'The breakdown is not good enough': Blues prop's honest reflection after Brumbies defeat

23-Test All Black Angus Ta’avao has been part of his fair share of Super Rugby Pacific highs and lows over the course of his 100+ appearances in the competition, probably none more frustrating than the one in Auckland after four rounds of the new season.

The Blues have struggled to gain any sort of momentum throughout their first four games of Super Rugby Pacific, which has seen the reigning champions fall to second to last on the table, only in front of the Hurricanes.

Despite Vern Cotter and the Blues managing to have a 10-point lead at halftime last Friday against the Brumbies at Eden Park, an injury to star playmaker Beauden Barrett seemed to derail what was a solid first-half performance.

Barrett’s hand fracture will keep him out of action for a while, which adds to the disappointment of losing to the Brumbies at Eden Park for the first time since 2013.

Speaking on Sky Sports The Breakdown, Ta’avao was quick to reflect on the opening four rounds, saying that his team just haven’t been clinical enough.

“It’s the game of rugby and how tight this competition is, but for us, we just haven’t been as clinical as we would have liked. I was looking at the stats of all our games, and I think we’ve lost the territory battle and having the ball in hand, Ta’avao said on The Breakdown.

“So off the back of that, I think a lot of it comes down to execution and in that is making sure we own our own ball. I think we had seven turnovers against the Brumbies on the weekend.

“We got into positions to make them pay for it to execute, and whether that was a line out loss, a turnover at the breakdown, execution in terms of skill set, and then, boom, we’re straight back on the back foot in our own half, under the pump.”

Ta’avao admits the Blues will miss the world class ability of Beauden Barrett, but they back one-Test All Black Harry Plummer to fill the void left by Barrett.

“We’re able to hold on to the ball, the communication from Beauden out the back,  getting the little tips out of the back and creating space, and seeing that space as a forward that gives you real confidence and for us to just do what we need to do, nail our role.

“So I think the next job is, like other people have, it’s the next man up.

“Harry filled that role beautifully last year and I think it’s about us just getting back to what we know. I think we sort of tried to do some things and change some things that that probably isn’t our DNA.”

Ta’avao points out that the Blues set piece hasn’t been as effective as last season, which the forward pack are actively trying to get it back on the right track.

“Especially as a forward pack, we really need to stand up our own moments through our set piece, earn the chance to move down the field and then trust what our outsides and our backs are talking to us about.

“Just do our job.”

Although the Blues travel to the table-topping Chiefs this weekend in Hamilton, and currently only have one win to their name so far this season, Ta’avao is convinced they have the belief to turn it around.

“100 per cent, we still have massive belief, and we have seen how tight this competition is.

“Like, I don’t know what the points differential is from, from Chiefs down to us but I think we’re third to last at the moment, but it can change just like that. You string a couple of good wins together and you’re right back in the competition.

“We’re banged up, but we’ve got some great young talent coming through.”