Photos: Super 14 kicks offKEY POINTS:
Back in the days when the Blues cared more for style than substance, they would have felt a little uneasy at the manner in which they opened their campaign last night. But with structure and pragmatism sitting much higher up the agenda, now they have learned that winning
in this competition is all that matters.
The flashier, bells and whistles football can wait. The early rounds are about bedding in, getting the basics right and putting points on the board. And on that front, the Blues will certainly be feeling a little more comfortable than the Chiefs this morning.
There was never much in it. The Blues maybe had a little ascendancy in the scrums and there were times when they hit rucks and mauls with impressive power, stayed on their feet and turned defence into attack.
The backs had the firepower to cancel each other out and whenever the likes of Joe Rokocoko or Mils Muliaia escaped, there was enough gas in the secondary brigade to hunt them down. The difference between the two sides appeared to be the greater mobility and athleticism of the Blues pack, where Troy Flavell and Jerome Kaino showed up in places their opposites didn't.
Just as he did last year, Flavell opened his campaign with a huge effort. For a big man, he has a remarkable engine and he beat a host of opponents to secure the 51st-minute touch down that was crucial for the Blues.
Rokocoko had blasted down his flank after the ball had been in play for an age. His pass inside to Nick Evans was slapped back by Muliaina and Flavell had somehow followed the whippets and pounced to give the Blues the daylight they needed.
A simple back move where Rokocoko collected Benson Stanley's inside pass and then kept running showed just what a splendid platform the scrum is under the new laws.
That try by the All Black wing put the Blues 22-14 ahead and broke the Chiefs' hearts. They had been competitive but it was clear they didn't have the same fitness base or mobility as their opponents.
With 10 minutes remaining, Ben Atiga gave the Blues the much loved bonus point when he was the recipient of Isa Nacewa's pass under the sticks. It was probably a score the hosts deserved more for their application than their execution. This game left the jury very much out in respect of the new rules.
A rock hard pitch, a dry night, two teams full of running talent and ambition were sure to showcase the new rules in their full glory.
Alas, no. There was scant evidence anything had changed. The game was a little faster but the sad truth was neither side had the skills to build continuity and capitalise on the extra space the new rules afford.
To be fair, that was probably to be expected. Opening nights are notoriously nervy, not helped much by the fact this was a local derby with a fair bit at stake.
Throw in the fact the Chiefs were desperate not to fall into their customary habit of killing their campaign in the first five weeks and there you have it, a recipe for panic.
Not to mention confusion, as there appeared to be an inordinate number of penalties awarded under a new regime where the vast majority of offences are supposed to carry free-kick status.
Still, it would be hard for people to walk away from Eden Park and claim they hadn't been entertained. There were passages of play that seemed scarcely believable. If you blinked, you missed the turnover and ding, dong, ding, dong possession jumped from blue to black. Spectators must have felt they were watching tennis at times, such was the rapidity with which they would have been craning their necks to follow the ball.
At times there were bodies strewn everywhere and the big units just couldn't disguise their discomfort at being tasked with such an aerobic challenge. What is apparent, even at this stage, is that the new rules will lessen the impact of players like Sione Lauaki.
* Blues 32 (D. Lee, T. Flavell, J. Rokocoko, B. Atiga tries; N. Evans 3 cons, 2 pens) Chiefs 14 (M. Muliaina; S. Donald 3 pens)
