Blues outlast Hurricanes at Eden Park

There will be some sore bodies in the Blues and Hurricanes camps over the coming days.

In a season where high-tempo, high-scoring rugby has been front and centre, the two sides took a different approach in their bid to get the better of their local rival.

In a bash-and-crash physical contest, it was the Blues coming away with the points, banking a 19-18 win at Eden Park.

While there were moments when the teams looked to get the ball wide and bring the backs into play – more so in the final quarter – it was a game largely contested in the tight channels, with plenty of carries into contact one off the ruck.

Building on the momentum of the work done in close, both teams found some space to exploit during the first half, but points proved hard to come by as handling errors slowed things down at times.

The territory battle became an important phase, with captain Patrick Tuipulotu crediting the kicking game of first five-eighths Beauden Barrett as a key in the win.

“The way we grinded that out we can be proud of how we played, especially up front. We’ve been challenged the last five weeks in that area so we can be proud of that win,” Tuipulotu told Sky Sport.

“Our kicking game, especially with [Barrett] at the back, he controlled that very well and put us in good positions, then put pressure on the Hurricanes. We were able to get a few forced errors for them, then get a few penalties and keep them down here.

“Game management-wise, we’re really happy as a team, especially our back three as well.”

The Blues had familiar struggles with discipline early and found themselves a man down after Tuipulotu was sent to the sin bin for making contact to the head of Hurricanes lock Isaia Walker-Leawere when trying to clean out a ruck in the 14th minute.

But the Hurricanes were also guilty of giving the Blues opportunities through penalties, with the hosts’ decision to kick their threes when they were on offer proving to make the difference.

Barrett, returning to the side after a hand injury, slotted four of his five penalty attempts. He also converted the side’s lone try of the night, scored through tighthead prop Marcel Renata.

The Hurricanes did opt to take the points at times too – Riley Hohepa converting two of his four penalty attempts – but they backed themselves to get across the line in attacking territory from lineout drives.

They did when Tuipulotu was in the sin bin, however No 8 Peter Lakai’s try was ruled out because of an obstruction by hooker Asafo Aumua clearing a path for him.

The Blues were able to hold the Hurricanes to only a penalty goal while Tuipulotu was off the park – the lock returning with the score 3-3 – but they eventually cracked after half an hour when blindside flanker Brayden Iose gave the visitors an 8-6 lead from the lineout drive.

Renata scored soon after, however, and the sides went into the break locked at 13.

It was more of the same in the second half; the forwards asked to do plenty of grunt work before things began to open up.

While the Hurricanes were able to strike out wide through Ngantungane Punivai, the Blues edged back ahead through Barrett’s boot in the 67th minute before the side closed out their first win since round three and just their second of the season.

Both of those wins have come against the Hurricanes.

Blues 19 (Marcel Renata try; Beauden Barrett con, 4 pens)

Hurricanes 18 (Brayden Iose, Ngantungane Punivai tries; Riley Hohepa con, 2 pens)

HT: 13-13