Blues' Stephen Perofeta ready to step into playmaker role in Beauden Barrett’s absence

Stephen Perofeta. Photo / Photosport

Stephen Perofeta is back and hoping to spark the Blues’ revival as the defending Super Rugby Pacific champions lurch dangerously close to their bad days of old.

Perofeta, in his first appearance of the season, will make a timely return from a niggly calf complaint as the Blues attempt to amend their staggering 1-3 start against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday.

With Beauden Barrett sidelined, likely for the next six weeks, with a fractured hand, the Blues are in desperate need of another playmaking spark to ignite their title defence.

Perofeta could light that fuse, though he may first be eased into action this week.

After the Blues failed to score a point in last week’s frustrating loss to the Brumbies at Eden Park following Barrett’s exit, they will welcome Perofeta’s attacking vision in any capacity. Dalton Papali’i and Kurt Eklund, the latter expected to be thrust in to start at hooker to counter Ricky Riccitelli’s chest injury, should also help bolster a forward pack that buckled late against the Brumbies.

The Blues were widely expected to pick up where they left off after bludgeoning their way to their first title in 18 years.

Whether it’s complacency, injury setbacks, law tweaks that encourage fast, attacking intent or a vastly more competitive Super Rugby Pacific landscape, Vern Cotter’s men have instead rapidly descended.

Aside from results, the big concern for the Blues is their wildly fluctuating inconsistency within games.

Without the direct, physical dominance they consistently savoured last year, they have struggled to source solutions to leave everyone wondering if Cotter’s Blues have been worked out.

Perofeta’s return should add another dimension but the All Blacks utility revealed the players have challenged each other to improve their training attitudes, to lift standards and ultimately transform results.

“It’s been hard watching. The hardest part is not being able to contribute to getting the results we want,” Perofeta told the Herald.

“We’re thereabouts but that’s not enough in this competition. In the first 40 minutes in the last four games, we’ve performed. It’s a bit of a cliche but maybe we’re going back to the old Blues.

“We’ve had open and honest conversations around what we need to do better. That’s purely come from a players’ perspective around owning it and taking responsibility. We believe that’s the only way forward.

“It’s about putting that on to the training field and the park on the weekend.”

Every season is different, as last week’s string of upsets proves, but Perofeta believes one major difference from last year is the Blues' burning desire to compete.

Maybe their breakthrough title has quelled the fuel for success.

“There’s not one single thing but there’s a huge shift around our attitude and mentality to win. The difference, I feel, is our hunger to train the way we want to compete,” Perofeta said.

“That’s around getting complacent so it starts with our mindset and attitude and how we approach each day. We’re all aware of it. There’s been a lack thereof but it’s not the only thing.”

With Barrett out of the immediate picture Perofeta, equally comfortable at first five-eighths and fullback, has a clear idea of where he can assert his touches of class.

While Harry Plummer could be promoted to cover Barrett’s absence – after reverting to the bench last week – Perofeta is keen to own the director duties.

“Personally I see myself contributing more at 10. Whether I play there or not is not my decision. Wherever I’m needed to play — whether that’s at 15 — I’m happy to play there, but I see myself having more influence at 10.

“It’s been a bumpy summer and leading into the start of the season — not ideal for starting a campaign. The journey is all part of it. There’s a lot of lessons I’ve learnt about maturity and the joy I find in turning up each day. We’re here now and I’m excited to have a shot at playing this week.”

Last year was another rollercoaster ride for Perofeta. He started the year with two impressive performances starting from fullback for the All Blacks against England, only for injury to keep him on ice for the Rugby Championship.

When Will Jordan returned, Perofeta was, in an oversight from the All Blacks, only used once more, against Japan.

Naturally he wanted more exposure yet the 27-year-old grasps the positives as he strives to make his mark this year.

“That was a great experience. The England tests cemented my mindset and how I viewed international rugby and where I need to be to compete at that level. It’s certainly next level. There’s always more you can do to prepare; little things you can fine tune or ask other experienced players.

“I didn’t get many opportunities but I tried to make the most of being around that environment and learning off players as well as training against them.”

While Super Rugby Pacific is more tightly contested than ever, with four points separating the Highlanders in third and the last-placed Hurricanes, with the Chiefs this week and Crusaders the following at Eden Park the Blues must swiftly rectify their season.

“With this Super Rugby competition anything can happen. We’re not going to count ourselves out now, not for a single moment. The derby games are hard but that’s why we play this game, for those big matches. We’ll walk towards it.”

Liam Napier has been a sports journalist since 2010, and his work has taken him to World Cups in rugby, netball and cricket, boxing world title fights and Commonwealth Games.