KEY POINTS:
Luxuries did not cross the Blues landscape much last season. They were on Struggle Street with injuries and results.
But heading into their bye this week, the Blues are leading the Super 14 and have four reconditioned All Blacks available for a resumption of combat against the Waratahs.
That prosperity was a long way from the Blues' minds when this series started and they know they are a long way from their final target.
The latest victory against the Lions at Eden Park allowed them to dwell on a successful opening part of the tournament and to relish some special moments.
Seasoned wing Doug Howlett equalled Joe Roff's record of 57 tries in Super rugby when he scooted in for two tries and he will get a shot at breaking the mark if picked for his 100th game of Super rugby against the Waratahs. Howlett was at his tireless best and was stirred even further when Lions fullback Earl Rose appeared to headbutt him during a sideline scuffle. Twice after that, Howlett cleaned out Rose with punishing tackles.
Experienced five-eighths David Holwell and No 8 Nick Williams came out of mothballs with a vengeance as the Blues rattled in six tries, playing with too much pace and counter-attacking vengeance for the Lions. It was a lesson coach Eugene Eloff feared but admired.
"It was welcome to the Super 14 for the first time for us," he said. "At stages we looked like amateurs."
The Blues blasted out of the blocks powerfully and had the match won at the break. Play in the second half degenerated as the Blues could not reproduce quite the same dynamism. They did defend strongly until conceding a late try to a Lions lineout drive.
"We are not quite at the level of maturity to put them away," coach David Nucifora said.
That observation, injury and the calibre of the remaining rivals opens up the conjecture about Nucifora's selection strategies for the All Blacks returning to the Blues squad. He was very coy on Saturday about his ideas for Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Ali Williams and Joe Rokocoko.
"I don't have a public plan for them," he chuckled.
The quartet have stayed in touch with the Blues during their reconditioning programmes and are supposed to play some part in a practice game tomorrow between the Blues and Chiefs wider training squads although Mealamu has been favouring a tender calf muscle.
Nucifora said the quartet have some work to do to familiarise themselves with the Blues' game plans and methods and that could affect decisions about their return.
But Woodcock looks a certain starter for the next match because his stand-in, former All Black Saimone Taumoepeau, limped off with a calf injury on Saturday. If Mealamu is fully fit, it would seem sensible to start him alongside his test loosehead prop. Derren Witcombe has been a strong replacement but could do with a rest.
Joe Rokocoko has to put his reported mega-fitness to work and will take over from Rudi Wulf who has lost nothing in comparison to the injured Anthony Tuitavake in his production on the left wing.
Reinstating Ali Williams may be the most difficult decision. He is an incumbent All Black test lock and we are told he is in superb condition. So how do you ignore such quality when captain Troy Flavell and Greg Rawlinson have been an influential locking combination?
Williams could resume from the bench, he could replace Rawlinson on the basis of his lineout strength or, in a more unlikely scenario, he could link with Rawlinson so Flavell can be used as blindside flanker.
It might take Nucifora more than a bye week to sort out the best permutation.
