Blues bash Saders
1 Mar 2013
Rene Ranger rocked in the Blues fabulous win against the Crusaders.
The Blues scored five unanswered tries in a 34-15 win and Ranger was influential in attack and especially in defence.
The hosts, who scored a bonus-point win against the Hurricanes in Wellington a week ago, had the bonus point for four tries within the hour.
The new coaching staff of John Kirwan, Mick Byrne and Graeme Henry have made an immediate impact and turned a decade of home team Blues into a night of bliss.
The Blues led 20-12 at halftime and Dan Carter reduced the deficit to five points early in the second half, but that was the last of the Crusaders threat as the Blues combined brutal defence with clinical finishing to dominate the match and the result.
Carter’s goalkicking and Matt Todd’s tireless efforts at the breakdown were the only positives for the visitors, who played like a team who hadn’t had a competitive match for some time. This was the Crusaders tournament opener and they were shocking.
Israel Dagg, playing on the wing, had a night to forget and so did most of his teammates as the Blues physicality in defence forced mistake after mistake. The Crusaders made 12 handling errors compared to the four of the Blues.
The home team promised to give it a full crack on attack, as they did against the Canes a week ago, but it has been their desire on defence that has defined the two bonus-point wins in the last fortnight.
Ali Williams was inspirational as captain, Chris Noakes was composed at flyhalf, Ranger was ruthless in everything he did and the back three were lethal with ball in hand.
The Crusaders were too lateral on attack, the running lines of the support runner was poor and physically they were never in the contest in the collisions.
Dagg controversially was denied a try by a TMO ruling that would have made the score 27-20 with 10 minutes to go but the Blues immediately scored a seven pointer from 80 metres as the scoreboard reflected the on-field superiority of the hosts.
Piri Weepu, good in most aspects, succeeded with only two from six strikes, which gives an indication of just how messy it got for the Crusaders. Had Weepu been more accurate the scoreline could have been closer to 50 than 30.
By Mark Keohane
377 Comments
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1 Mar 2013, 10:15 am
Now the Rebels to cream the Worried Tarts
1 Mar 2013, 10:15 am
@skopdiekan-174:
lol
Ranger is not all that…seriously.
Takes more than the odd good game to make the ABs.
He is not better than smith at 13…thats a fact.
1 Mar 2013, 10:16 am
@Te Rangatira-245: early days bro, liking what Im seeing though
1 Mar 2013, 10:16 am
@Hurricane-252: agree 100%
1 Mar 2013, 10:17 am
Even Michael Lynagh is excited
1 Mar 2013, 10:17 am
Jeez is just sour. Blues pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps fired their mediocre coaching setup pulled in Kirwin and Henry and turned the same players from last year into winning combination over the off season. Nothing to do with Nzru everything to do with a positive change in mindset. Simples.
1 Mar 2013, 10:17 am
@Hurricane-252:
Hear hear!!!!
1 Mar 2013, 10:18 am
Good win lads. Old cliché, but one game at a time. Let’s not get over enthused after two games folks, its a great start. I wanted this game more than any other game this season, the return leg, well… we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
1 Mar 2013, 10:18 am
@skopdiekan-256:
Same players?
1 Mar 2013, 10:18 am
Sofar 3 hobitland derbies and all have been of good quality.
Okes at the Tank better try harder we do not need another borefest “real rugby”.
1 Mar 2013, 10:19 am
@the curse-253:
Yeah…early days….but wonderful start to the season…
1 Mar 2013, 10:19 am
Blues are looking so good.-
From embarrassment last year to now is a huge leap.
Well done guys
1 Mar 2013, 10:20 am
@Te Rangatira-261: indeed, UFO if youre reading, well done on your faith in JK… methinks Henrys hand is showing, but not going to get carried away..
1 Mar 2013, 10:20 am
@Te Rangatira-261: Congrats mate, I guess now you are doing better than even Chicago Black Hawks.
1 Mar 2013, 10:21 am
@polaris-260: no, its because in hobbitland we cheat, the Saffas play the game all fair
catch up bro..
1 Mar 2013, 10:21 am
@the curse-263:
Correct….Ufo did vouch for JK…..I was the one who touted Luatua…hehe
1 Mar 2013, 10:21 am
@skopdiekan-256:
Henry is the name here…. but i believe it isnt the same players…few changes there. Some new faces that look awesome, but then again maybe they did play last year and didnt have the surrounding to shine.
1 Mar 2013, 10:21 am
I took out Rene Ranger out of my fantasy league yesterday for JOC…what a stupid move! You better play out of your sock JOC i need those points back.
1 Mar 2013, 10:21 am
@Te Rangatira-230:
Consider NZ’s unacceptable attitude towards the Blues’ dismal 2012 performance and look at them now. Nzfu had a lot to do to get the Blues back to being a respectable team. New coach, new investments, Graham Hendry helping out etc
1 Mar 2013, 10:22 am
My Kiwi boss in Shanghai, despite being a Horrorcane, said, “When Auckland is strong then NZ is strong”.
1 Mar 2013, 10:22 am
When is the Canes game
1 Mar 2013, 10:22 am
@Hurricane-262: If Kirwan and Henry keep them focused I do not see any reason why they could not end up 1st in August.
1 Mar 2013, 10:22 am
@skopdiekan-256: same as the brumbies got jake, fisher, larkham & benton to changed things in one off season…
1 Mar 2013, 10:22 am
Blues look sharp, very sharp even mentally. JK to thank for that?
That Issy Dagg no try became anywhere from a 10 – 14 pointer for this game.
1 Mar 2013, 10:23 am
@polaris-264:
Thanks Polaris…Yeah on a roll but that try at the end hurt me…but awesome for the Blues
1 Mar 2013, 10:23 am
@Te Rangatira-266: was a fan of his for a while, couldnt understand why Lam wouldnt play him…
1 Mar 2013, 10:24 am
@AiDoc-270: an old adage but a truism
1 Mar 2013, 10:24 am
@Transformation-273:
lol
doing a bit of fishing there trans?
1 Mar 2013, 10:24 am
@Dawn-271: in 2 hours Dawn
1 Mar 2013, 10:25 am
@polaris-272:
You never know.
They took out my champion Hurricane team…. i thought we would win everything this year
1 Mar 2013, 10:26 am
The Blues will easily defeat the cheating bulls next week …unless an Afrikaner refs the game .
1 Mar 2013, 10:26 am
@the curse-265: ag, that particular man is not watching and good on him. spared us 24/7/365 whinge.
1 Mar 2013, 10:27 am
@Jeez-269:
The Blues board put the deals together….Gary Whetton came in and pulled JK & GH in, from there they put a team together, where 16 players hadn’t played Super Rugby level….Nzrfu did very little….
1 Mar 2013, 10:28 am
@skopdiekan-256:
“NZRU General Manager of Professional Rugby Neil Sorensen said Kirwan’s appointment followed an intense interview process and he represented an opportunity for change for the Franchise. Kirwan was appointed on the unanimous recommendation of a joint NZRU and Blues panel, which is the standard process for all Investec Super Rugby Coach appointments.”
Id just like to see SARU getting more involved in helping out our struggling teams… Although they might do more damage lol. It would be great if all our teams could do well, thats all.
1 Mar 2013, 10:28 am
@Hurricane-280: you certainly won’t win a grand slam.
Reall glad for the Blues even if my Superbru is traditionally drilled more like *****’s holes. Nice play. Crusaders will bounce back for sure. So will Canes, I hope.
1 Mar 2013, 10:29 am
@Te Rangatira-283:
Its far more supportive than SARU is…
1 Mar 2013, 10:30 am
Ranger has had 3 season of brilliant play in a losing setup holding the Blues together with Braid and Williams and couple others. Now they got some young fliers at outside back and brought in Noaks who shown great read of the game. But Ranger has been fantastic in busting the midfield channels through 3 seasons already and always in the thick of the action on defense. How many turnovers he effect tonight and how many over a season? Plus he’s a handful in attack far more dangerous with ball in hand than Freuen. Ranger should be in AB selectors thinking long ago. Now he’s gone to France. Stupid loss in anyone’s rationale.
1 Mar 2013, 10:30 am
Ugh,my superbru starts k ak and I am working today with a engineer who is a donkey and has sh yt for brains.
Feck!
1 Mar 2013, 10:31 am
@skopdiekan-287: nah Skop. Ranger is great on attack, but does dumb things often… its why he hasnt been selected for the ABs more than 3 times..
1 Mar 2013, 10:31 am
Absolutely disgusting to compare the lions’ situation with that of the blues.one franchise decided to ride the gravy train whilst the other one worked very hard to get back to their past glories.
1 Mar 2013, 10:32 am
@polaris-282: but but but, last week he “assumed” the NZ refs cheated because of the scoreline in the Chiefs/landers game
without watching he just “knew” their was cheating involved..
cant argue with that type of logic
1 Mar 2013, 10:32 am
Are too many here conveniently forgetting these were two Kiwi teams that they so enthused about and that they hate Kiwi teams week after week?
1 Mar 2013, 10:34 am
that is rugby….fark me…compare that to the drivel served up at Loftus last Fri evening….***** bells Heyneke…..we got our work cut out for us !!
1 Mar 2013, 10:35 am
Well done Blues, didn’t watch but what a change from last year!
1 Mar 2013, 10:36 am
@S_K-290: who was riding the gravy train?
1 Mar 2013, 10:37 am
well, as they say in one of my fav cartoon shows
“Im going to the pub, and I may be some time”
cheers
1 Mar 2013, 10:37 am
Will the blue bull bribed Afrikaner ref and tmo be in action this weekend?
1 Mar 2013, 10:39 am
@AiDoc-221: He was not held because the tackler must release, it also means when you as the ball carrier has the ball in hand and you knees touch the ground you must release the ball before getting kack to your feet, the ball carrier did not.
1 Mar 2013, 10:39 am
@grant10-293: “we must force our gameplan on the opposition, people want to see running moves from our 22, that only happens in the movies”
1 Mar 2013, 10:39 am
@Jeez-295: lions.you surely didn’t expect me to say the blues,now do you?
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