Auckland Blues
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The Blues, formerly the Auckland Blues, are a New Zealand rugby union team based in Auckland, New Zealand, and representing the Northland, North Harbour and Auckland unions. They compete in the Super 14 competition, which they won three times in its days as the Super 12 (1996, 1997, 2003). Their biggest rivals are the Crusaders and ACT Brumbies.
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History
Composition of the Blues
When SANZAR were drafting the teams compositions it was decided that to have the Blues consist of North Harbour, Counties-Manukau, Northland and Auckland would be unfair. This was due to the preponderance of All Blacks who came from North Harbour, Counties Manukau and Auckland at the time thus, if the Blues were to consist of these unions, they would field an All Blacks team in all but name.
This led to North Harbour and Northland being part of the nearest other team, the Waikato Chiefs. As a result, the Auckland Blues did not represent all of Auckland as North Harbour consists of the northern sector of the Auckland metropolitan area; yet the Blues also possessed Thames Valley as part of their franchise base, an area considerably closer to Hamilton than Auckland City.
By the end of the 1990s the number of All Blacks from these unions decreased, largely due to retirements of players such as Sean Fitzpatrick. This led the Blues and the Chiefs to arrange a swap, whereby the Chiefs would gain Thames Valley and Counties Manukau in exchange for the Blues gaining Northland and North Harbour. This was widely considered not to be a fair trade as North Harbour and Northland had in recent seasons leading up to the trade greatly outperformed Counties Manukau and Thames Valley; however, it enabled the franchises to maintain unions that roughly contain the area they claim to represent.
However the Blues, ironically, lost the area colloquially referred to as South Auckland which is part of the Auckland metropolitan area. Thus, it can be said the Blues traded South Auckland for North Auckland and that the Blues as yet, still does not consist of the entire Auckland region area as its original name suggests. Around 2000, all of New Zealand's Super 12 franchises dropped the regional identifiers from their official names.
The Auckland union, which supplies the majority of the Blues' players, is the most successful in New Zealand's domestic rugby competition, the National Provincial Championship. They have been Division One champions 15 times since that competition's inception in 1976.
Playing history
The Blues have contained many All Blacks, yet they have struggled to repeat the consistency they showed in the competition's first three years. The Blues are at their best when they are playing fast, free-flowing rugby and have what is regarded by rugby commentators as potentially one of the most deadly backlines in the rugby world that can score tries prolifically as they have demonstrated on many occasions.
Albeit, the Blues over the recent years have also been prone to 'choking' and failing to perform to their potential and losing crucial matches against opponents that, on paper they should beat. This tendency to fluctuate in form, even between weeks, has greatly frustrated fans and drawn criticism from rugby journalists.
Current squad
Props: Tony Woodcock, Saimone Taumoepeau, John Afoa, Mike Noble
Hookers: Keven Mealamu, Tim Dow, Darren Witcombe (injured)
Locks: Ali Williams, Kurtis Haiu, Greg Rawlinson, Anthony Boric
Backrowers: Angus MacDonald, Nick Williams, Troy Flavell (injured), Daniel Braid, Jerome Kaino, Onosai'i Tololima-Auva'a, Justin Collins (injured)
Halfbacks: John Senio, Steve Devine (injured), Junior Poluleuligaga, David Gibson
Five-eights: Luke McAlister, Tasesa Lavea
Midfielders: Anthony Tu'itavake, Ben Atiga, Rua Tipoki (suspended)
Wingers: Doug Howlett, Joe Rokocoko, Viliame Waqaseduadua
Fullbacks: Brent Ward, Isakeli 'Isa' Nacewa, George Pisi
Staff: David Nucifora (Head Coach), Josef Schmidt (Assistant Coach), Ant Strachan (Manager)
The Draft Fiasco
The Blues were forced by the New Zealand Rugby Union board to include North Harbour captain Rua Tipoki in their squad of 24 players who are 'protected' from the draft. Tipoki was originally to be excluded from the draft due to personal circumstances in order to stay in Auckland, Andrew Mehrtens has in the past done this with the Crusaders. The NZRU however forced coach David Nucifora to pick Tipoki in his 24 man squad and hence drop another player.
It is believed the NZRU board was in favour of dropping players such as Isa Nacewa or Viliame Waqaseduadua who are ineligible to play for the All Blacks [1]. Instead, Nucifora excluded Isaia Toeava who was picked in the All Black squad. Toeava, subsequently, will play for the Hurricanes in 2006.
Super 12 positions
| 1996 .. | 1st | .. (defeated Natal (now the Sharks) in final) |
| 1997 .. | 1st | .. (defeated ACT Brumbies in final) |
| 1998 .. | 2nd | .. (lost final to Canterbury Crusaders) |
| 1999 .. | 9th | |
| 2000 .. | 6th | |
| 2001 .. | 11th | |
| 2002 .. | 6th | |
| 2003 .. | 1st | .. (defeated Crusaders in final) |
| 2004 .. | 5th | |
| 2005 .. | 7th |
External links
- Official site
- Datas et Statistics itsrugby.com