Blues edge Hurricanes in thriller
Fri, 16 May 2008 11:31
Fan fun: Supporters of the Hurricanes and Blues face off
The Blues kept alive their semifinal dream and made a huge dent in the Hurricanes' hopes with a thrilling 19-17 win in the Super 14 crunch match at Eden Park, Auckland, on Friday.
The victory saw the Blues move up the third place, while the bonus point - for losing by seven points or less - kept the Hurricanes in second place. However, a chasing bunch consisting of Waratahs, Stormers and Sharks can still overtake both the 'Canes and Blues as the weekend progresses.
The Blues won after coming back from 3-14 down midway through the first half, but the Hurricanes had a number of opportunities to clinch a win at the end.
What a dramatic start to a weekend that promised almost non-stop drama.
The second half, in which just three points were scored, was shatteringly tense.
It could have been All Blacks versus Springboks, England versus France. It had that degree of tension and determination, in which adamantine defence beat determined attack. On both sides men were reckless of their own wellbeing in their search for victory.
A crowd of 37 352 arrived at Eden Park on this cold, calm Friday night, and the teams deserved that sort of support. Few points in the second half but lots and lots of guts and tension, and in the home side just one score, but those last twenty minutes were agony as the Hurricanes attacked and attacked, and hope and despair swapped places in the twinkling of an eye.
They attacked from two five-metre scrums, from line-outs and free kicks. It was an attack that started when Willie Repia intercepted a pass from Nick Williams. He ran from his own 10-metre line, but had three Blues players gaining on him and threw a pass inside to Ma'a Nonu who was felled by Isa Nacewa. At that tackle Troy Flavell won a turnover. Jeremy Thrush dived over but the Hurricanes were free-kicked. The Blues kicked out but the Hurricanes came rushing back.
Shannon Paku grubbered but Rudi Wulf, an ace defender, saved on his line.
The Hurricanes mauled. Then Hosea Gear, the most elusive man on the field, counterattacked.
The Hurricanes bashed from a line-out. They had a five-metre scrum but Justin Collins won a turnover. They had another five-metre scrum but Ma'a Nonu bumped into a team-mate in front of him.
Then came the last three minutes and Isa Nacewa made his only mistake of the match - kicking out on the full a ball taken back.
In those three minutes Repia dropped for goal three times. First he was wide left, then wider right from far away, then left again from close by. There were just 30 seconds left after his third attempt.
The siren sounded to end the agony but the Hurricanes had the ball and they went through phase after phase, close and wide, till they yielded a free kick at a tackle/ruck far on their left and the Blues put the ball out. 37 353 spectators let out their breath. 44 players visibly relaxed.
It was a great game. It had been a great half, despite the paucity of points. There is, it is obvious, more to rugby football than tries. Heroic deeds count for so much, and the men who played in Auckland on Friday night were heroic.
The only points of the half were a penalty goal scored by Nick Evans when Nonu tackled Nacewa high. That kick made the score 19-17, the final score.
That score followed a period of hectic Blues attack as they promised to take absolute control of the match. After Jerome Kaino had put in a powerful run, David Smith was over but the TMO could not see grounding. Then Kaino was over but the TMO could see a trailing foot just out. Keven Mealamu was over but the referee was able to see that he had been held up. The Hurricanes were superb on defence - as the Blues would be later. There were try-saving efforts especially by Conrad Smith and Gear and then by Piri Weepu and Tom Fairbrother.
There was so much to talk about in a half that produced just three points.
The first half by contrast produced 33 points and was a great contest on its own.
The Hurricanes started really well. They had the first line-out, the first scrum, the first free kick and the first penalty - but the Blues scored the first points, a penalty by Evans when Fairbrother was penalised at a scrum. 3-0 after seven minutes.
There was a lot of kicking early on but the Blues were also able to get the ball smoothly wide.
The Blues may have looked better on attack but - second irony - the Hurricanes scored the first try. In fact they scored two tries in two minutes, two tries which promised to see them into a home semifinal.
The first try looked unlikely. They were going left but the passing was haphazard. In fact it had broken down till Gear snatched up a scrap of ball and started running back against the tide. The tide parted and he swerved and stepped past Nacewa, Nick Williams, Mealamu and John Afoa to score at the posts. Weepu converted. 7-3 after 18 minutes.
Rugby is a game of consequences. Evans kicked the kick-off directly into touch. The Hurricanes won a good scrum and Weepu lobbed a high kick down into the Blues 22 on the Hurricanes right. Evans bobbled the ball slightly and then kicked - into charging Gear who charged the kick down. The ball was kind and bounced invitingly in the in-goal where Gear scored his second try. 14-3 after 20 minutes. In the next hour the Hurricanes scored just three points.
The Blues then got their only try of the match. They changed tactics and went for hard running, close at first and then a little wider with Anthony Tuitavake getting over the advantage line to set tall Anthony Boric heading for the line. The lock shucked off Weepu and scored . Evans converted. 14-10 after 25 minutes.
The referee spoke to Nick Williams for his bad habits at the tackle and then when he came grossly in at the side the referee sent the big No.8 to the sin bin. For that offence Weepu goaled a penalty. 17-10.
Two tackles cost the Hurricanes six points.
First Fairbrother and Jerry Collins combined to tip Kaino over. 17-13 after 34 minutes.\
Then on half-time Smith kicked ahead but Zac Guildford grabbed him and Tamati Ellison, a late inclusion for Cory Jane who had flu, stood in his way. In a possible case of mistaken identity Ellison was sent to the sin bin and Evans goaled the kick.
That made it 17-16 at half-time with all the drama of the exhausting second half to come.
Man of the Match: He made a mistake late in the game but otherwise his handling was near miraculous at time, he tackled with determination, kicked with precision and was the player mist likely to swing his backs into action - Isa Nacewa of the Blues.
Moment of the Match: We will go for Hosea Gear's first try after such an unlikely beginning.
Villain of the match: Heroes are not villains, even when they make mistakes.
Scorers:
For the Blues:
Try: Boric
Con: Evans
Pens: Evans 4
For the Hurricanes:
Tries: Gear 2
Cons: Weepu 2
Pen: Weepu
Yellow cards: Nick Williams (Blues, 31 - repeated infringements, not rolling away in tackle), Tamati Ellison (Hurricanes, 40 - professional foul, late tackle)
Teams:
Blues: 15 Nick Evans, 14 David Smith, 13 Anthony Tuitavake, 12 Benson Stanley, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Isa Nacewa, 9 Taniela Moa, 8 Nick Williams, 7 Daniel Braid, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Troy Flavell (captain), 4 Anthony Boric, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Nick
White, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Kurtis Haiu, 19 Justin Collins, 20 Danny Lee, 21 Isaia Toeava, 22 Ben Atiga.
Hurricanes: 15 Tamati Ellison, 14 Hosea Gear, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Willie Ripia, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So'oialo (captain), 7 Chris Masoe, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Jason Easton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Tim Fairbrother, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 John Schwalger.
Replacements: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 Jacob Ellison, 18 Craig Clarke, 19 Scott Waldrom, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Jimmy Gopperth, 22 Shannon Paku.
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Jonathan White (New Zealand), Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
