Blues player ratings: All Blacks depth in key position highlighted in dynamic performance

How the Blues players rated in their 36-33 win against the Reds in Christchurch on Saturday night.

1. Ben Ake – 6

A 49-minute shift of shoving toiling as the two sides squared up while fresh. Ake should be pleased with his efforts in his first start for the Blues.

2. Bradley Slater (vc) – 7

Competed and harassed hard at the breakdowns and was involved in a heap of tackles. Was given a bit of a free pass by the Reds locks who mostly chose not to attack the Blues lineout in the air. Their efforts to defend the Blues lineout on the ground flopped when Slater tucked on to a 62nd-minute maul that went 10m for him to bag a well-deserved try. That score should have been enough to seal the match with the score at 33-21.

3. Marcel Renata – 6

Veteran tighthead was up against one-test All Black Aidan Ross. Around the park he put in a tonne of tackles, particularly as the Blues put the foot down in the third quarter.

4. Patrick Tuipulotu (c) – 6

The Blues skipper was leading from the trenches. His grunty break in the 38th minute could have grabbed a halftime lead. Tuipulotu’s aerial muscle was too much for the Queenslanders; he stole the ball on a 50th-minute Reds throw (the visitors’ third consecutive lineout stuff up). Came up trumps in his one-on-one chest bump challenge with Reds big-unit Lukhan Salakaia-Loto.

5. Sam Darry – 8

Gave the Aussies’ lineout a good tickle up right from the start and was busy on defence and attack around the field. It was the timing of Darry’s pass to Beauden Barrett that created the space for Zarn Sullivan’s opener. Then he proved his midfield chops with the best long pass of the night to put Cole Forbes’ underway for his 14th-minute strike. Bagged a 48th-minute steal from a scrappy Reds lineout and snaffled a clean take in the 55th as the visitors’ set piece went walkabout.

Darry’s mobility and game smarts were well ahead of any other tight forward in the game. His performance was a reminder of how handy the depth is in the All Blacks’ locking stocks.

6. Anton Segner – 6

Another evening of toil for the big-ticker loosie. Palmed off by Reds halfback Kalani Thomas on a 43rd-minute break that should have led to a try. Stole a key lineout throw in the 47th minute. Terrific read to bag a 57th-minute turnover when the defensive stakes were high – got a brutal bump-off from Salakaia-Loto moments later. Bounced right back up again and kept hammering Reds ball carriers to the final moment.

7. Dalton Papali’i – 6

Flat-footed when Filipo Daugunu charged through on a cutting angle to set up the Reds’ opening try. Elsewhere, his defence was top-drawer and crucial for the Blues victory. Benefited from poor Reds defence when he surged over line for a 43rd-minute strike.

8. Hoskins Sotutu – 6

Another who was caught out by Daugunu’s blazing run. Sotutu was at his best when the ball was in his hands, such as the sweet bump-off on Fraser McReight in the 16th minute. It’s the off the ball stuff that would worry the coaches; he should have recognised there was space that needed filling near the ruck when Kalani Thomas made what should have been a try-scoring break in the 44th minute. Returned to the field for some important, powerful carries in the three minutes of extra time.

9. Finlay Christie – 7

Linked well and made sure he was there to direct the Blues options when needed. His knock on in the 11th minute botched some brewing Blues momentum. Handy, scrambling defensive work, and was in the right place to disrupt Kalani Thomas’ lunge for the line that would have given the Reds real momentum. Kicked well around the park (except for the one he misread that had been tapped back into the 22).

10. Beauden Barrett – 5

The blonde dye job makes him look like a grown-up Draco Malfoy, but Barrett’s magic deserted him on a couple of early hopeful hoofs for 50:22s. There was more aimless kicking later in the match when long pointless boots gave the chasing Reds opportunities to launch attacks from deep in the final quarter.

But Barrett’s familiar magic was on show on attack, his nice read and break for Zarn Sullivan’s first try casting a spell on the Reds defence before he sent a lightning-bolt flat ball for Sullivan’s second. His misread of a bouncing ball in the 51st minute almost let Daugunu in for a try. Calmly nailed the only penalty of the match to settle the result. A mixed night.

11. Cole Forbes – 7

A busy night for Forbes, who had the gas and the confidence to pin his ears back for a well-taken 15th-minute try. Might have had a second if he’d dived earlier for a corner-post chance in the 57th minute. Sound work under the aerial ball as well.

12. Pita Ahki – 6

Was the Blues go-to battering ram when midfield inches were required. Ahki was accurate in his tackling and distribution in a match of small margins.

13. AJ Lam – 6

The Blues defensive dominance through the third quarter was key to the result, and Lam was a prime operator in that period and elsewhere through the match.

14. Kade Banks – 4

Ball didn’t go his way as much as it did down the Blues’ left-hand flank, and he couldn’t find a way to work himself into the action.

15. Zarn Sullivan – 7

Smart work against some wobbly defence to bag the opening try; got his second with powerful running on to a terrific flat pass. There were scratchy moments, like the charge down in the 26th minute and the dead-set spill hot on attack in the 49th. But Sullivan was sound on defence and a real punchy handful when he hit the line running hard with ball in hand.

Bench

16. James Mullan – 6

On in the 69th minute as the Blues scrambled to shut down the rising Reds.

17. Mason Tupaea – 6

On in the 49th minute, for a bit of shove and shunt. Added value in defence as the Red tide rose.

18. Sam Matenga – 5

Stone-cold dropsie in the 72nd minute came just after he’d handled well in a couple of hefty charges. Had a couple of useful carries in the nervous extra-time period.

19. Josh Beehre – 6

Has been an asset all season patching up injury gaps in the Blues second row; Beehre went into this match with the second most tackles of anyone in the competition and piled on a few more in the frantic final stages.

20. Torian Barnes – 4

On for the final quarter and spilled a ball on attack that got the Reds in position for their dramatic late strike in the final minutes.

21. Taufa Funaki – 3

Fluffed a high ball, then had a kick charged down leading to a near-try for the Reds. A six-minute cameo courtesy of injury.

22. Stephen Perofeta – 6

It’s been a while since Perofeta (who squared- up against the Lions for the Blues in 2017) was the next big thing. The first five-eighths/fullback found himself running at halfback in Christchurch and went at it with good nippy intent. This isn’t the hybrid player we thought we’d be looking at this weekend. Perofeta forced an inside-ball pass to Torian Barnes that went all wrong, resulting in the scores being levelled and the super-point decider. Otherwise, he did fine work in an unfamiliar role.

23. Xavi Taele – 6

Involved in plenty of scrambling defence in his 15-minute stint but was beaten as Reds runners found a way through for their late try. Had a couple of good lively probes with the ball.