The Herald on Sunday's Gregor Paul looks back on the first half of the Super 14 season.
"In a truly strange mix, the Blues have over-achieved in terms of performance but under-achieved in terms of results.
"Tactically they have taken risks but have been smart. Is it mad to run the ball from inside their own 22 when they do it so well? Against the Brumbies and Waratahs, the Blues frequently made it deep into opposition territory by keeping the ball alive. The high tempo game is working well for them. It is a strategy that is aligned not only to the individual strengths of the players, but also to the law interpretations.
"Unlike in previous seasons, their lack of competition points is not a consequence of pursuing a vague and disjointed game plan or, as they did for periods under David Nucifora, one that is not quite right for them. The problem has been loose execution when it really matters. A Stephen Brett intercept in the first game gave the Hurricanes a soft run to the tape."
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