Leon MacDonald has called his triple playmaker experiment a success as the Blues held their nerve in a deserved comeback victory against the Bulls in Pretoria.
They go to Cape Town for a match against the unbeaten Stormers next Sunday with confidence boosted after their 23-21 victory, a win helped to a large extent by first-five Otere Black, one of those playmakers under the spotlight. It was Black who kicked the winning points after the final siren, a high-pressure moment for a man on the comeback trail himself.
Before that moment of truth, assisting him in his task of creating the opportunities they couldn't find against the Crusaders at Eden Park last weekend were second-five Harry Plummer and fullback Stephen Perofeta.
The latter in particular was impressive in difficult, slippery conditions; he scored a crucial try in the second half which allowed the Blues to overtake the Bulls and silenced the Loftus Versfeld crowd and was as safe as an Auckland house price under the high ball.
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