Super Rugby Pacific: Blues muscle up to kick clear of Fijian Drua in second half

Saturday, 28 March 2026

At Eden Park, Auckland: Blues 40 (Malachi Wrampling try 6min, Bradley Slater 2 tries 19min, 51min, Codemeru Vai try 58min, Payton Spencer try 65min, Caleb Clarke try 80min; Beauden Barrett 5 cons), Fijian Drua 15 (Etonia Waga try 16min, Mesake Vocevoce try 35min; Kemu Valetini pen, con). HT: 14-12.

Muscle beat hustle at Eden Park on Saturday night as the Blues ticked up a fourth Super Rugby Pacific victory on the trot to keep up their pursuit of the Hurricanes at the top of the standings.

It was not always pretty on a warm late summer’s evening in Auckland, but the Blues very much won the battle of the big bodies up front to kill off a splendid Fijian Drua challenge and kick clear late for a 40-15 result that was tougher than those digits indicate. The visitors were in the contest for long periods, but a pair of classic lineout-drive tries in each half proved crucial as the home correction came in a timely fashion.

With the bonus-point victory, six tries to two, the Blues drew level with the red-hot Hurricanes (who have played a game less) at the top of the table, improving to 5-2, and 25 competition points, to head into the bye in near perfect circumstances.

Sure, coach Vern Cotter will find plenty to grumble over from an uncertain first 40, where a succession of Blues handling errors kept the Drua well and truly in the contest as they trailed just 14-12 at the break.

And, sure, it took the home side a good 10-15 minutes to put the Fijians away in the second spell as the visitors searched for a first victory over a Kiwi franchise in New Zealand, and that inaugural Joeli Vidiri Memorial Trophy. But it was the Blues’ second lineout-drive try of the game, to hooker Bradley Slater, that put them back in front 11 minutes in, and from there they were able to skip clear with a degree of ease.

The Blues forwards laid a strong foundation for the victory, with locks Josh Beehre and Sam Darry (handling the leadership splendidly) outstanding on both sides of the ball, loosies Anton Segner and Malachi Wrampling also prominent and hooker Bradley Slater rewarded with two tries from a tidy display at set piece.

Payton ‘Son-of’ Spencer picked up a second-half try (off a splendid breakout) to cap a mostly positive starting debut at fullback, Caleb Clarke carried with his usual power and was rewarded with his sixth try of the season late, Beauden Barrett kicked well and provided some of that second-half attacking spark and Codemeru Vai continued his own scoring run with a late touchdown off the pine.

The Drua brought plenty to an entertaining contest, with loose forward Etonia Waqa the standout, but wing Ponipate Loganimasi and midfielder Iosefo Namocee getting through plenty with ball in hand and No 8 Elia Canakaivata also contributing mightily.

The Blues’ growing reputation as slow starters gained further traction this week, with the Aucklanders muddling their way through an error-strewn first 40 to eke out an unconvincing 14-12 halftime lead, with a pair of tries apiece.

The Drua very much gave as good as they took and grew in confidence through the opening spell as Blues handling errors mounted through another off-key first half. If anything, the visitors might have counted themselves a shade unlucky to trail by those two points after an industrious spell.

It was the home team that struck first, with impressive loose forward Wrampling striking from a ruck close to the line after just five minutes, though that was answered in similar fashion 10 minutes later when Waqa levelled at 7-7 after Epeli Momo and Iliasia Droasese had gone close on the carry.

The Blues regained the lead at the first-quarter mark off a conventional lineout-drive move finished by hooker Slater (for his first try for the franchise), before the Drua came storming back to finish the half in impressive fashion.

Shortly after loosie Kitione Salawa bombed a try out wide off Frank Lomani’s pinpoint crosskick, Blues fullback Spencer made a hash of a deep kick, and the Drua struck off the resultant gift lineout, with big lock Mesake Vocevoce finishing in close after Waqa’s scything break down the middle.

The Drua briefly took the lead, 15-14, early in the second spell with a Kemu Valetini penalty, but Slater’s second score, off another pwoerful drive, put the Blues back in front, 21-15, on the 51-minute mark, and rather opened the floodgates.

Vai came off the bench to finish a nice backline move wide on the right, Spencer dashed on to Fin Christie’s nice grubber off a Beauden Barrett-inspired breakout and Clarke finished the scoring at the end with a classic finish in space wide on the left.

The Blues might not be humming. But they are certainly winning.