The Blues started strong under the lights at Eden Park but couldn’t quite find their rhythm as the Crusaders took control, securing a 19-42 win.
It was all Blues early, with the backline looking sharp on attack. The play of the game came in the 4th minute when a slick backline move sent James Mullins bursting through midfield, drawing in defenders before offloading to Dalton Papali’i, who powered over to give the Blues an early 7-0 lead.
Stringing together three quick tries to swing momentum their way, the Crusaders found their groove, taking a 20-7 lead into halftime. They extended their advantage early in the second half and a yellow card to Laghlan McWhannell put the Blues under further pressure.
With the game slipping away, the Blues turned to their bench for a spark, and the impact was immediate. Fresh legs injected new energy into the contest, and in the 58th minute, the Blues finally broke through again. Repeated penalties by the Crusaders gave them a prime attacking opportunity, and Finlay Christie found Marcel Renata on the charge, with the big prop crashing over to lift the home crowd.
The Blues kept pushing, and after Mark Tele’a sparked another attacking surge inside the 22, the forwards went to work. Christie spotted a gap at the base of the ruck and darted through to close the gap to 37-19. But in the end, the Crusaders were too clinical, sealing the match with a final try after the hooter.
Despite the result, there were strong individual performances. Hoskins Sotutu made an impact in his return, carrying for 71 metres and beating four defenders, while Rieko Ioane led from the front in his first outing as captain, racking up 91 metres and breaking the line early. Papali’I was busy as always making 14 tackles and Josh Beehre was a highlight in the tight five, fighting hard for 39 metres up the middle. Christie was electric off the bench, injecting tempo when the Blues needed it most.
Now, with a week off to reset, the Blues will be hungry to bounce back as they prepare to take on the Hurricanes at Eden Park. See you there.