AUCKLAND (AFP) – Auckland Blues coach Vern Cotter said he could recognise his defending Super Rugby champions again after putting a terrible start to the 2025 campaign behind them with back-to-back wins.
The Blues lost five of their first six matches before a return to the successful 2024 formula of a forwards-driven power game brought Saturday’s 36-17 home victory over Moana Pasifika a week after a 19-18 win against Wellington Hurricanes.
“I sort of recognised my team a little bit more out there today,” Cotter told reporters after the no-frills tactics saw the Blues score six tries.
The coach made no apologies for his team’s bruising approach as Moana were forced to survive on scraps of possession.
“I felt they were better connected and there was purpose about what we were trying to do. And there wasn’t that frantic feel about the game,” said Cotter.
“It was more composed, so I think that’s progress.”
The Blues are ninth in the 11-team table, but only four points outside the top six who qualify for the play-offs.
Co-captain Dalton Papali’i said his side were re-energised after the error-prone opening rounds.
“I think we got a bit too fancy at the start of the season,” All Blacks flanker Papali’i said.
“We rolled in from last year and tried to do too much but you know you don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
“We were over-thinking but in these two games we stripped it right back to the basics.”
Blues fly-half Beauden Barrett scored a try and kicked three conversions against Moana to lift him to second place on the all-time list of Super Rugby points scorers.
All Black Barrett has scored 1,493 points, overtaking Morne Steyn who scored 1,488 for South Africa’s Bulls.
