Blues – 33 Highlanders - 31
FULLTIME - What an incredible way to kick-off Super Rugby 2016, the Blues edging the defending champion Highlanders in an open and entertaining, back and forth affair. Stay tuned for video highlights.
79 mins - Highlanders sniffing for a gap from deep, turnover won! The Blues rally the troops as the clock ticks away...that will do it!
77 mins - TRY HIGHLANDERS - Wow. Stunning try from the Highlanders which started 70 metres deep, seemingly went through every back's hands twice before they were snagged inches short, Ben Smith diving over in the corner from the ruck. Clutch conversion from Parker. Here we go!
76 mins - Ranger sneaks blindside and finds some space, frees a great pass to his outside man but Jackson pulls them back, ruled to have drifted forward. Break in play while the ubiquitous streaker makes his dash for glory.
75 mins - Highlanders have it back and rumble their way to the half, poor pass to Dixon by A. Smith and he can't hold on. Scrum in the center of the paddock for the Blues as the seconds tick away.
73 mins - They look to the short kick-off and win back possession as well as a penalty. They quickly signal to the posts....30m out in front and he's dragged it wide.
72 mins - TRY BLUES (PENDING) - Blues line-out 10m out...two phases deep and it looks as though Patrick Tuipulotu may have scored next to the posts. To the video ref we go......try awarded! He seems as though he grazed the line with the tip of the ball, a much deserved try for Tuipulotu, having a stormer of a game in his return after injury. (Blu 33-24)
70 mins - Wide they look but the defense is up to the task, organising themselves well. And they've hacked it clear, Blues bring it back and the referee puts a halt to play to pull out his yellow card and shows it to Patrick Osbourne. 14 men for this final passage of the game for the champs.
69 mins - The Blues forwards keep it tight now, 15m from the Highlanders line...inching closer with every carry.
67 mins - Visinia hoists a bomb from his own half, chases through and claims it himself, brilliant play. Scrum Blues 30m out in center field....
66 mins - Ranger had some room wide, Li cutting on the acute angle and pulled down 15m short. Wide they go again, perhaps an unnecessary skip ball from Moala, attackers cramped and bundled into touch.
64 mins - After a Nanai half-break and Ben Smith turnover, a double knock-on takes us to a scrum to the Blues. Free kick and Ioane taps and goes quickly to the 22m...
63 mins - Moala with a storming run from inside his 22m....West sends one high, bounces awkwardly and the Blues have it back. To the Highlanders 10m they go...
61 mins - Subs rolling for both sides, line-out Blues 30m from the Highlanders line. Tevita Li cleans up a poor pass and pumps the legs to gain 15 metres across the advantage line. Penalty Blues! Another gift from 22m out in front for West, and the Blues should pinch the lead again here....and they do. (Blu 26-24)
59 mins - Glen Jackson's seen something he doesn't like in the depths of a Highlanders ruck, calls time and has a chat with the man upstairs. Replays show sub Alex Ainley putting Ranger in Jake the Snake's DDT, he almost got the three count. Penalty Blues, West finds touch at the 40m.
56 mins - Ranger hit hard in the tackle but finds West in support, the Magpie jinking through the tall timber to the 22m. Penalty advantage being played....and blown up. Tackler not releasing, and this one should be a certain three points, 22m out in front.....over it goes. (Hig 24-23)
54 mins - Defensive penalty won by the southerners, Blues players going off their feet at the ruck. Sopoaga takes us to a line-out at their own 10m.
52 mins - Blues line-out inside the Highlanders 40m....Ranger rolls over one defender with his first touch, Ioane through the middle. West drops a grubber into the 22m, Sopoaga forced to take it into touch. The Blues with the attacking line-out, 20m out.
50 mins - Jackson blasts the whistle again, Blues adjudged to have collapsed the maul. This time Sopoaga points to the posts....slides it across the face of the uprights from 22m on the angle.
49 mins - A huge cheer goes up as Charlie Faumuina and Rene Ranger take the park. The Highlanders keep it tight, edging their way towards the line....
48 mins - Smith goes blind from the scrum to link with Naholo. Dixon ranging wide as he looks to free the pass in the tackle. Offside at the breakdown, rules referee Jackson. The Highlanders opt for the 5m lineout.
46 mins - The Blues pinch the line-out throw but more suffocating Highlanders defense kills off any momentum. Scrum Highlanders at their own 10m.
44 mins - West wins himself some time as he rakes the clearing kick back to halfway. Highlanders line-out. Mr Ranger warming up on the sideline.
42 mins - Excellent Blues defense as the newly-subbed Akira Ioane makes his presence felt, using that brute strength to hold his defender up in the tackle and force the scrum.
41 mins - Sopoaga gets the second stanza started....Smith settles play with another delicate box kick, rolls it into touch inside the Blues 22m. Blues unable to get much purchase on the clearing kick, Highlanders with a great chance to attack early...
Second half underway...
HALFTIME - Take a breath, that was an exhilarating half of rugby...the Blues and Highlanders opening Super Rugby 2016 in style. This one's a typically high-scoring NZ derby game, who knows which way this one is headed. Join us back here shortly for the second half.
40 mins - TRY HIGHLANDERS - Beautiful support play from the Highlanders to work their way to the Blues 22m before Aaron Smith places a pin-point kick over the top of the ruck for Waisake Naholo to leap, secure under plenty of duress, and plant it on the turf. Conversion good.
39 mins - Highlanders throw the line-out at halfway...Sopoaga fires a cut-out pass to free Ben Smith....
37 mins - Penalty for deliberate knock-on just as the Blues looked to have an outlet to the tryline. Naholo fortunate to escape a yellow card there. West calls for the tee, 30m out on the sideline....and he curves that one around nicely. Blues back ahead (Blues 20-17)
34 mins - Parsons to throw the lineout 30m out from the Blues tryline...Blues clear then win a defensive penalty, Joe Edwards showing his worth with the turnover.
32 mins - TRY HIGHLANDERS - Textbook play by the Highlanders, building pressure then Ben Smith throwing the pass into a gaping hole for debutant Teihorangi Walden to jog one behind the posts. The tries keep on coming! (Hig 17-17)
31 mins - The Highlanders work their way back into scoring position....
28 mins - The Blues grab themselves another penalty, this time West makes no mistake as the Blues bolster their buffer. (Blu 17-10)
26 mins - TRY BLUES - Incredible effort by flanker Blake Gibson, capitalising on some space created by Bryn Hall and rampaging 30m to score next to the posts, leaving a wake of steam-rolled defenders. That was jaw-dropping from the NZ U-20 rep. Conversion is over and the Blues have their first lead. (Blu 14-10)
25 mins - Blues edge across halfway, Bryn Hall splits a gap and sets Parsons free....
22 mins - Nanai steps inside one, takes it to ground at the Highlanders' 10m line....tackler not rolling away and the Blues are awarded the penalty. Should be a gift three points for West....or perhaps not. Another one drifts wide and the Highlanders maintain their slim advantage.
21 mins - High tackle from the restart against the Blues, not much in it but enough to afford Sopoaga a shot from 30m out...no mistake there. (Hig 10-7)
18 mins - TRY BLUES - Superb stuff from the Blues, Ihaia West spotting Visinia unmarked out wide and placing a perfect kick into his path, the fullback cutting inside one defender before finding his winger Melani Nanai to run it 30m under the bar. (7-7)
17 mins - Ben Smith fields a clearance at his 22m and calmly places one on a dime, out inside the Blues redzone. West kicks in the shadow of multiple defenders, more good field position for the Highlanders as they throw the line out at the Blues 22m.
15 mins - The big men are blowing early, it's been a torrid pace in this first quarter. Scrum Blues just outside their 22m.
14 mins - Li beats one man and looks to initiate the break, the Highlanders defense scrambling well to shutdown the movement. Line out at the Blues 10m.
13 mins - Tevita Li claims the Sopoaga bomb after the turnover. Sloppy work at the ruck sees the ball spill free, Sopoaga drives one deep into the Blues 22m.
12 mins - Blues back to halfway from the restart....flat-footed in the backline as they struggle for every metre, this Highlanders defense will take some cracking.
10 mins - TRY HIGHLANDERS - Relentless attack from the southerners, shifting quickly through the phases for Ben Smith to eventually find enough room to reach out and dot down in the tackle. Sopoaga slots the conversion, great start for the champs. (Hig 7-0)
8 mins - Sopoaga takes on the line, almost slices through. The Highlanders looking sharp early as they change the point of attack, finding space on both flanks. Smith to Smith and they're just a metre short....
7 mins - Penalty Highlanders, tackler not releasing. Sopoaga finds touch at the Blues 10m.
5 mins - Turnover Highlanders, Smith slings one wide but Wheeler is isolated. Tuipulotu nabs one back, West takes us to a line-out at halfway.
4 mins - Ben Smith rakes a punt from the restart, Blues dot it down as it harmlessly settles in their in-goal. West goes long on the restart....
2 mins - Highlanders defensive line flying up early, putting a ton of pressure on West. Hall inside to Visinia on the break! Down at the 22m but the penalty is blown up. West to line one up from short-range. Early missed tackle for All Black Malakai Fekitoa......and West has shanked it. Reprieve for the visitors there.
1 min - Ihaia West goes deep with his kick-off. Early touch for Smith as he slams a box kick deep, line out Blues at the 10m mark.
And we're off....
7:34pm - Both teams are out on the paddock, let's get this 21st season of Super Rugby started!
7:27pm - The Blues forwards squeeze some final line-out reps in. We're just about ready to get this one underway.
7:20pm - The people have spoken, and the Twitter money is on the defending champion Highlanders tonight.
7:13pm - Ross Karl is at ground level as we build towards kick-off in around 20 minutes time. Earlier he spoke to Blues 'newbie' Tanerau Latimer, unfortunately ruled out of tonight's contest due to injury.
7:10pm - It's a real scene at The Garden tonight, a perfect summer's evening for some open, entertaining rugby.
Commentary will start from around 7:15pm. In the meantime click the video above for a rundown of the many ins and outs of this season's tournament format with our own Ross Karl.
Teams:
Blues: 1. Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 2. James Parsons (c), 3. Sione Mafileo, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu, 5. Josh Bekhuis, 6. Joe Edwards, 7. Blake Gibson, 8. Steven Luatua; 9. Bryn Hall, 10. Ihaia West, 11. Tevita Li, 12. George Moala, 13. Male Sa’u, 14. Melani Nanai, 15. Lolagi Visinia.
Replacements: 16. Quentin MacDonald, 17. Namatahi Waa, 18. Charlie Faumuina, 19. Akira Ioane, 20. Kara Pryor, 21. Billy Guyton, 22. Matt McGahan, 23. Rene Ranger.
Highlanders: 1. Daniel Lienert-Brown , 2. Liam Coltman , 3. Josh Hohneck , 4. Tom Franklin , 5. Joe Wheeler , 6. Elliot Dixon , 7. Shane Christie ( cc) , 8. Liam Squire, 9. Aaron Smith , 10. Lima Sopoaga , 11. Patrick Osborne , 12. Teihorangi Walden , 13. Malakai Fekitoa , 14. Waisake Naholo , 15. Ben Smith ( cc )
Replacements : 16. Ash Dixon , 17. Brendon Edmonds , 18. Ross Geldenhuys , 19. Alex Ainley , 20. Dan Pryor , 21. Fumiaki Tanaka , 22. Hayden Parker , 23. Matt Faddes
Last five results at this venue 12 Jun 2015 Blues v Highlanders 7-44 Auckland 29 Mar 2014 Blues v Highlanders 30-12 Auckland 05 Apr 2013 Blues v Highlanders 29-18 Auckland 26 May 2012 Blues v Highlanders 20-27 Auckland 17 Jun 2011 Blues v Highlanders 33-16 Auckland
Blues record against the Highlanders in Auckland Played 13, Wins 10 , Losses 3 , Draws 0
Last five results all venues 12 Jun 2015 Blues v Highlanders 7-44 Auckland 18 Apr 2015 Blues v Highlanders 24-30 Dunedin 29 Mar 2014 Blues v Highlanders 30-12 Auckland 22 Feb 2014 Blues v Highlanders 21-29 Dunedin 01 Jun 2013 Blues v Highlanders 28-38 Dunedin
Blues overall record against the Highlanders Played 26 , Wins 15 , Losses 11, Draws 0
Head-to-head:
Blues - $2.10 Highlanders - $1.72
Pregame Banter:
Super Rugby Preview: New-look Blues have potential
By Ross Karl
Tana Umaga's new look Blues kick-off Super Rugby tonight against the Highlanders at Eden Park.
They have new coaches, 19 new players in the squad, a new training facility and outstanding pre-season form.
So, how will they go this season amidst all the hype that they're a dark horse?
I think they'll be a playoff contender but it's too early for this rebuilding side to be a legitimate title threat.
Umaga has shown with Counties that he can build a team full of promise and only a few stand-out players into a quality outfit.
Umaga is a hands-on coach that players respond to. He's putting out the cones, holding tackle bags and constantly providing direction for his troops. They've responded in kind, with three solid pre-season wins.
He has a number of fringe All Blacks like Steven Luatua, Ofa Tu'ungafasi and George Moala who have plenty to prove. He also has promising up and comers like the Ioane brothers and senior pros like Jerome Kaino and Charlie Faumuina for them to lean on.
If the Blues get momentum anything could happen but the real question is whether they have the depth once they cop a few injuries and the long toil of the season is underway.
Backs: Matt Duffie, Lolagi Visinia, Jordan Trainor, Michael Little, Melani Nanai, Tevita Li, Ben Lam, Rieko Ioane, Rene Ranger, George Moala, Male Sa'u, Matt Vaega, Ihaia West, Piers Francis, Matt McGahan, Bryn Hall, Billy Guyton, Sam Nock.
Forwards: Akira Ioane, Jerome Kaino (capt), Joe Edwards, Tanerau Latimer, Blake Gibson, Jack Ram, Kara Pryor, Steven Luatua, Patrick Tuipulotu, Josh Bekhuis, Hoani Matenga, Scott Scrafton, Gerrard Tuioti-Mariner, Charlie Faumuina, Sam Prattley, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Nic Mayhew, Sione Mafileo, Namatahi Waa, James Parsons, Quentin MacDonald, Mat Moulds.
Notable gains: Ranger, Latimer.
Notable losses: Charles Piutau, Luke Braid, Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu.
Last year: 14th
Chances: Playoff contenders
Newshub.
