📰 Not done yet! How the Blues can make the quarter-finals

By Cameron McMillan

The defence of their Super Rugby Pacific title hasn’t really gone to plan for the Blues.

They currently sit in ninth spot with three-win, seven-loss record and are staring down the possibility of becoming the first team since [checks notes] last year’s Crusaders to fail to make the playoffs as defending champions.

Through 10 games last year the Blues had just one defeat. How things change in 12 months. To illustrate the state of the team, over the weekend I saw a Blues flag pinned into a berm outside someone’s house and wasn’t sure if the person was showing their support, or putting it out for the rubbish.

But don’t write them off just yet.

The good news for the defending champions is that the top six advance to the post-season and they could very well be sitting sixth tomorrow night with a bonus point win over the Force. And they are 22-1-1 all-time against their next three opponents with a strong likelihood they’ll be favourites for all their remaining regular season games (though the favourtes tag hasn’t exactly, ahem, favoured them this year).

It’s pretty tight in the middle of the table with five points separating the Hurricanes in fifth and the Highlanders in 10th.

Blues run-in
Force, Eden Park, tomorrow 7.05pm

The Force haven’t won a game since April 5, have one away victory in 2025, are coming off a 56-22 defeat to the Chiefs and have never won at Eden Park. Their only win over the Blues in 15 matches was in 2008 at North Harbour Stadium and the Blues beat them 50-3 last year. All positive stats for Blues fans. In saying that, the Force sit three places above them on the table.

Fijian Drua, Suva, Friday, May 9, 7.05pm

A tough trip to Fiji awaits next week. The Drua host the Reds this weekend and won’t have to worry about travel. What could work in the Blues’ favour is that it’s a night game at HFC Bank Stadium, so temperatures should drop a few degrees. The Blues are 4-0 against the Drua since their first meeting in 2022 and won their last trip to Fiji in 2023.

The Drua have won one of their past five games going into this weekend’s clash.

Moana Pasifika, North Harbour Stadium, Saturday, May 17, 7.05pm

Another team the Blues have a perfect record against, having won all five of their previous meetings with an average winning margin of 20 points. Moana Pasifika are having a much better season and currently sit three points ahead of the Blues but these two sides met a few weeks back - with the Blues winning 36-17. A home ‘away’ game.

Bye week

The Blues will probably be keen watchers of the Reds-Hurricanes and Force-Waratahs clashes during their week off to see where they’ll be sitting on the table with one round remaining.

Waratahs, Eden Park, Saturday, May 31, 7.05pm

The Waratahs travel to Auckland from Perth, facing the Force the previous Saturday, while the Blues will be waiting, well-rested. The Waratahs haven’t beaten the Blues since 2015 and their last victory at Eden Park was in 2009, when Jimmy Gopperth was first-five for the home side.

As it stands, sixth spot would travel to Hamilton to take on the Chiefs, with the Crusaders also in the mix to take top spot. The Blues are 0-4 against their two biggest rivals this year - but that’s something to worry about if they reach the playoffs.

If the Super Rugby season ended today
Quarter-Final schedule

1st Chiefs v 6th Force, Hamilton

2nd Crusaders v 5th Hurricanes, Christchurch

3rd Brumbies v 4th Reds, Canberra

The three winners and the top-ranked loser advance to the Semi-Finals.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission