Coronavirus' impact on world sports. VIDEO / Sky Sport
After their dominant bonus-point victory over the Lions at Eden Park which briefly took them to the No 1 spot on the Super Rugby table, the Blues were expecting to turn up to training tomorrow morning for work as usual.
That presumably remains the plan, although the dynamic nature of the coronavirus and its response means plans can quickly require change.
The Blues' players, coaches and administrators realise that something far bigger than sport is at play here, but they have a right to be dreadfully disappointed at Super Rugby's suspension as a result of the fast-spreading virus and subsequent travel restrictions.
A 14-day self-isolation period for those arriving in New Zealand was announced during their 43-10 victory over the Lions which was as dominant as the scoreline suggests. That measure alone meant Sanzaar had little option but to suspend the competition, one the Blues look increasingly good in. This is their best start to a season since 2011.
"We've got to understand there's a far bigger picture to this from a society perspective," Blues chief executive Andrew Hore said at Eden Park after his side's victory.
Midfielder Rieko Ioane, who scored two tries and looks more at home in the No 13 jersey with every outing, added: "We know it [suspension] is for a good cause and the health and safety of us athletes and everyone else is key."
Coach Leon MacDonald said: "It would be a huge shame for everybody [if the season was cancelled]. A lot of hard work has gone in by every team. Maybe we go internal and play our local derbies for the next month or so and get those out of the way - who knows? There are there options I'm sure but common sense says we need to do the right thing and get this thing done and dusted."
Hore added: "You love momentum like this don't you and for all that hard work that everybody's putting in, to stop now is a bit of a shame. But it is life and we just have to get on with it and adapt fast."
Rieko Ioane of the Blues. Photo / Photosport
The Blues' victories over the Bulls and Stormers in South Africa suggested they were on the right track, and their win over the Hurricanes in Wellington confirmed it. It was their first away victory from home against a Kiwi team since 2013, so it was historic and worth celebrating, but Saturday's fixture against the Lions tested the team's resolve in a different way.
It was one that Blues teams of the recent past may have attempted to nonchalantly hurdle only to find themselves on their backsides; credit too for the way they focused their minds on a match when rumours of cancellations and disruptions must have been filtering through the camp.
So despite the interruption, they deserve praise for how far they have come in MacDonald's second year in the job. Not that they're praising themselves too much. Blues boss Hore, who is in his first season with the team, said they needed to ignore the hype, or "yap" as he called it.
"Leon and the group have done an amazing job," Hore said. "He obviously came in in quite confusing circumstances last year [signed as an assistant to Tana Umaga, and then announced as head coach] – it took him time to assess what he wanted to do but you've seen a young man who obviously knows how to galvanise a group.
"There were little snippets in that first half against the Chiefs; they were promising. Obviously we didn't front against the Crusaders but they went away and got back to the things they had done over the pre-season and readjusted.
"But they've said it's only the start. I think they got four on the trot last year as well. I've been in this sport long enough to know … that things can turn around really quickly and things can turn sour really quickly.
"It's about keeping people's feet on the ground now. There will be a lot of yap and often the biggest centres get the most yap so we just have to make sure we close our ears and get on with it."
