The Blues have kept their finals hopes well and truly alive, with a dominant 34-5 win over the Fijian Drua in Suva.
From the opening whistle, the tone was set. The Drua were penalised for offside from the kickoff, gifting the Blues prime field position for their first attacking raid.
Ricky Riccitelli looked to have opened the scoring in the fourth minute, but it was pulled back for a knock-on in back play. The Blues stayed on the front foot and Marcel Renata charged over to score putting the Blues up 5-0 early.
Although the Blues dominated territory and possession, the Drua defended valiantly. It wouldn’t be till the 22nd minute they extended their lead. AJ Lam made a charging run down the left edge after a looping Beauden Barrett pass. Taufa Funaki sniped from the base of the ruck to extend the lead 12-0.
Barrett quickly added a further three with a penalty goal, then the Blues struck again in the final stages of the first half. After a lineout the forwards went to work, Adrian Choat went millimetres from scoring, then Joshua Fusitu’a burrowed over to score his first career try and give the Blues a handy 22-0 lead heading into the sheds.
The second half started just as brightly. After forcing a goal-line dropout, Hoskins Sotutu punched through the middle, followed by relentless carries from the forward pack. Angus Ta’avao capped the sequence with a well-earned try extending the lead 27-0.
Then came the play of the match. With the Drua trying to clear, Barrett regathered the kick, spun out of a tackle, and sparked a counter. He sent a kick through, regathered by Rieko Ioane who was dragged down just five metres out. The forwards drove play left, then the backs swept it wide to the right where Cole Forbes strolled over to make it 34-0.
The Drua finally crossed late, but it was a consolation. The Blues sealed a dominant 34-5 victory, proving they’re building serious form heading into the final rounds.
Sotutu was outstanding beating six defenders and proving a nuisance at the breakdown. Barrett controlled proceedings with class ensuring the game was played in the right areas of the field, and Forbes was electric on the edge, racking up a try and five beaten defenders.
With momentum building, next week’s match-up against Moana Pasifika is shaping up to be massive. The road to the finals is alive and this team is ready.