All Blacks wing Rudi Wulf celebrated his first Super 14 match of the season with two tries as the Auckland Blues revived their winning ways with a 36-12 victory over the Golden Lions in Auckland, New Zealand, yesterday.
Returning to the fray after a week off, the Blues were primed to play attacking rugby, scoring two tries in the first half and four in the second.
It was a much-needed boost for the Auckland side, who had lost three of their previous four games, including two at home.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Central to their playmaking was Wulf, making his comeback after breaking his wrist during a pre-season friendly against the Queensland Reds. He scored the crucial first points just after half-time to put the Blues in command of the match and then dented the Lions’ morale when he scored his second just a minute after the Lions had touched down for the first time.
It was a different Lions side than the one that found itself on the brink of upsetting the Waikato Chiefs a week ago before tiring in the closing stages.
Against the Blues, a team renowned for coupling attacking strength with defensive weakness, the Lions never fired until 12 minutes from time, when they were down 0-24.
Auckland were their own worst enemy with repeated handling errors, and it was their own fault, rather than a credit to the Lions’ defense, that they only led 14-0 at half time.
Halfback Chris Smylie, who tormented the Lions with his darting runs until he left the field injured, started the scoring 15 minutes into the game when he dashed around the side of a ruck for a try.
He followed up with the crucial break that led to Anthony Tuitavake’s first-half try in a 60m burst by the Blues, but soon after left the field with a hamstring strain.
Isaia Toeava landed both conversions and the Blues immediately increased the lead to 19-0 when Wulf won the race for the ball after Toeava toed it over the line.
Joe Rokocoko added the bonus-point try when he sliced through three would-be tacklers to score wide out.
The Lions, languishing in 12th place in the competition, had looked rudderless after losing captain Jaque Fourie to injury in the first half.
But they finally found their way to the line in the 68th minute when Earl Rose chipped into a gap and recovered the ball to send Henno Mentz on a run to the line.
Wulf immediately responded with his second try and replacement forward Peter Saili scored the sixth try for the Blues before Jano Vermaak gave the Lions a consolation second try right on full-time.
■HURRICANES V FORCE
REUTERS, SYDNEY
New Zealand’s Wellington Hurricanes scored two tries in the last four minutes, including the matchwinner by fullback Cory Jane after the final siren, to beat Australia’s Western Force 28-27 in Super 14 rugby yesterday.
The Hurricanes scored 15 unanswered points in the last quarter to overturn a 14-point deficit and steal a superb win at Perth’s Subiaco Oval.
“They make me proud really, that’s why I coach them,” Wellington coach Colin Cooper told reporters.
The Force looked to have the game in the bag after scoring three tries in the first half, two by Nick Cummins and one from fellow winger Scott Staniforth, then a fourth by center Ryan Cross just after the break to secure an early bonus point.
The Hurricanes scored their first try just before the halftime break when wing Zac Guildford crossed after a break from Ma’a Nonu.
The visitors kept in touch through the boot of flyhalf William Ripia but were still 11 points behind with four minutes to go.
Wing David Smith scored and Ripia converted to cut the margin to four points before Jane sidestepped past Force skipper Nathan Sharpe to score on the final play of the match and complete an unlikely win.
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