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Blues 32 Hurricanes 33
Blues - Eklund 2, Darry & Clarke tries, Plummer 2 penalties & 3 conversions
Hurricanes - Rayasi 3, A Savea & Goosen tries, Barrett 2 conversions, Love 2 conversions
Fulltime
39th minute - TRY to Ardie Savea
From the kickoff, Julian Savea surges towards halfway and the movement is carried on by Bailyn Sullivan, who floats a long pass to his captain on the right sideline. Savea somehow evades two tacklers to score behind the posts.
Love needs to convert for the win and does so, HUR 33-32
Stunning result!
38th minute - TRY to Rayasi
Hurricanes charge onto attack and when the ball moves left, Rayasi reaches out to score in the corner, despite the attention of tacklers. That's his third...
Love's sideline conversion hits the left upright and bounces away, BLU 32-26
37th minute - Blues on attack, but Nock's pass is picked off by Flanders and Hurricanes win a clearing penalty.
36th minute - Blues clear towards halfway and they win the lineout, Segner surges into Hurricanes territory.
35th minute - Julian Savea sends Aumua down the left sideline and Ioane cuts him down short of the tryline. Hurricanes finishing strongly, but Blues counter-ruck and Numia is left offside.
34th minute - Bailyn Sullivan barely hauled down by RTS, but Hurricanes pour over halfway.
33rd minute - Blackwell secures the kickoff, but Telea disrupts the movement. Replays show Telea making contact with Devery's head and the hooker departs for an HIA, but no penalty awarded.
31st minute - TRY to Rayasi
Hurricanes win an attacking lineout and Blues are caught offside. Under advantage, Hurricanes forwards apply pressure and the ball shifts left to Rayasi for his second.
Love slots the conversion, BLU 32-21
29th minute - From the kickoff, Hurricanes win a penalty inside Blues half and kick to touch.
27th minute - TRY to Darry
Advantage ends for the Blues, as they continue apply pressure. Renata rumbles into the 22 and is hauled down short of the line.
Darry reaches out over the line, but Doleman hasn't seen it and needs confirmation of the try... replays appear inconclusive, but it's referred as a try and that will stand.
Plummer's conversion hits the upright and bounces away, BLU 32-14
26th minute - Telea fends off one tackler down the right and Perofeta carries on the movement.
25th minute - Love clears long to the Blues 10. Sotutu wins the lineout and Blues maul towards halfway.
24th minute - Clarke rumbles up centrefield, Ioane puts Perofeta in the clear and into the 22, but the ball is lost.
Segner replaces captain Robinson.
23rd minute - Hurricanes win the lineout and clear. Judd and Love replace Hurricanes halves Booth and Garden-Bachop.
22nd minute - Aumua replaced by Devery at hooker for Hurricanes, May on for Lomax.
Blues break from their 22, with Ioane giving Clarke space down the left touchline. He kicks ahead, into the Hurricanes 22.
21st minute - Ardie Savea rumbles into the 22, but Bailyn Sullivan is held up in the maul.
20th minute - A long ball finds Julian Savea on the wing and he makes good metres. Iose charges through a gap into the Blues half.
19th minute - Darry replcaes Romano at lock for the Blues, Nock replaces Christie at halfback. Jordie Barrett takes an early seat for the Hurricanes, replaced by Peter Umaga-Jensen.
18th minute - Hurricanes have a scrum in their own half and Garden-Bachop kicks long to Telea. Blues back on attack, with Romano charging.
Perofeta darts and offloads, but a pass from Plummer drifts forward.
16th minute - Plummer puts a high midfield kick and Robinson gathers a bounce, but is called back with the tryline beckoning.
15th minute - Clarke fields a long kick and skins Goosen on the outside, but the ball goes loose again and Hurricanes kick long.
14th minute - Blues win a turnover, Hurricanes win it back, but Telea plucks an intercept and hares up field. He kicks to touch in the Hurricanes half.
12th minute - Christie bothers Ardie Savea at the back of the scrum and disrupts the release. Blues pile into the maul and win a turnover.
Blues replace their front row, with Riccitelli, Renata and Tu'ungafasi coming on. Iose comes into No.8 for the Canes.
11th minute - Hurricanes forwards drive towards the line and Sotutu is pinged for offside at the ruck. Hurricanes take a scrum in the shadow of the posts...
10th minute - Hurricanes win an attacking lineout and spread the ball left, where Goosen tests Sullivan, who is equal to the task.
Ninth minute - From the scrum, Hurricanes move left, but RTS plays good defence on Julian Savea, who is driven over the sideline.
Seventh minute - Blues knock on at the kickoff and Hurricanes will have an attacking scrum. Numia replaces Rakete-Stones in the Hurricanes front row for this scrum.
Sixth minute - Bailyn Sullivan is penalised on a technicality at the breakdown and Plumer slots the kick at goal to extend the lead, BLU 27-14
Fifth minute - Hurricanes win the lineout and drive clear of their 22. Goodhue steals the ball and the Blues break upfield, they win a penalty inside the 22.
Fourth minute - Ioane counter-rucks and wins a turnover for the Blues. Sullivan kicks long to the Hurricanes 22, almost a 50-22.
Third minute - Zarn Sullivan kicks long, but Goosen gathers the bounce and jets over halfway. He chips ahead, but Plummer is there to claim a mark.
Second minute - Hurricanes win a lineout and pour into Blues territory, with Savea charging towards the 22. As they move the ball right, Rakete-Stones spills the ball and Blues clear long.
First minute - Garden-Bachop kicks off and Romano secures the ball for the Blues. That still sounds strange.
Halftime
40th minute - Sotutu quickly clears the ball from a defensive scrum and Plummer clears, but there's still time for another Hurricanes attack before halftime.
Robinson soars at the front of the lineout to steal the ball and the Blues clear to touch to end the half.
39th minute - From the lineout, Hurricanes go hot on attack and lay seige to the line, but a dipping pass is spilt by Lomax to end the threat.
38th minute - From the kickoff, RTS charges out of the 22, but tries to play again and is penalised. Rookie mistake.
Hurricanes kick to the corner...
36th minute - TRY to Eklund
Goodhue wins the lineout and the forwards maul towards the line. Eklund is at the back and is driven over by Christie for his second.
Plummer converts, BLU 24-14
34th minute - Clarke soars high to claim the kickoff and BLues go back onto attack. Ioane carves towards the line and offloads to Choat, who sis brought down short.
RTS tries to float a pass left, but it drifts forward and Doleman brings them back for a penalty. Robinson opts for an attacking lineout five metres out.
32nd minute - TRY to Goosen
As the Canes apply pressure, Bailyn Sullivan puts a nice quick behind Plummer and he can't prevent the flying winger from gathering to score. Barrett converts, BLU 17-14
31st minute - As the Blues clear, Barrett splits the defence on counterattack and finds Booth, as the Hurricanes steam into the 22.
28th minute - TRY to Clarke
Barrett misses touch with his penalty and Clarke kicks ahead. Plummer kicks high and regains possession, RTS makes metres and offloads, Sullivan is dragged down just short and Clarke finishes the move he started.
Plummer converts, BLU 17-7
27th minute - From a quick lineout, Telea kicks long, looking for a 50-22, but Barrett somehow manages to keep the ball in play.
Ioane stumbles a few extra metres after contact, as Blue mount an attack, but Sangster wins a turnover at the breakdown.
25th minute - Hurricanes will pack a scrum, after Clarke chases a kick, but is ruled to knock on.
23rd minute - TRY to Eklund
Sotutu wins an attacking lineout and Blues maul towards the line. Eklund peels off and charges over to score.
As the Blues celebrate, they drag their old mate Gibson into the huddle, like the Canes did to Beauden Barrett a couple of seasons ago at Eden Park.
Plummer converts, BLU 10-7
22nd minute - Robinson charges down the left touchline, but Barrett secures the turnover and Hurricanes scramble a kick to touch.
21st minute - Robinson wins the lineout and Blues cross halfway. Barrett tries to clear, but Sullivan is in position and brings the ball back to Hurricanes territory.
20th minute - Hurricanes win the lineout, but it's untidy and they retreat back into their own territory. They're dispossessed, Sotutu kicks ahead, but Garden-Bachop scrambles a clearance back to halfway.
19th minute - Eventually, Plummer rips the ball away from Aumua on the sideline and Hurricanes have a lineout throw on the 10.
18th minute - Hurricanes win a lineout and mount a rare attack, but struggling to break halfway.
16th minute - RTS penalised for sliding into a breakdown, after both sides engage in an aimless kicking duel.
14th minute - TRY to Rayasi
Hurricanes have hardly touched the ball so far, as Blues enter their half again, but Zarn Sullivan throws a long pass that's cut out by Rayasi, who canters away for an intercept try against the run of play. Wow!
Barrett converts, HUR 7-3
12th minute - Blues into the 22 and win a penalty for offside on Sangster. Plummer lines up another shot at goal, but misses from a handy angle.
11th minute - From the scrum, Christies finds Ioane, who reaches halfway and more. RTS offloads to Robinson, who will have to get used to that from the league convert.
Ninth minute - RTS gets the ball of the scrum and Blues hit the ball up towards halfway. Hurricanes knock on.
Eighth minute - Telea secures the kickoff and sets RTS off on another jinking run - great to see him back in action. Barrett knocks on, trying to catch a high kick, so Blues have a scrum on their side of halfway.
Sixth minute - As the ball moves right, Jordie Barrett bats down an attempted long pass from Plummer and Doleman brings them back for the penalty. Barrett genuinely seems to try to catch the ball, so no further discussion.
Plummer lines up the penalty from in front and slots it, BLU 3-0
Fifth minute - Blues still on attack, with Telea running hard down the right. Sotutu spinning towards the line and Doleman playing advantage...
Fourth minute - Another great touch from RTS, who darts towards the line and uploads to Ioane, who is barely dragged down short. Blues get over the line, but are held up and Hurricanes have a goal-line dropout.
Third minute - Good first touch from RTS, who was tackled and presented the ball well at the breakdown.
Goodhue wins an attacking lineout and Blues forwards maul towards the goal-line.
Second minute - Aumua throws to a lineout, but Blues steal the throw and again mount an attack - good early setpiece from the Blues forwards. This time, they get the penalty...
First minute - James Doleman will referee this encounter, as Harry Plummer kicks off for the Blues. Former Blues flanker Gibson takes the kickoff, but Blues steal possession and pour onto attack immediately.
Romano is penalised for leaving his feet at the breakdown and Hurricanes clear.
7:04pm - Lots of formalities tonight, with James Blackwell celebrating his 50th game for the Hurricanes, while both teams will wear black armbands for the deaths of Inga Tuigamala and Joeli Vidiri over the past 48 hours.
They'll observe a moment's silence for the passing of those legends.
*****
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the Super Rugby Pacific clash between the Blues and Hurricanes at Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Neither have got their season off to an ideal start, with the Hurricanes unable to stop the Crusaders juggernaut in their opening game and the Blues sitting on the sidelines, after their fixture against Moana Pasifika was called off, due to a COVID-19 outbreak in their rivals' camp.
Surely, we've run out of ways to delay Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's rugby comeback...
The former NZ Warrior league star departed the NRL early last year, hoping to begin his 15-a-side stint with Auckland in the National Provincial Championship, but never saw the park, after COVID locked down the nation's biggest city.
Since then, he's slotted into the Blues midfield, where he will start at second-five, lined up against former All Blacks star Julian Savea (aka 'The Bus') in his Super Rugby debut.
After winning Super Rugby Trans Tasman last year, the Blues take high hopes into the new format, with a star-studded backline and a forward pack featuring several internationals. They will take the field without star first-five Beauden Barrett, captain Dalton Papalii (both concussion) and powerful loose forward Akira Ioane (ankle), but welcome longtime Crusaders stalwart Luke Romano into the second row.
The Hurricanes are probably still trying to find their inside-back combination, after losing Barrett and missing All Blacks halfback TJ Perenara last season. Jackson Garden-Bachop replaces Ruben Love in the No.10 jersey this week, while Jamie Booth inside him.
They will rely heavily on All Blacks stars Ardie Savea and Jordie Barrett to inspire those around them.
TAB Odds: Auckland $1.40, Hurricanes $2.80
Blues: 1- Alex Hodgman, 2-Kurt Eklund, 3-Nepo Laulala, 4-Luke Romano, 5-Josh Goodhue, 7-Tom Robinson, 8-Hoskins Sotutu, 9-Finlay Christie, 10-Harry Plummer, 11-Caleb Clarke, 12-Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 13-Rieko Ioane, 14-Mark Telea, 15-Zarn Sullivan
Reserves: 16-Ricky Riccitelli, 17-Ofa Tuungafasi, 18-Marcel Renata, 19-Sam Darry, 20-Adrian Choat, 21-Sam Nock, 22-Stephen Perofeta, 23-Tanielu Tele'a
Hurricanes: 1-Pouri Rakete-Stones, 2-Asafo Aumua, 3-Tyrel Lomax, 4-James Blackwell, 5-Justin Sangster, 6-Reed Prinsep, 7-Blake Gibson, 8-Ardie Savea, 9-Jamie Booth, 10-Jackson Garden-Bachop, 11-Salesi Rayasi, 12-Julian Savea, 13-Bailyn Sullivan, 14-Wes Goosen, 15-Jordie Barrett
Reserves: 16-Jacob Devery, 17-Xavier Numia, 18-Ben May, 19-Devan Flanders, 20-Brayden Iose, 21-Richard Judd, 22-Ruben Love, 23-Peter Umaga-Jensen
'Not the real title': Blues flanker Robinson rejects Super Rugby Trans Tasman triumph
Outspoken Blues flanker Tom Robinson has just confirmed what everyone else in the room was thinking - their 2021 Super Rugby Trans Tasman crown may as well be 'The Golden Asterisk'.
In a season wrecked by the COVID-19 pandemic, NZ Super Rugby sides found their campaigns divided into two formats - Aotearoa contested amongst themselves and Trans Tasman purely against Australian sides.
With Aussie franchises incapable of winning more than two of the 25 encounters, the competition became a lolly scramble, with three unbeaten teams - the Blues, Highlanders and Crusaders - tied at the top of the table and separated only by points difference.
After barely holding off the Brumbies in their opening fixture, the Aotearoa champion Crusaders - fresh off their fifth consecutive Super Rugby title - were always playing catch-up and missed the final by six points, with the Blues eventually overcoming the Highlanders 23-15 for the silverware.
Called into captaincy for their delayed 2022 season-opener against the Hurricanes on Saturday, Robinson admits the win was nice - their first trophy since 2003 (unless you count the pre-season 2018 Brisbane Tens) - but not the real thing.
"I personally don't consider that we won the real title last year," he says. "What we did was cool and we achieved our goal, but for me, it was just a little taste and you can tell there's a lot of hunger amongst the group for more.
"I think there's no complacency, everyone's got that same mindset. Just that attitude of everyone wanting to get better, not just individually, but for the team aspect is something I've really noticed that's different from previous years."
Robinson was reduced to running water for that Super Rugby Trans Tasman climax, but led the charge in post-match celebrations. Eight months later, he takes a different prespective on the result.
"We should take some confidence from what we did and it was awesome, but it was just a taste and we have to earn that right again," he deadpans. "We have to earn that right to be champions, we can't just expect it to happen."
Just a few days after calling the Government out on its COVID vaccine mandate, Robinson, 27, will lead the Blues in the absence of All Blacks flanker Dalton Papalii, who is sidelined under concussion protocols.
"Dalton took a headknock at training at the start of the week and we've left him out for precautionary reasons," says forwards coach Tom Coventry. "It was a glancing blow, but because of his previous history, we're just going to give him a 10-day stand-down, even though he's not symptomatic any more.
"It's the start of a season and we just don't want anyone carrying an injury."
The Blues are already a week behind their NZ rivals, after a COVID outbreak among Moana Pasifika players forced the postponement of their opening encounter.
"It would have been nice to have that first hitout, but we've adapted really well and it has actually given us a bit of time to iron out a few creases," says Robinson. "That's something we've talked about - that change of mindset going into that first game and having that ruthless attitude."
