KEY POINTS:
It was rugby, but not as we knew it. It was a blend of bullrush, sevens and touch, a frantic whirr of mistakes and action under a broiling Auckland afternoon sun.
Welcome to the third edition of the Super 14, the makeover version of rugby with the experimental laws which are supposed to make the sport an even better spectacle.
One thing you could say about yesterday's trial was the Blues looked supremely fit - as they will need to be if they continue with the sort of madcap adventure on show. Scrums and lineouts were rare events; this was a study in time and motion.
The Blues have been practising with eight experimental law variations which Sanzar partners New Zealand, Australia and South Africa agreed to trial in this year's series. The greatest changes see the backlines both standing 5m behind the scrums and the awarding of free kicks for an array of offences.
An hour before the Blues trial yesterday, referee Steve Walsh advised the teams of two more changes he had been told to apply.
If a ball became unplayable at a breakdown, the defending side would earn a freekick. He would also whistle a freekick if a maul stopped moving.
That had Blues coach David Nucifora scratching his head about an opening spell he described as "mayhem", and sideline observers thinking looseforwards like Daniel Braid and Richie McCaw would be dangerously destructive on defence.
It all looked a little crazy, way too skittery, with a lack of structure. It brought back memories of the early days of Super 12 when the ball was zinging all around the park, and tight forwards suffered neck strain trying to follow the pingpong razzle-dazzle.
Players spoke about the increased speed in the game while Walsh admitted his instincts were still not attuned to the experimental legislation.
With the backlines forced to stand deeper at scrums, there is far more pressure on the defence to protect their inside channels and also guard the width of the park. A powerful scrum will help and it will be fascinating to watch the strategies of different sides and whether they choose freekicks or scrums as attacking ploys.
Removing the need to have equal numbers in the lineout, and eliminating any advantage from passing the ball back inside the 22 and then kicking it out on the full, are among the better ELVs.
But the breakdown, the most contentious area in the game, remains as unresolved as ever. Its baffling complexities remain while the other froth which appears to have been delivered by the new laws will no doubt provide the overriding discussion points about this season's Super 14.
The game was always fast enough, a rugged query of players' power, skills, decision-making and fitness.
No doubt things will settle halfway through the Super 14 before everyone will be asked to adjust to the old laws for the three domestic tests against Ireland and England in June.
