TOUGH NIGHT IN WELLY FOR THE BLUES

The Blues have fallen 42-19 to the Hurricanes in Wellington, in a result that doesn’t reflect the fight and character shown by the visitors across key periods of the contest.

In a tough night on the road, the Blues were forced to weather an early storm as the Hurricanes struck twice inside the opening quarter to take a 14-0 lead.

Centre AJ Lam continued his strong form to open the scoring, before a sharp attacking movement saw Codemeru Vai combine with Caleb Clarke, who finished superbly in the corner for his 39th Blues try to close the gap to just two points.

The visitors carried that momentum deep into the first half, showing composure and creativity with ball in hand, but the Hurricanes managed to regain control late in the half to take a 21-12 lead into the break.

The second half saw the Blues continue to push, but momentum proved difficult to maintain against a Hurricanes side that capitalised on key moments. Despite this, the Blues refused to go away.

A turning point came midway through the second spell when the Hurricanes were reduced to 14 men following a high shot, allowing the Blues to apply sustained pressure. That pressure was rewarded when Malachi Wrampling powered over, keeping the contest within reach.

However, the Hurricanes were able to respond in the closing stages, taking their chances to extend the margin and close out the match.

While the result didn’t go their way, the Blues showed resilience and promise throughout, particularly in patches where their ball movement and physicality challenged one of the competition’s form sides.

The focus now shifts quickly to another crucial clash against the Highlanders at Eden Park on Friday night.

Blues 19: (Tries: Lam, Clarke, Wrampling; Cons: B. Barrett 2)
Hurricanes 42: (Tries: Harkin 2, Aumua, Roigard, Fineanganofo, Proctor; Cons: Love 6)
Referee: Nic Berry