Super Rugby Pacific: Blues brace for Brumbies as history beckons

Dalton Papalii says team culture is behind the Blues impressive 2022 campaign. Photo / Photosport

The Blues have plenty on the line in Canberra this week.

A win over the second-placed Brumbies tomorrow night will see the Blues match a franchise record of 12 wins in a row, as well as cementing themselves as the top seed for the playoffs with a round left in the regular season.

Should they secure the top seed, they are guaranteed home advantage for as long as they remain in the knockout stages.

For a team who, until last year, had gone 18 seasons without a title and have often been the strugglers of the New Zealand teams, the Blues' resurgence over the past few seasons has been an impressive turnaround.

Captain Dalton Papalii puts it all down to the culture of the group.

"We've built a culture around here that the boys want to work for each other off the ball and get set early around the paddock. We just have to keep doing that and keep backing each other," he said.

"When I first came in it was a bit different to what it is now. Coming in every day looking forward to it; you actually want to work for the boys around you and it's a good thing that the boys have a lot of humour as well.

"We look forward to coming to work, that's the main thing. We're not dreading it, and winning is contagious. When we get the streak of four or five games on the road, I think it gave a lot of belief to the boys, like 'shit, we're actually a good team' - and that's contagious."

With their sights set on the postseason, the Blues will be without the services of Akira and Rieko Ioane due to foot and hamstring injuries. Tom Robinson (head knock) is also out, with the Blues taking a cautionary approach with the three starters in order to optimise their health for the knockout stages.

In their places, Bryce Heem (midfield), Anton Segner (blindside flanker) and Sam Darry (lock) all come into the starting line-up.

Ricky Riccitelli returns to the bench to split the hooking minutes with Kurt Eklund, with Karl Tu'inukuafe and Tanielu Telea'a also joining the bench.

While the Brumbies come into the match on the back of a loss to the Crusaders, it was just their second defeat of the year, and with the Crusaders now breathing down their necks in the bid for a top-two finish, Papalii said his side could expect the best the Brumbies had to offer on Saturday night.

"They're a structured team and they execute when they need to. They build phases and they stack moments. It puts pressure on the other team; they apply enough pressure and the [opposition] crack and they get points. They're a bloody good team.

"They're going to be annoying. I don't like teams like that, but we look forward to games like that. You don't want to play easy games. The hard games are the ones you remember."

Blues v Brumbies

Saturday, 9.45pm, Canberra

Blues: Stephen Perofeta, Mark Telea, Bryce Heem, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Caleb Clarke, Beauden Barrett, Finlay Christie, Hoskins Sotutu, Dalton Papalii, Anton Segner, Sam Darry, James Tucker, Ofa Tuungafasi, Kurt Eklund, Alex Hodgman.

Reserves: Ricky Riccitelli, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Nepo Laulala, Luke Romano, Adrian Choat, Sam Nock, Tanielu Tele'a, Zarn Sullivan.