighthead prop had a try ruled out in the opening minutes due to obstruction by Phillip van der Merwe on Akira Ioane and was then bamboozled by the pace and swerve of Blues fullback Lolagi Visinia, who went over from 40m.
Visinia's run showed what a sense of purpose can do and a few of his teammates began to follow suit. Second-five Moala, after a sketchy start, bulldozed defenders at will and even little halfback Jamison Gibson-Park was making gains up the middle.

They looked a chance to score every time they got into the Bulls half, but unfortunately for them the reverse was true too. After surviving that early scare when van der Merwe's try was ruled out by the television match official, there was no doubt about the one scored by Jan Serfontein, the second-five going over thanks to Handre Pollard's assistance.

There is nothing mysterious about the Bulls, who rest their entire game squarely on a tripod of scrum, lineout and rolling maul. With Victor Matfield and Phillip van der Merwe in the second row, plus the massive Pierre Spies at No8, the Bulls had a set piece weapon almost guaranteed to get results.

Serfontein's second try came from a scrum on halfway, and, while the second-five's pass to left wing Bjorn Basson looked forward in the build-up, it wasn't worth another viewing according to referee Mike Fraser.

In the end it didn't matter. A memorable week which threatened to tear the Blues apart ended with the players looking more united than ever.

Blues 23 (Lolagi Visinia, George Moala tries; Ihaia West 3 pens, 2 cons)
Bulls 18 (Jan Serfontein 2 tries; Handre Pollard 2 pens, con)
Halftime: 16-13