TALISMAN TUIPULOTU NOTCHES BLUES CENTURY
Blues Captain and talisman lock Patrick Tuipulotu returns to the starting XV this weekend when his side square off against the Crusaders at Eden Park on Saturday night at 7:05pm.
It’s a milestone moment for the Blues legend with Tuipulotu notching up his 100th appearance for the club, making his return to rugby seven weeks after dislocating his jaw on the Blues pre-season trip to Japan.
Tuipulotu said he is humbled and honoured to run out for his milestone match in front of his home fans but is all too aware of the massive task ahead of his side on Saturday night.
“This is the club I love and grew up watching as a kid, it will be an honour to run out with the boys for my 100th game on Saturday night,” said Tuipulotu.
“To come back after an injury lay-off and be able to launch straight into the Crusaders is awesome. It’s going to be physical, it’s going to be tough and we know they’re coming to Eden Park to spoil the party. We’re leaving no stone unturned at training this week, make no mistake this is a big game for us and our fans,” he said.
Blues Head Coach Vern Cotter said Saturday will be a great occasion for his Captain.
“Paddy is a special character to have around our group, he holds a lot of mana and is a Blues man through and through. He should be proud of reaching his 100-game milestone for the club,” said Cotter.
“I hope our fans can come along on Saturday night and help celebrate Paddy’s milestone, but also welcome their team back to Eden Park – there’s nothing like a boisterous home crowd to give you that extra lift for a big match,” he said. Cotter said the week has been spent looking inwardly to ensure a strong performance befitting of a return to Eden Park.
“There were a few things we needed to address this week, a few areas to tighten up to make sure we’re improving our performance week on week,” said Cotter.
“There are no easy games in this competition and we know the Crusaders are a good side and have been for many years. In all honesty, this week has been about us and our own improvement, naturally there’s been a buzz around Blues HQ as we prepare to take on our old rivals on our home turf – we can’t wait.”
Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Ricky Riccitelli
Angus Ta’avao
Patrick Tuipulotu (c) *100th Blues Game
Laghlan McWhannell
Akira Ioane
Dalton Papali’i
Hoskins Sotutu
Finlay Christie
Stephen Perofeta
Caleb Clarke
Bryce Heem
AJ Lam
Mark Tele’a
Zarn Sullivan
Reserves:
Kurt Eklund
Joshua Fusitu’a
Marcel Renata
Josh Beehre
Adrian Choat
Taufa Funaki
Harry Plummer
Cole Forbes
Players not considered: Sam Darry (knee), Rieko Ioane (concussion protocol)
EDEN PARK DOUBLE HEADER
Saturday 23 March
nib Blues v Matatu kick off 4.35pm
Blues v Crusaders kick off 7.05pm
EDEN PARK, Auckland
Both games LIVE on Sky Sport and Gold Sport & iHeart Radio
Match Day Info:
FAN WALK: 5.35pm Blues Men arrive at Gate A for a fan walk – welcome the team to Eden Park!
FREE FLAG: Grab your free Blues Flag at gate entry.
KICK FOR CASH: Halftime at Blues v Crusaders - Barfoot and Thompson ‘Kick for Cash’. Keep an eye on Blues social media for entry details.
CELEBRATION: Post-match presentations to celebrate Patrick Tuipulotu’s 100th Blues match as well as Caleb Clarke and Angus Ta’avao reaching 50 Super Rugby matches for the Blues (achieved at Blues v Fijian Drua Round One).
FANS ON FIELD: post Blues v Crusaders - your chance to grab a selfie, a signature and chat to the players post game.
LISTEN IN: Bring your headphones and you can listen to live audio commentary from your mobile phone using 4G. Livefeed offers near real-time audio, ensuring you never miss a single try, penalty or ref’s call. Just head to blues.livefeed.fm once you arrive at the stadium.