It was no surprise, for this was a rollercoaster of a thing at Eden Park, which for once this season, went the way of the Blues.
Yes, the Blues have won their first match of the season, a nailbiting 16-14 victory over a Brumbies team which is at the top of the Australian conference. The win broke a nine-match losing streak going back to last season.
It could have gone either way in the final, frantic minutes, and if the Blues had lost, referee Andrew Lees would have been a very unpopular man indeed with the home team's supporters.
Just as the Blues had retaken the lead with two minutes remaining, Lees handed the Brumbies a very controversial scrum penalty on the Blues' side of halfway to hand the visitors a last chance to win it. Nic White put the shot wide and the celebrations started. Many of the crowd looked to the Blues' coaches' box to see how Kirwan was faring. Many gave him a smile and a thumbs up.
Replacement first-five Ihaia West was one of the Blues' heroes. He had the chance to put his team in front with a penalty with three minutes remaining - a difficult kick on the left touchline. It flew perfectly through the posts.
The Brumbies did well to claw their way back into this game. A traditionally dour team, they were under such pressure in the first half that their only scoring opportunity came from a botched penalty attempt by Christian Lealiifano, who somehow contrived to miss from in front of the posts. It turned out to be the story of their night.
It wasn't as if everything was going the Blues' way. They made mistakes, but scrambled and got out of the little holes they dug themselves. The Brumbies, meanwhile, were digging in for the long haul. Time and again they transgressed - interfering with the Blues' lineout jumpers, playing the ball on the ground, it went on.
The Blues had able workers in loose forwards Jerome Kaino, Brendon O'Connor and Luke Braid. Kirwan took a risk leaving big flanker Steven Luatua on the reserves bench, but the quicker and more agile O'Connor and Braid snuffed out the threats of Nic White and David Pocock, just as Kirwan hoped they would, although Pocock came into the game in the second half.
After the break, the Blues, leading 13-0 seemed suddenly aware they were on the brink of something special and tightened up. The Brumbies, meanwhile, got their second wind by cutting down their errors and playing to their strengths of up the middle rugby. Pretty it was not.
West's first act when replacing Dan Bowden with 12 minutes remaining was to lose the ball and allow wing James Dargaville to sprint upfield, a movement which broke down but which left Kaino prone on the ground with what looked a neck injury. Luckily for him and the Blues, it didn't force him from the field.
Lealiifano's penalty with six minutes remaining looked to have sealed it for the Brumbies, but the Blues still had fight in them. George Moala, just held on to a pass to charge down the field and David Pocock was penalised for joining the ruck incorrectly. It's fair to say West redeemed himself in style.
Blues 16 (Dan Bowden try, con, 2 pens; Ihaia West pen), Brumbies 14 (Lausii Taliauli try; Christian Lealiifano 3 pens). HT: 13-0.
- Patrick McKendry
