The 2013 Blues season was the team's 18th season in the Super Rugby competition. The Blues' pre-season began on 2 February, and the regular season began on 23 February. The team played 16 regular season matches, with byes in rounds 5 and 10. They did not play in rounds 1 and 17, which was only contested by Australian teams as a result of the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. The Blues played all teams within the New Zealand conference twice, and all other teams once, with the exception of the Western Force and Southern Kings. The 2013 team was captained by Ali Williams and coached by Sir John Kirwan.
| 2013 Blues season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team information | ||||
| Coach |  Sir John Kirwan | |||
| Captain | ||||
| Stadium | Eden Park, North Harbour Stadium | |||
| Avg. attendance | 19,661 | |||
| High attendance | 31,014 | |||
| Low attendance | 10,811 | |||
| Top scorers | ||||
| Tries | Frank Halai (5) | |||
| Points | Chris Noakes (26) | |||
| ||||
Pre-season edit
The first of three pre-season fixtures was on 2 February against the Queensland Reds in Toowoomba. This was followed by a home match against the New South Wales Waratahs at Toll Stadium on 9 February and a final match on 15 February against the Highlanders at Queenstown Events Centre.
Fixtures edit
| 2 Feb. 2013 | Queensland Reds | 41 - 35 | Blues | Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba | ||
| Attendance: 7,000[1] |
| 9 Feb. 2013 | Blues | 40 - 36 | New South Wales Waratahs | Toll Stadium, Whangarei | ||
| Attendance: 6,000 [2] |
| 15 Feb. 2013 | Highlanders | 29 - 31 | Blues | Queenstown Events Centre, Queenstown | ||
| Attendance: 4,000 [3] |
Regular season edit
The Blues regular season will begin on 23 February with an away fixture against the Hurricanes, and will finish on 13 July, with a home fixture against the Chiefs.
Fixtures edit
| 23 Feb. 2013 | Hurricanes | 20 - 34 | Blues | Westpac Stadium, Wellington | ||
| Report | Attendance: 10,662 Referee: Glen Jackson |
| 1 March 2013 | Blues | 34 - 15 | Crusaders | Eden Park, Auckland | ||
| Report | Attendance: 31,014 Referee: Chris Pollock |
| 10 March 2013 | Blues | 21 - 28 | Bulls | Eden Park, Auckland | ||
| Report | Attendance: 25,112 Referee: Garratt Williamson |
| 24 March 2013 | New South Wales Waratahs | 30 - 27 | Blues | Allianz Stadium, Sydney | ||
| Report | Attendance: 16,429 Referee: Francisco Pastrana |
| 30 March 2013 | Chiefs | 23 - 16 | Blues | Baypark Stadium, Mount Maunganui | ||
| Report | Attendance: 15,203 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan |
| 5 April 2013 | Blues | 29 - 18 | Highlanders | Eden Park, Auckland | ||
| Report | Attendance: 16,489 Referee: Steve Walsh |
| 13 April 2013 | Blues | 28 - 6 | Hurricanes | Eden Park, Auckland | ||
| Report | Attendance: 23,387 Referee: Jaco Peyper |
| 26 April 2013 | Queensland Reds | 12 - 11 | Blues | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | ||
| Report | Attendance: 31,050 Referee: Craig Joubert |
| 3 May 2013 | Blues | 18 - 17 | Stormers | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland | ||
| Report | Attendance: 16,111 Referee: Glen Jackson |
| 11 May 2013 | Blues | 36 - 32 | Melbourne Rebels | Eden Park, Auckland | ||
| Report | Attendance: 14,700 Referee: Garratt Williamson |
| 18 May 2013 | Crusaders | 23 - 3 | Blues | Christchurch Stadium, Christchurch | ||
| Report | Attendance: 17,264 Referee: Glen Jackson |
| 25 May 2013 | Blues | 13 - 20 | Brumbies | Eden Park, Auckland | ||
| Report | Attendance: 10,811 Referee: Lourens van der Merwe |
| 1 June 2013 | Highlanders | 38 – 28 | Blues | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin | ||
| Report | Attendance: 12,888 |
| 29 June 2013 | Sharks | 22 - 20 | Blues | Mr Price Kings Park, Durban | ||
| Report | Referee: Jaco Peyper |
| 6 July 2013 | Cheetahs | 34 - 13 | Blues | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein | ||
| Report | Referee: Jaco Peyper |
| 13 July 2013 | Blues | 16 - 26 | Chiefs | Eden Park, Auckland | ||
| Report | Attendance: 25,118 Referee: Chris Pollock |
Tour Matches edit
On 4 April it was announced that the Blues would play a one-off match against France as a midweek fixture during their tour of New Zealand in June.[4] The match was held on 11 June at North Harbour Stadium and was the first time a New Zealand-based Super Rugby team has played against an international side.
| 11 June 2013 | Blues | 15 - 38 |  France
|
North Harbour Stadium, Auckland | ||
| Blues Report NZ Herald Report |
Attendance: 10,071 Referee: Jaco Peyper |
Player Summary edit
Player statistics through round five of the 2013 Super Rugby season are shown below:[5]
Overall Summary edit
| Cap # | Player | Position(s) | Apps. | Tries | Cons. | Pens. | Drps. | Pts. | W.C. | Y.C. | R.C. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | Keven Mealamu |
Hooker | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 93 | Ali Williams (c) |
Lock | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 137 | Anthony Boric |
Lock | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 149 | Tom McCartney |
Hooker | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 154 | Rene Ranger |
Wing, Centre | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | - | - | - |
| 159 | Peter Saili |
Flanker, No. 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 165 | Charlie Faumuina |
Prop | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 180 | Luke Braid |
Flanker | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | - | - | - |
| 186 | Piri Weepu |
Half-back, First five-eighth | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 21 | - | - | - |
| 188 | Angus Ta'avao |
Prop | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 192 | Francis Saili |
Wing, Centre | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 193 | Liaki Moli |
Lock | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 195 |  George Moala |
Wing | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | - | - | - |
| 196 | James Parsons |
Hooker | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | - | - | - |
| 197 | Steve Luatua |
Lock, Flanker | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | - | - | - |
| 199 | Charles Piutau |
Wing, Fullback | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | - | - | - |
| 200 | Albert Nikoro |
Wing, Fullback | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 201 | Frank Halai |
Wing | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | - | 1 | - |
| 202 | Chris Noakes |
First five-eighth | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 26 | - | - | - |
| 203 | Culum Retallick |
Lock | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 204 | Brendon O'Connor |
Flanker | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 205 | Bryn Hall |
Halfback | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | - | - | - |
| 206 | Quentin MacDonald |
Hooker | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 207 | Baden Kerr |
First five-eighth | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 13 | - | - | - |
| 208 | Jackson Willison |
Second five-eighth, Centre | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 209 | Kane Barrett |
Lock, Flanker | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 210 | Waisake Naholo |
Wing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 211 | Tim Perry |
Prop | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 212 | Ronald Raaymakers |
Lock, Flanker | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 213 | Jamison Gibson-Park |
Halfback | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 214 | Marty McKenzie |
Utility Back | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| N/A | Malakai Fekitoa |
Second five-eighth, Centre | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
| N/A | Ofa Tu'ungafasi |
Prop | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
Legend: Apps. = Appearances, Cons. = Conversions, Pens. = Penalties, Drps. = Drop Goals, Pts. = Total points, W.C. = White cards, Y.C. = Yellow cards, R.C. = Red cards
Top Point Scorers edit
| Rank | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Noakes |
26 |
| 2 | Piri Weepu |
21 |
| 3 | Frank Halai |
20 |
| 4 | Charles Piutau |
15 |
| 5 | Baden Kerr |
13 |
Top Try Scorers edit
| Rank | Player | Tries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank Halai |
4 |
| 2 | Charles Piutau |
3 |
| 3= | Rene Ranger |
2 |
| 3= | George Moala |
2 |
| 5= | Five players | 1 |
Standings edit
The standings through the final round of the 2013 season are shown below:
New Zealand Conference
| ||||||||||||||
| Pos | Team | Rnd | W | D | L | Bye | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chiefs |
18 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 458 | 364 | +94 | 50 | 38 | 8 | 2 | 66 |
| 2 | Crusaders |
18 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 446 | 307 | +139 | 44 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 60 |
| 3 | Blues |
18 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 347 | 364 | −17 | 40 | 36 | 6 | 6 | 44 |
| 4 | Hurricanes |
18 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 386 | 457 | −71 | 41 | 49 | 4 | 5 | 41 |
| 5 | Highlanders |
18 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 374 | 496 | −122 | 40 | 55 | 4 | 5 | 29 |
Overall Standings
| ||||||||||||||
| Pos | Team | Rnd | W | D | L | Bye | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chiefs |
18 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 458 | 364 | +94 | 50 | 38 | 8 | 2 | 66 |
| 2 |  Bulls |
18 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 448 | 330 | +118 | 41 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 63 |
| 3 |  Brumbies |
18 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 430 | 295 | +135 | 43 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 60 |
| 4 | Crusaders |
18 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 446 | 307 | +139 | 44 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 60 |
| 5 | Reds |
18 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 321 | 296 | +25 | 31 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 58 |
| 6 | Cheetahs |
18 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 382 | 358 | +24 | 38 | 32 | 2 | 4 | 54 |
| 7 | Stormers |
18 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 346 | 292 | +54 | 30 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 50 |
| 8 | Sharks |
18 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 384 | 305 | +79 | 40 | 31 | 3 | 5 | 48 |
| 9 | Waratahs |
18 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 411 | 371 | +40 | 45 | 34 | 1 | 4 | 45 |
| 10 | Blues |
18 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 347 | 364 | −17 | 40 | 36 | 6 | 6 | 44 |
| 11 | Hurricanes |
18 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 386 | 457 | −71 | 41 | 49 | 4 | 5 | 41 |
| 12 | Rebels |
18 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 382 | 515 | −133 | 44 | 65 | 4 | 5 | 37 |
| 13 | Force |
18 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 267 | 366 | −99 | 26 | 34 | 0 | 5 | 31 |
| 14 | Highlanders |
18 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 374 | 496 | −122 | 40 | 55 | 4 | 5 | 29 |
| 15 | Southern Kings |
18 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 298 | 564 | −266 | 27 | 69 | 2 | 0 | 24 |
| Conference leaders, qualify to finals. | |
| Wildcard teams, qualify to finals. |
Source: sanzarrugby.com Legend: Pos = Position, Rnd = Round, W = Win, D = Draw, L = Loss, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TB = Four-try bonus points, LB = Close loss bonus points, Pts = Competition Points
Round by Round Result Summary edit
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | - | A | H | H | - | A | A | H | H | - | A | H | H | A | H | A | - | A | A | H |
| Result | N/A | W | W | L | B | L | L | W | W | B | L | W | W | L | L | L | N/A | L | L | L |
| Pos (Conf) | N/A | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Pos (Overall) | N/A | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Legend: H = Home, A = Away, W = Win, D = Draw, L = Loss, B = Bye, Pos = Position, Conf = Conference
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Super rugby draws crowd The Chronicle [dead link]
- ^ "Rugby: Blues snatch last gasp victory".
- ^ "Lethargic Highlanders struggle to get going". 15 February 2013.
- ^ "Blues to play france". New Zealand Herald. 4 April 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
- ^ "Super Rugby Auckland Blues Team". FOX SPORTS. Retrieved 6 August 2023.