Beauden Barrett set to kickstart a new era of Blues rugby as Rieko Ioane springs positional switch

There will be no new age approach for the Blues for the 2020 Super Rugby competition.

Head coach Leon MacDonald said his 40-strong squad will follow a philosophy of hard work on and off the field if they are to realise their expectations this season.

While the likes of high-profile players Sonny Bill Williams, Ma’a Nonu and Melani Nanai have gone this year, the bulk of the 2019 squad, 26 of them in all, are returning for 2020 with another four who have come through the Blues development system or been part of the team before.

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There are 16 of the 22-strong forwards returning, led by All Blacks Patrick Tuipulotu, Ofa Tuungafasi, Karl Tu’inukuafe and Dalton Papalii, centurion James Parsons and outstanding loose forwards Blake Gibson, Akira Ioane and Tom Robinson, who enjoyed a superb debut Super season.

The Blues have looked for more experienced hookers with Kurt Eklund (Bay of Plenty) and Samoan international Ray Niuia (Tasman) at 27 and 28 years respectively, both returning to their Auckland roots.

Uncompromising provincial locks James Tucker (Waikato) and 29-year-old Baden Wardlaw (Bay of Plenty) are rewarded for their Mitre-10 Cup campaigns to join the middle row stocks.

The Blues exciting back row of Gibson, Ioane, Papalii, Robinson and Hoskins Sotutu will be augmented by New Zealand under-20 rep Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Auckland), a Blues apprentice, and USA International Tony Lamborn, who has played in Hawkes Bay and Southland along with 22 appearances for the Eagles.

Tasman’s Finlay Christie returns to the Auckland region to join Sam Nock and Jonathan Ruru at halfback, while Stephen Perofeta re-joins first-fives Harry Plummer and Otere Black after a season out with injury. They are joined by two-time world player of the year, Beauden Barrett, who arrives mid-season, and rookie Jack Heighton, an exciting young North Harbour prospect.

Rieko Ioane, TJ Faiane and Tanielu Tele’a return to fill the midfield, with the All Black keen to move in from the wing this season, and they will be supported with the arrival of exciting English international Joe Marchant on sabbatical leave. He will balance the loss of Caleb Clarke, who joins the New Zealand Sevens Olympic campaign.

That leaves Matt Duffie as the only outside back from last year but he will be joined by Blues replacement player Jordyn Hyland, who has been rewarded for outstanding form for Northland and in his previous appearances with the club.

There is excitement in two young running talents in North Harbour’s Mark Telea, 21, another to come through the Blues system, and Fijian wing/fullback Emoni Narawa, 20, who was so exciting for Bay of Plenty in the Mitre-10 Cup. North Harbour’s Jared Page, a talented allrounder who has been beset by injury in recent years, has been included as a utility.