Blues - we were let off the hook

Trying to justify the Blues' eccentricities is about as useful as the bleating from the Reds that match officials' sideline blunders cost them a Super 12 upset.

All that counted was the 18-15 victory in favour of the Blues.

It was a flattering result, but it meant the Blues were unbeaten going into this weekend's third round while the Reds were winless.

While neither side was rapt with the performance, it was easy to figure from the post-match coaches' chat which side had claimed the win at Eden Park.

The Reds were banging on about a sideline official denying them their full XV once prop Nick Stiles had served his sinbin suspension.

Meanwhile, the Blues dusted off the absence of patience and lack of maturity excuses for some of their frailties, and threw in the old chestnut about any team being capable of beating another.

There was merit in those concepts, but to suggest the Blues may have tried too hard because they have not played well on Eden Park for a while seemed more over the top than Ma'a Nonu's makeup.

"We got let off the hook and won't get away with that again," coach Peter Sloane said more pertinently.

"To be 10-0 down and get a victory says something, but as a team we have yet to click."

He could give another tick for the setpiece work of his forwards after their opening match against the Highlanders. They provided the foundation once more against the Reds, but the rest of the side has not matched that performance.

The forwards' exasperation must have soared as they kept the heat on the Reds in the scrum and lineout, but the Blues still trailed going into the last 10 minutes.

Two late tries during the subsequent sideline substitution squabble allowed the Blues to sneak home, but they also lost flanker Jerome Kaino to the sinbin.

"After his frustrating last couple of months with injury, we wanted to give him about 15 minutes but he only got five," Sloane said.

Kaino was cited to appear at a Sanzar judicial hearing today in Wellington to answer a dangerous tackle charge.

There must still be uncertainty this week about the fitness of All Black wing Doug Howlett and utility Ben Atiga, both dealing with hamstring strains.

After being declared fit, Atiga was a late withdrawal against the Reds, which meant a reprieve for Sam Tuitupou, with Luke McAlister pushing out to centre. Unusually, Tuitupou's defence was exposed, while McAlister looks uncomfortable further out.

On the likelihood of changes for Saturday's match against the Chiefs, Sloane said there had to be care with the injured and better development with the group that started in both victories.