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Blues crush Waratahs to top Super 14 table

Troy Flavell of the Blues goes in for his second try during his side's Super 14 victory over the Waratahs at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Captain Troy Flavell scored two tries as the Auckland Blues beat the New South Wales Waratahs 34-6 in a Super 14 rugby match yesterday, moving the Blues into first place.

The Blues' decision to field only one of their All Blacks, returning after a World Cup conditioning program, was justified when they grabbed a bonus point by beating the Waratahs by four tries to nil.

The teams were respectively second from the top and second from the bottom of the table entering the match and the gulf between them proved as wide as the standings indicated.

While the Blues were confident, systematic and creative, the Waratahs lacked structure, composure or teamwork. The Blues had a powerful forward pack, with lock Flavell at its heart, and a dangerous backline whose only real flaw was occasionally being too ambitious.

The Waratahs suffered from ineptitude in key areas. Their scrum was unstable as prop Al Baxter struggled throughout the match to bind adequately and to provide a solid foundation on the tighthead side.

Young flyhalf Kurtley Beale looked out of his depth, making a couple of ineffectual stepping runs but unbalancing his backline with poor positional play and weak defense.

The Blues scored two tries in each half, which were only moderate reward for 70 percent advantages of territory and possession. Center Luke McAlister converted all four tries and kicked two penalties for 14 points.

Returning to the competition after a seventh-round bye, the Blues occasionally lacked cohesion but overwhelmed the Waratahs with their energy, drive and swarming defense.

"We were probably a bit rough after a week off but we made a lot of play as well," Flavell said. "I'm not sure what the possession percentage was but it must have been pretty high. Just a couple of dropped passes let us down. Still, we got five points out of it. We're top of the table and can't complain."

Flanker Daniel Braid scored the Blues' first try in the 15th minute, cutting back on a sharp angle to take a pass from halfback Steve Devine and shrug off the tackles of Beale and winger Lachie Turner.

Flavell scored the second, taking an infield pass after a sideline break by hooker Derrin Whitcombe.
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