Rieko Ioane scored a double as the Auckland Blues burnished their finals credentials with a 43-10 win over the Golden Lions at Eden Park yesterday.
The New Zealand-based team scored six tries to one to post a fourth straight victory and remain on course for their first finals berth since 2011.
Captain T.J. Faiane praised the composure of the team, who have faced accusation in past seasons of wilting under pressure.
Photo: AFP
“We stayed disciplined and didn’t give away too many penalties, for me that’s the most pleasing thing,” Faiane said. “The boys put in the hard work during the week and it’s god to see it paid off today.”
It was the fourth defeat in a row for the Lions and skipper Elton Jantjies they continued to make too many mistakes.
“It’s breakdown errors, not rolling away, small things like that,” Jantjies said. “At Super Rugby and Test level you need to make sure you’re clinical in certain areas.”
Ioane, the one-time winger who is reinventing himself in the centers, opened the scoring in the eighth minute.
Daniel Kriel hit back with a converted try to briefly give the Lions the lead, but from there it was one-way traffic as the Blues dominated.
Stephen Perofeta dotted down after 31 minutes and the Blues were then awarded a penalty try just before halftime after Lions flanker Ruan Vermaak was sinbinned for a deliberate knock down. Ioane scored his second shortly after the restart, before Gerard Crowley-Tuioti and Hoskins Sotutu completed the rout.
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