Super Rugby: Blues stun Brumbies at Eden Park in Auckland
Last Updated: 08/07/16 11:06am
The Brumbies' Super Rugby hopes suffered a major setback as they were crushed 40-15 by a rampant Blues side at Eden Park in Auckland.
The Australian outfit never recovered from a dismal start that saw their opponents score four tries during the opening 20 minutes as Jerome Kaino, James Parsons, Sam Prattley and Matt Duffie touched down.
Kaino and Duffie each added second tries after the break, with Piers Francis kicking five conversions, while the Brumbies could only muster a penalty try and a touchdown from their Leicester-bound centre Matt Toomua.
The Blues are the last-placed team in the New Zealand conference, knocked out of playoffs contention last weekend, and their effortless win over the Brumbies raised further questions over the current strength of Australian rugby.
The Brumbies needed to win to continue their neck-and-neck fight with the New South Wales Waratahs for what is likely to be the only playoffs spot which will go to an Australian team.
Kaino scored from a pinpoint crossfield kick by fly-half Ihaia West after the first four minutes, during which the Blues had constant possession and relentlessly attacked the Brumbies' line. Parsons scored from a lineout only two minutes later as the Brumbies set themselves to defend a lineout drive which never came.
The Brumbies' only scoring weapon was the lineout drive and they were fortunate to be awarded a penalty try from one such move in the 11th when Kaino was judged to have dragged the maul down. It was clear Kaino simply lost his footing but he cost his team seven points and spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin.
His absence was far from costly; the Blues scored two more tries while down to 14 men. The first, finally scored by Prattley, was the best of the game, and second to rugby league convert Duffie gave the Blues their 28-7 lead.
The Brumbies regained a little ground with a try to Matt Toomua after contentious refereeing decisions. A penalty to Christian Leali'ifano made it 28-15 at halftime.
Kaino bounded back from the sin-bin to score the opening try of the second half. Meanwhile, the Brumbies' woes mounted when Wallabies flanker Scott Fardy was carried from the field with what seemed to be a serious head injury.
The Blues had a further try disallowed, while West was lining up the conversion, after a belated review of video footage showed a foot in touch, but they scored another through Duffie to guarantee a bonus point.
The Waratahs can take charge of the Australian conference if they can beat the Wellington-based Hurricanes on Saturday.