Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Patrick Tuipulotu and the Blues have big ambitions in 2021, but as always will have to get past the Crusaders first.
Leon MacDonald gets them. A lot. You know the people, rushing up to him at the supermarket, or the café, or in the street, full of hope and excitement, proclaiming: “This is our year.” The Blues coach tends to smile and nod reassuringly. He loves the optimism as much as he treasures the support. Who is he to point out how tough that pathway is and how difficult the Crusaders are to budge from that throne.
In all, there are seven All Blacks in the starting line-up for the Blues. But it’s the selection of the 27-year-old Lay, who previously played under former Blues coach Pat Lam, that has raised the most eyebrows.
Getty-Images
Leon MacDonald is looking for Karl Tu’inukuafe to make a big impact off the bench against the Hurricanes. “James has performed well for us in the preseason and Karl is going well and he’s got unique strength, especially around scrummaging,” MacDonald said. “It’s around balancing our team to give us an all round 80 minute performance that in this game in particular we’re going to need, and having Karl coming off the bench to help finish the game gives us more strength.”