Super Rugby: 'Gut-wrenching' loss tough on Blues

Ihaia West of the Blues during the Super Rugby match against the Cheetahs. Photo / Getty Images

The Blues are becoming good at finding new and unusual ways to lose.

After three matches this season they remain winless, their chance at securing a first victory of the season - an away win at that - disappearing when Isaiah West's last-ditch dropped goal attempt drifted wide of the posts at Bloemfontein this morning.

Yet this 25-24 defeat to the Cheetahs will hurt more than most, and while the Blues again played a part in their own demise, they were also desperately unlucky to concede the penalty with three minutes remaining which Joe Pietersen gleefully took to give his side a lead they probably didn't deserve.

Referee Rohan Hoffman's decision to penalise them on a lineout maul technicality - the Blues refused to engage, meaning the Cheetahs' forwards were effectively offside - resulted in a shrill blast on Hoffman's whistle in favour of the home side. Last week the same tactic against the Stormers paid big dividends for the Blues. This time it, and Hoffman's ruling, effectively cost them victory.

"Pretty gut-wrenching would be the word," coach Kirwan said. "We felt we'd done everything right. We felt it was a pretty harsh penalty, to be honest.

"We know the ruling - we've been practising it. We did exactly the same last week and picked up three penalties. The boys are a little bit bewildered by it but we have to accept the referee saw something different and move on.

"The rules state that if they start a maul and you don't contest it and you open the curtain for them, and they transfer the ball down the back, if they move off the line and we move in to tackle them then that is accidentally offside.

"We did it last week and got three penalties; today there was a different interpretation. We have to live with that."

Skipper Jerome Kaino, outstanding at No8 in his milestone 100th match for the Blues, thought Hoffman may have made the decision due to Luke Braid's backtracking from the lineout, yet Braid was in a halfback role at the set piece.

The Blues will also have to look at how they found their way to that defensive lineout. Up to that point they had done well in playing for territory only to concede a scrum at which prop Sam Prattley was penalised for a clearly illegal bind. The resulting clearance was the beginning of the end.

A week earlier against the Stormers they were as good as done when Hayden Triggs was sent off for punching in the first half. A week before that, the concession of two soft tries to the Chiefs left them with too much to do.

This one was cruel on the Blues, though, because in Kaino, Charlie Faumuina and Patrick Tuipulotu they had three of the game's outstanding players. Kaino, picking up the third try which put the Blues right back in it, was at his rampaging best. The busy Faumuina showed brilliant skills in taking Tuipulotu's offload one-handed to score and Tuipulotu himself was a constant danger.

Charles Piutau played well closer to the action at centre, and fullback Lolagi Visinia showed invention and aggression on the counter.

The Blues now have to pick themselves up and prepare for their flight home and match against the Lions at North Harbour next Saturday. With only two competition points, and a run of tough away matches to follow the Lions, they are in a deep hole now.