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Blues 43 Lions 10
With a bonus-point victory over the Lions at Eden Park, the Blues have had their best seven-match start to a season since 2011 - the last time they made the playoffs.
There was an inevitability to this victory played in warm and sunny conditions that owed much to the home side's recent excellent form as well as the demise of a Lions team who not so long ago were near-perennial contenders.
Once the Blues ironed out a couple of kinks in their game – due mainly to the inability to finish try-scoring opportunities in the first half caused probably by an overload of enthusiasm as much as anything - they looked a class above.
The win has taken them to the top of the table – momentarily anyway – and while the status of this competition remains in the air due to the coronavirus which has seen sporting competitions suspended or halted around the world, what is not in doubt is their vast improvement this season.
The Blues, who boast a five-win, two-loss start, were helped by a yellow card and penalty try just before halftime for flanker Ruan Vermaak's intentional knock-on – yes, another one seven days after Jordie Barrett's controversial one during the Blues' win over the Hurricanes in Wellington – but this six-tries-to-one win was no more than they deserved.
Chief among their attacking weapons were midfielders TJ Faiane, a man generally relied upon to make the right decision, and his partner Rieko Ioane, who scored two tries and ran with pace and power throughout.
Halfback Sam Nock brought a sharpness they have been missing for a long time and first-five Otere Black was again tidy. No 8 Hoskins Sotutu had another monster of a game, and his try as the game entered the final quarter was scored with the nonchalance and implied threat of a senior player running around schoolboys.
The damage may have been more severe had the Blues begun with a little more accuracy. As it is, coach Leon MacDonald should be pleased his side scored their first home win of the season with such panache while still yet to fully hit their stride.
Ioane was clean through but not given the ball – although he was over two phases later - and several other golden chances were wasted.
Flanker Dalton Papalii, lurking on the left wing, put down a high pass from Sotutu and shortly afterwards the free-running No 8 elected to go himself when halfback Nock was in a far better position. To compound matters, lock Jacob Pierce then dropped the ball cold.
When the Blues did execute the basics they were rewarded. Stephen Perofeta was the beneficiary of yet another Telea break, although the fullback had to make full use of his pace to get the line, and once flanker Vermaak gave up a penalty try the Blues had a commanding lead and the Lions had had the fight knocked out of them.
They didn't score a point in the second half which proves this victory wasn't all about the Blues' attack, although Gerard Cowley-Tuioti's try, after the ball changed hands several times following a break from halfway, was a classic.
Like they did in their historic win over the Hurricanes in Wellington which suggested they might just be contenders this season, they tackled with a cool effectiveness.
And when that didn't work they tackled with real desperation. It added up to a compelling performance. They were applauded from the field and it's been a long time since that's happened.
Blues 43 (Rieko Ioane 2, Stephen Perofeta, penalty try, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Hoskins Sotutu tries; Otere Black pen, 3 cons, Harry Plummer con) Lions 10 (Daniel Kriel try; Elton Jantjies con, pen) Halftime: 22-10
