The Blues widened their message about ill-discipline yesterday, putting All Black Troy Flavell and halfback Mark Robinson on the bench for tomorrow's Super 12 game with the Sharks.
Signals about the demise of flanker Matua Parkinson, who is also on the bench, had been around all week after heconceded too many penalties in the last game against the Waratahs.
He has been one of the better performers, but he had too many infringements in Sydney for the coaches.
It seemed Flavell, who was another persistent offender and also sinbinned, might get a reprieve and a positional switch to his preferred blindside flanker job. But coach Frank Oliver banished Flavell to the bench as well.
"I have got to be fair," he said. "If I am dropping one for bad discipline then the other has to suffer the same fate."
Robinson was also sinbinned in Sydney, but the staff felt his misdemeanour had not been as destructive as those of the other offenders.
He is also in the reserves, but that's a call about how the Blues want to play the game.
"They are all on notice that we cannot tolerate the sort of infringements we had against the Waratahs," Oliver said.
One player who infringed last week with basic errors rather than penalties, fullback Orene Ai'i, has been picked, though it must be just about his last chance to show form.
Oilver's rethink has also meant a second-row shuffle, bringing Charles Riechelmann off the bench as lock rather than the expected reintroduction of New Zealand A captain Glenn Taylor.
"I don't want to pick South African-type players to play South Africans," Oliver said.
"I think we will get them with skill and athleticism."
