Within the absence of star All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith, Folau Fakatava made his comeback from a knee harm for the Highlanders, after opting towards ACL surgical procedure in his bid to make the Rugby World Cup squad, and he confirmed glimpses of his qualities.

READ MORE: ‘That is the arrival of a younger famous person’

READ MORE: Tupou’s bombshell transfer ‘modifications all the things’

READ MORE: Jones lands one other jab on ‘horse man’ V’landys

However opposing halfback Finlay Christie had a stronger recreation, guiding the Blues across the park who, at instances, appeared unstoppable when their assault had momentum.

The Highlanders, led by skipper Billy Harmon, troubled them on the breakdown regardless of the blow of dropping talismanic No.8 Marino Mikaele-Tu’u to a suspected rib harm within the third minute.

Nonetheless, they crumbled and conceded a whopping eight tries on house turf for a very depressing defeat.

All the pieces the Blues touched inside the primary 28 minutes turned to gold.

They have been helped, too, by the Highlanders gifting them their first factors after they have been marched 10 metres for dissent.

The penalty was shifted to inside Beauden Barrett’s vary.

He took the three factors earlier than the Blues scored 4 tries in 15 scintillating first half minutes.

The terrific Telea began and completed a sweeping transfer for his or her opener, Christie pounced on a unfastened ball to dash away and Telea was in assist to present Barrett their second, then Barrett’s booming cross-field kick was efficiently chased by Caleb Clarke, beating the dazed Highlanders defenders after working greater than 50 metres.

Rieko Ioane completed one other swift, medical transfer down the appropriate flank, combining with Telea, and the hosts have been fortunate to solely be trailing by 25 factors after Sam Gilbert’s two penalty objectives.

NEW PODCAST! Sean Maloney and Morgan Turinui preview the 2023 Tremendous Rugby Pacific season with the coaches and captains from the 5 Australian groups

There was some respite, nevertheless, and Fakatava’s contentious disallowed strive sparked a response.

The Highlanders’ relentless strain earlier than half time resulted in two yellow playing cards for the Blues, to Cameron Suafoa and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, and tries for Mitch Hunt and Josh Timu.

In the meantime, it was Pacific Islands rugby at its greatest at Mount Good Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and it was fittingly determined by a stunning strive on the demise because the Fijian Drua outlasted Moana Pasifika in a furiously entertaining slugfest.

There have been 11 tries all informed in a splendid, fast-paced encounter, with the Drua’s sixth rating, within the 77th minute to substitute wing Taniela Rakuro, deciding a contest, 36-34, that basically might have gone both method.

It wasn’t good rugby – too many errors and infringements for that – but it surely was a delight to look at as each groups threw all the things into it and performed very a lot to their strengths.

For Aaron Mauger’s Moana aspect that was very a lot up entrance, with the house aspect dominating the ahead arm-wrestle, and getting a brace of tries from prop Abraham Pole and one other from fellow front-rower Chris Apoua.

In addition they thrived with some excellent energy working from centre Levi Aumua and wing Timoci Tavatavanawai.

However the Drua have been by no means out of the competition with their explosiveness and strikepower out vast, they usually loved robust performances from skipper and hooker Tevita Ikanivere, unfastened forwards Joseva Tamani and Kitione Salawa and backline stars Iosefo Masi, Tuidraki Samusamuvodre and Selestino Ravutaumada.

It was onerous to imagine that these have been the underside two groups of 2022, such was the standard of the competition and the array of abilities on present.

On this, you’ll take both evenly this yr at your peril.

Mauger’s males received off to an explosive begin, crossing for a strive apiece to beginning props Pole and Apoua inside the primary 10 minutes for the early 12-0 lead.

Each got here on the again of standout runs by backs, Aumua for the opener and Fijian winger Timoci Tavatavanawai for the second.

However in a half that performed out at a frantic tempo, the motion continued to come back thick and quick.

The Drua received on the board on the finish of the opening quarter when skipper Tevita Ikanivere drove over after a sequence of tapped penalties, and unfastened ahead Mike Curry replied for the house aspect quickly after to get them out to 19-5.

The Drua then struck twice to punish their hosts for a yellow card to lock Sam Slade, Joseva Tomani (off a fast faucet) and Olympic sevens gold medallist Masi (from a superb transfer off lineout, with Tomani laying on the help) crossing to stage the scores at 19-19 within the shadow of the break.

Moana, although, weren’t executed, inside centre Danny Toala punishing the Drua for a dealing with error when he danced 30-odd metres down the appropriate touchline for a seven pointer that gave the house aspect the 26-19 halftime lead.

The competition continued to surge backwards and forwards over the second 40, Ikanivere’s early second rating answered by Pole’s, earlier than Masi accomplished his brace to stage the scores at 31-31.

Skipper Christian Lealiifano then put Moana again in entrance (34-31) with the one penalty shot of the match earlier than the Drua produced the razzle dazzle to clinch the victory, Salawa and Samusamuvodre breaking down the left contact, and Ravutaumada laying on the magic to place Rakuro in for the winner.

For a each day dose of the very best of the breaking information and unique content material from Large World of Sports activities, subscribe to our publication by clicking right here

Eddie Jones’ exceptional profession in footage: Hooker, instructor and grasp coach improbably leads Wallabies once more