Blues vs Brumbies

The Brumbies must contain Beauden Barrett, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Rieko Ioane in Auckland in Saturday's semi-final. The key will be hard graft, ...

We said let’s get the focus back on doing what we knows works, and let’s stick at it and stick at it. “People think discipline is about penalties but we talk about discipline to stay within what works. He is patient, and he’ll wait for their big boys to get them over the gainline. It is easier said than done, but it won’t be the fancy stuff that wins finals. You just have to get it done.” “If we can do that phase on phase on phase, he [Barrett] doesn’t look too interested in wanting that sort of ball.

The Blues will head into Saturday night's Super Rugby semi-final as the overwhelming favourites but former Wallaby Jeremy Paul says the Brumbies shouldn't ...

“You have to go with the favourites, the Blues, but if the Brumbies win this, they’re almost going to be like England in the last World Cup final. “We saw that with the Brumbies last week. In contrast, the Aucklanders have won 14 on the trot, and with a home crowd advantage, Paul believes they will be hard to stop.

Brilliant Blues take charge after conceding an early try against the Brumbies in the second Super Rugby Pacific semifinal from Eden Park in Auckland.

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Dan McKellar's men are coming into the contest full of confidence after their comeback victory over the Hurricanes in Canberra. They are boosted by the return ...

The Blues' clash with the Brumbies will be shown LIVE on Stan Sport and the Nine Network. HOW TO WATCH BRUMBIES V BLUES The Blues have hit back to take a 20-7 lead over the Brumbies in Auckland.

Blues will be facing Brumbies in the next competition of Super Rugby 2022 at 11th June 2022 at Eden Park (Auckland).

Two consecutive losses to the Crusaders and Blues did not assist their cause, but Canberra pushed those teams all the way. Earlier this season, the Brumbies were on fire, proving that they were the only Australian team capable of frequently challenging their New Zealand rivals. That setback occurred on the first weekend, but they have subsequently won 14 consecutive games.

Here's how the Blues rated in their Super Rugby Pacific semi-final win over the Brumbies at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.

On in the 58th minute. On in the 51st minute. Off in the 58th minute. Got stood up twice in the same play by Muirhead and Banks, only to be spared his blushes by Barrett’s try-saving defence. Parked himself out on the wing a lot of the time. Off in the 58th minute. Poor defensive read from the side of the scrum gave Irae Simone the space needed to score from early in the match. At his aerobic best at the lineout and was busy with ball in hand. Was his nippy self for the most part of the first half, but perhaps lacked a little bit of accuracy or poise on attack. Did the same thing again in the 38th minute. Would be surprised to see him excluded from the All Blacks squad on Monday. Off in the 51st minute. Made a nuisance of himself at the breakdown, winning the Blues possession early in the first half.

Two rolling-maul tries for Brumbies' substitute hooker Lachie Longergan created a grandstand finish, with five-eighth Noah Lolesio having a drop goal charged ...

Blues hooker Kurt Eklund was sin-binned for a dumping tackle on Andy Muirhead and the Brumbies tried to make immediate use of the man advantage through Tom Banks, but Barrett was once again on hand to deliver a try-saving tackle in the corner. “But they just iced it at the end.” The Brumbies made a flying start with centre Irae Simone bursting through the Blues’ line off the back of a scrum and running 40m to score easily for 7-0 lead.

It took another last-minute play to produce another one-point Blues DHL Super Rugby win over the Brumbies at Eden Park on Saturday.

But as it has been for much of the season, the defence paid dividends in the end. Inevitably, lock Tom Robinson was involved in gaining good ground before the ball was let loose. Superior discipline in the first half had reduced the Brumbies' chances to employ their lineout maul from close to the Blues' line. That was also achieved in a semifinal against the Brumbies. Captain and first five-eighths Beauden Barrett again demonstrated outstanding control and marshalling the side. It seemed every time the Blues were able to lift the tempo of the game they made substantial progress.

Dan McKellar said for the Brumbies to knock over the Blues at Eden Park they would have to shut down Beauden Barrett. “If he's a nine out of 10 on Saturday, ...

“If he’s a nine out of 10 on Saturday, we’re not winning,” McKellar said. The moment summed up the Brumbies first half and handed all the momentum to the Blues who scored two tries in 12 minutes to Hoskins Sotutu and Mark Telea to open up a 13-point lead at half-time. The semi-final exit was the final involvement for McKellar as coach, with the Brumbies mentor handing the keys to the castle back to Stephen Larkham as the mentor joins the Wallabies on a full-time basis. “We knew that it was going to take a helluva effort for us to come out here and to get the job done,” Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa said. But the Brumbies weren’t able to seize the moment, as the Blues snuck home to seal a home final where they will face the Crusaders at Eden Park. Unfortunately for the Brumbies, Barrett was as close to a 10 as possible as the two-time World Rugby player of the year led the Blues to the Super Rugby final with a nail-biting 20-19 win.

A charge-down from Ofa Tuungafasi clinched a knife-edge Super Rugby Pacific semifinal at Eden Park.

To lift the silverware, though, they are going to have to get past the mighty Red and Black machine. Wet conditions and the stakes meant it was always going to be less than free-flowing. The Red and Blacks won at Eden Park, back in 1998; the Auks gained revenge for that with a triumph in the ‘03 final at the same ground. Tom Robinson'’s 73rd-minute lineout steal, with the Brumbies readying for another drive at the line. Two second-half yellow cards gave the Brumbies a route back as they charged back to within a single point in the closing minutes, and it was replacement Blues prop Ofa Tuungafasi who emerged an unlikely hero as he got up to charge down an attempted match-winning dropped goal from Brumbies flyhalf Noah Lolesio. Ioane and Barrett, who combined for 123 first-half running metres, featured prominently in the surging finish.