Super Rugby: Blues fans may be in for much more pain

Akira Ioane was sinbinned during an ill-disciplined Blues performance. Photo / Photosport

Those brave few who made the commitment to support the Blues against the Jaguares in the wind and rain at Eden Park only to watch in mounting disbelief as their side contrived to throw it away in the second half may believe the franchise has hit rock bottom.

But the evidence of this latest defeat, a 20-13 reverse after leading 13-5 at halftime against one of the most ill-disciplined sides in the competition, suggests that is not the case - not by a long shot.

Such was the slide in the second half, so brainless the decision-making, so poor were they at the basics of the game, that there is likely to be a lot more pain to come this season.

Next Saturday, the Blues play the Waratahs in Sydney and while nothing about Tana Umaga's side is certain, it would take a brave person to bet anything substantial on them winning at Brookvale Oval.

The Blues' season was gone many weeks ago but at stake next is an incredible Super Rugby record between New Zealand and Australian teams, one that will almost certainly be broken and which will pour more scrutiny on Umaga, who is likely to have his contract renewed, and in fact has probably already been told he will be staying.

An Australian Super Rugby team couldn't beat a New Zealand team last year and they have yet to do so this season. It is a remarkable streak which was extended to 36 matches by the Crusaders when they beat the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday.

The Crusaders play the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday night so in theory the streak could be snapped then but the way Scott Robertson's men dispatched the Brumbies suggests otherwise. At GIO Stadium, they played with 13 men for eight minutes of the second half after Ryan Crotty and Scott Barrett were sinbinned but still didn't concede a point.

There is no doubt the Blues have been hamstrung by injuries this season - half of their initial squad (18 players) are unavailable and they lost another, lock Josh Goodhue, to concussion against the Jaguares.

But the inability of the players on the pitch to catch and pass properly, to clear out a tackle consistently well and follow a plan is the big concern.

At halftime, television viewers watched as assistant coach Al Rogers told an interviewer that the second-half strategy was to play the game in the Jaguares' half, to back their own defence, and to force the opposition into mistakes. It was hardly groundbreaking stuff but his players couldn't or wouldn't do it.

Something else is creeping in, too. The Blues gave up five penalties in a row at the start of the game, a run which, rightly or wrongly, put referee Paul Williams offside and led to Akira Ioane spending 10 minutes in the sinbin.

The Blues gave up 15 penalties in total, some of which were needless, like James Parsons' early illegal ruck cleanout, against the Jaguares' nine. Every Super Rugby coach knows the Jaguares are one of the worst in the competition in terms of their discipline and that a side with patience, good ball retention and discipline will invariably break them down, so to perform so badly in this area is inexcusable.

The Blues are 14th of 15 teams, with two wins from nine. It's not good enough and with a trip to Sydney and then home and away matches against the Hurricanes and Crusaders to come, it's going to get worse.