Shut, however no cigar. Vern Cotter’s Blues battled exhausting towards the Crusaders on Friday evening within the first Super Rugby Pacific semi-final of 2025, however fell seven factors quick which ended their probabilities of successful back-to-back titles.
The Auckland-based franchise began the higher of the 2 groups, with All Blacks backs Mark Telea and Rieko Ioane going over within the first 25 minutes, giving the away aspect a 14-0 lead.
The Crusaders obtained themselves again within the sport quickly after, by way of a Will Jordan double. Cotter’s Blues then had the prospect to tie the sport within the ultimate phases of the mach, having possession of the ball for over 40 phases near the Crusaders line, however Christian Lio-Willie from the Crusaders pounced on the unfastened ball to guide their place within the ultimate subsequent week.
When requested whether or not the loss was exhausting to swallow, on condition that among the Blues’ key gamers are transferring on to new adventures, Cotter is assured that the tradition inside the group will proceed to develop regardless of the gamers leaving.
“There’s not one of the fairy story stuff is there, it’s concerning the right here and now and people guys have decided, this staff has gamers and folks in and across the staff that look after one another,” Cotter informed media post-match in Christchurch on Friday evening.
“We’ve had gamers which might be leaving, and it’s simply tightened the group up, and also you’re speaking about tradition, this Blues staff I’m happy with, I like the way in which that they work together and are available collectively.
“We’ve obtained some actually good younger gamers in every single place and those which might be leaving, we need to ship them off.”
Cotter, who coached the Blues to their 2024 title, admits the defeat was exhausting to take, particularly due to the probabilities they’d.
“It’s fairly exhausting, isn’t it, as a result of once you end on the road, you’re happy with the gamers. You additionally need to control the competitors, however you’re knocked out.
“So you already know, for those who run by way of the 80 minutes, I assumed we began nicely, and I assumed we have been just a bit bit much less correct across the high-ball, gave away a few penalties.
“It was an evening the place as quickly as you gave one thing to the opposition, particularly the Crusaders, they are going to take it and make you pay for it.”
The Blues completed the common season in sixth place, sneaking into the playoffs after solely successful six video games out of the 14 video games within the competitors.
Cotter displays on the whirlwind season as an satisfying one, as a result of they needed to work for every little thing after falling behind the pack.
“I imply, it was all the time exhausting as a result of we didn’t begin nicely, so we have been enjoying catch up from the beginning, to get our rhythm and we had fairly a couple of accidents as nicely at first, so that you simply of need to rock and roll by way of.
“It was all the time that perception that we knew we knew we weren’t distant, we misplaced three video games by a few factors through the season, so all we would have liked to do was get within the six and we knew we’d have an opportunity.
“We by no means really misplaced perception, we knew we’d have the ability to claw our approach again.”
The 63-year-old Blues head coach offers credit score to his gamers, who fought exhausting even when the season was difficult.
“First you’re instantly upset for the gamers as a result of they put lots into it and it’s been actually satisfying the final couple of weeks collectively.
“I believe it’s been an amazing couple of weeks. Properly, the entire season’s been good as a result of we didn’t get it straightforward, we needed to work exhausting for every little thing.
“We couldn’t hold the wind in our sails, we have been inconsistent. So it was continually restarting and in that restarting course of, you study lots about your gamers and the leaders and guys step up and take duty.”
