Cohesive Blues take big leap forward

Blues 25 Stormers 15

Like a super-sized oil tanker, the Blues are gradually, ever so gradually, turning their season around so they are at least vaguely pointing in the direction of the playoffs now.

They still haven't nailed the gee-whizz performance to get the top four looking nervously over the shoulders.

But last night they did enough to keep alive the hope that a knockout blow may be coming.

Last night was the first time the Blues' scrum and lineout have been effective in the same match. We saw some useful driving from the forwards as well, with the body positions low in the saddle and the leg drive working in unison.

There was also a greater sense of cohesion with Isa Nacewa knowing, until he was pushed to the wing to make way for the equally adept Luke McAlister, when to dance and when to nudge the ball behind the flat-lying Stormers.

Rua Tipoki's twinkling toes bamboozled those Stormers daft enough to keep their eyes on his dazzling white boots and then there was Troy Flavell.

The enfant terrible of New Zealand rugby delivered another big game. His craft is not that practised by the All Black incumbent blindside, Jerry Collins.

Sure, it's based on power and intimidation, but Flavell cannot match the Wellingtonian for impact in the tackle.

What he did do last night, though, was empty his massive engine of every drop of fuel. It was as if he suspected the ball of having an affair, such was his reluctance to let it out of his sight.

Presumably he suspected one of his team-mates of having the affair, as when the Blues took to driving through their forwards in the second half, it was Flavell, almost without fail, who had his big mitts firmly attached to the leather.

The omnipresence of Flavell allowed the inexperienced Onosai Tololima-Auvaa to really commit himself to digging for the pill when he thought there was a sniff of a turnover.

That combination, plus the big defensive shift put in by No 8 Nick Williams, left the vaunted Stormers back row frustrated and led to a heavy penalty count.

And yet, despite these improvements in both set pieces, despite the greater confidence and cohesion, it might just be that these Blues never get round to delivering that knock-out blow.

Maybe they will never find the recipe for turning promise into performance and points.

The Blues didn't bury their opponents until the final quarter when the Stormers had been reduced to 13 men.

And even then they didn't so much bury them as toss a handful of dirt on the open coffin.

They somehow let 20-6 become 20-15 and only started shovelling the dirt on in the final 10 minutes when Anthony Tuitavake was finally worked free on the left wing and Junior Poleuligaga grabbed the crucial fourth try in the final minute.

It's hard to imagine either the Crusaders, Hurricanes or Waratahs taking so long to locate the jugular.

And the reason it took so long is because the Blues still lack that clinical edge.

They showed it when they scored their first try.

Tipoki weaved and bobbed past the first line of defence, waited for Williams to get on his shoulder and then the No 8 fed Nacewa who trusted his speed and made it over.

That ruthless efficiency proved elusive for most of the rest of the game, however.

Midway through the first half Viliame Waqaseduadua made an electric break up his right flank. He miraculously beat three defenders in an impossibly tight space but instead of quitting while he was ahead and giving the inside ball to the supporting Brent Ward, he tried to beat a fourth and lost possession.

A golden chance was blown, as it was when the Blues hammered away at the Stormers' line for much of the third quarter only to blow their best chance with a wild pass to touch.

The best teams in this competition keep the error count low and grind down opponents with their relentless accuracy.

Clearly, at the moment, the Blues are not one of the best teams in the competition.

If they want to be, they have to start thinking they are walking on the moon and take giant strides.

Blues 32 (I. Nacewa, K. Mealamu, A. Tuitavake, J. Poluleuligaga tries; I. Nacewa 3 cons, 2 pens).
Stormers 15 (N. Olivier 5 pens).

-HERALD ON SUNDAY