Centre Waylon Murray scores and puts the game out of the Blues' reach. Photo /Getty Images
Is Graham Henry's All Black reconditioning programme to blame for New Zealand teams missing out on the Super 14 final?
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Blues coach David Nucifora wants to coach the beaten semifinalists again next season and signalled he would select disruptive lock Ali Williams in the squad.
Nucifora had been reluctant to declare his future with suggestions he could also be chasing the Wallaby job, which becomes vacant after the
World Cup.
His statement yesterday was his first public utterance about seeking a third year in charge of the Blues.
The coach also revealed that Isaia Toeava's ankle injury did not seem too serious and reiterated that the Blues management were "extremely confident" they had handled the Williams episode properly.
He would be happy to work with the lock again.
"For sure. I would not have an issue at all.
"Ali is still a member of this team and we'll be catching up with all the players once we get back and running through the season with them so Ali is still very much a part of this team," Nucifora said as his side prepared for the long trip home.
The Blues had been insulated from the Williams fallout in New Zealand because they had concentrated on their buildup to the 34-18 semifinal loss to the Sharks.
Captain Troy Flavell, who was a member of the leadership group which decided Williams should not be part of the semifinal squad, also told a media telephone hookup he was confident the issue had been dealt with correctly.
Toeava was walking more freely several hours after rolling his ankle as he delivered the vital pass to Isa Nacewa for the try which gave the Blues an 18-14 lead.
Toeava engineered both Blues tries with his fend and pace from broken play in a confident display at second five-eighths in place of the injured Luke McAlister.
"He has played consistently well all season, so if that is the basis for selection he should have a pretty good opportunity [of reclaiming his All Black place]," Nucifora said. "He did very well again yesterday ... he showed what a talented young player he was, being put into a different position at short notice and performed well."
When Toeava retired injured, the Blues lost their edge, the Sharks regathered their momentum and rumbled to victory in the final quarter.
The Blues refused to blame a heavy Super 14 travel itinerary for their final-period collapse although Sharks skipper John Smit felt they showed those effects at the end of a frenetic match.
When the Sharks tightened their play and went back to the driving mauls, they sucked the last energy from the tiring visitors.
Making the playoffs was the best effort from the Blues since 2003 and Nucifora felt the squad had made enormous progress in the past two seasons.
They had travelled well until the last home game against the Sharks and then lost four of their last five games. Those defeats included the depressing pattern for New Zealand teams of losing in South Africa.
They played much better against the Sharks than their pool game loss but were outplayed by a side which offered greater variety.
