Blues v Force
Kick-off: 7:05pm Friday 2 May
Eden Park, Auckland
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Blues coach Vern Cotter isn't shying away from the fact that his team may well have forgotten how to win. Friday night's Anzac Day disaster in Brisbane saw them not only lose 35-21 to the Reds, but also wing Mark Tele'a to a red card and certain suspension for the next couple of weeks.
It's meant the defending champions now find themselves in the precarious position of having to win their last four games just to make the play-offs - something quite unthinkable before the season started.
"I think when you want to win a competition, you live with it every day, and you breathe it," said Cotter.
"I just don't think we have that same intensity (as last year). I think we've forgotten. I think it's important that we remind ourselves it's a competition that you've got to engage yourself fully, to be competitive. So we just had a bit of a reminder about that this morning."
Cotter said the Blues, a squad that contains 13 current or former All Blacks, were lacking in consistency.
"I think we touched on it just around attitude… you just got to be up for it. And we need to put on a, a good performance for Friday night."
Mark Tele'a tackles Tim Ryan during the Reds v Blues Super Rugby Pacific match. Photo: Patrick Hoelscher/ActionPress
The Blues are now in danger of having just as disastrous a title defence as the Crusaders last season, when Rob Penney's side slumped to a four-win, 10-loss record to finish ninth. The Blues are currently in the same spot on the ladder with three wins and seven losses, with their last four fixtures against the Force (home), Drua (away), Moana Pasifika (away) and Waratahs (home).
To be fair, if you were to offer a side that schedule as their must wins, they'd take it. Especially since the Drua game is in Suva and not Lautoka, the away game to Moana is just a short trip over to Albany and the Waratahs haven't won a game outside Sydney all season. But this is a Blues side that's struggled to win at all, let alone when their entire campaign is on the line.
Beauden Barrett after the Blues' loss to the Reds. Photo: Patrick Hoelscher/ActionPress
"Our first one against the Force at home, it's nice to be at home not traveling again. And after 80 minutes, we'll see where we're at," said Cotter, who will name his side on Wednesday but more or less confirmed that Beauden Barrett would be back in the starting team after suffering from illness last week, but Dalton Papali'i and Caleb Clarke will still be missing with injury.
Cotter admitted that the recent news that Tele'a will be leaving after this season, as well as Rieko Ioane announcing his sabbatical plans in Ireland, had been a distraction.
"Yeah, I think it can be. And I think it's been spoken about. So if you don't speak about, it's the old elephant in the room thing. That's just life and rugby and pro sport."
The Blues need clear heads as they head into this crucial next run of games, something that Cotter will be reminding them of whether they like it or not.
"Finishing well is key and you can only finish well if you're fully engaged."
