Rugby: Blues up for another smashing time

Viliami Ma'afu is relishing the prospect of another tough physical contest. Photo / Getty Images

Blues forward Viliami Ma'afu is relishing the prospect of another tough physical contest against a big South African Super 14 rugby side.

Having repelled defending champions the Bulls up front on the way to a 32-17 victory in Auckland last weekend, the Blues host the Stormers tomorrow, with Ma'afu confident the home pack can produce a repeat effort.

"The boys know how to play the South African teams now, with their size and that," the quietly spoken Tongan said.

"Most of the boys here are Pacific islanders and they love to smash anything that moves. They love to go out there and be physical."

The win over the Bulls helped steady the Blues' campaign, with their overseas trip, comprising matches in Durban, Bloemfontein and Johannesburg, still to come.

Sitting eighth on the ladder, four points outside the top four, they want some added insurance with victories over the fourth-placed Stormers and then the Western Force next week before they head off on their travels.

Coach Pat Lam has rewarded the players who ended the Bulls' 12-match unbeaten streak by retaining all 22 to face the Stormers.

Ma'afu's performances at the back of the scrum in his debut Super 14 season have vindicated Lam's decision to battle for his inclusion in the Blues.

The No 8, North Harbour's player-of-the-year last season, had faced a hurdle to get into the competition because, having represented Tonga at sevens, he was ineligible for the All Blacks.

That meant Lam had to convince New Zealand rugby bosses that he couldn't find a better New Zealand player to fill the spot in his squad.

"Not being eligible for New Zealand, I had thought there was no hope of Super 14 rugby," Ma'afu said.

"Luckily, Pat went in and fought for me."

Ma'afu admitted that the step up from six seasons of national provincial rugby to the Super 14 had been a big one, not just on the field, where the speed of the game took time to get used to, but also in the professional approach off the field.

"I started pretty slowly, just trying to make sure I didn't make any mistakes and I was doing my job," he said.

"The last couple of games, I've got my hands on the ball more and that's one of my strengths, running with the ball."

Ma'afu's contract with the Blues is for just one season. He is off to Japan later this year, having decided that, at 28, he needed to secure his future.

However, he has circled September 9 next year as a date he wants to be back at Eden Park.

The 2011 World Cup opens that day with Tonga taking on New Zealand.

"That's my goal, playing the All Blacks at Eden Park," Ma'afu said.

"It will be one of the highlights of my career."

The Stormers arrived in Auckland this week on the back of a surprise 15-16 loss in Perth, a result that gave the Force their first success of the year.

The last meeting between the Stormers and the Blues ended in a 14-7 win for the Blues in Cape Town, with fullback Paul Williams scoring all the visitors' points. Williams will start on the bench tomorrow.

- NZPA