The surprise early season Super Rugby form of the Blues’ has divided fans with just 1% separating fans votes of who will finish top of the New Zealand conference.
The Auckland-based team were pipped by the smallest of margins by 2012 Super Rugby Champions, the Chiefs who managed to scrape through to the top with 32% of votes with the Blues extremely close behind in second place with 31%.
The Chiefs campaign so far in the 2013 tournament has been convincing with a 41 – 27 win over the Highlanders and a 45 – 3 win over the Cheetahs.
Meanwhile, the Blues have launched into this year’s Super Rugby tournament having also secured resounding wins in their first two games of the 2013 competition, including a 34 - 20 victory over the Hurricanes and a 34 – 15 domination over the Crusaders.
The characteristically resilient Crusaders came third in this week’s poll, with 24% of fans believing they were the team to top the New Zealand conference this year despite the loss to the Blues.
The Crusaders, minus stalwart captain Ritchie McCaw who is taking a sabbatical from this year’s Super Rugby, have just the one game against the Blues under their belt, their debut match for the 2013 tournament which took place in round three last Friday.
The Hurricanes received 7% of votes in the poll, narrowly shadowed by the Highlanders on 6%.
Currently however the Highlanders sit in third place in the New Zealand Super Rugby conference standings while, similar to this week’s poll results, the first place Chiefs are neck and neck with the Blues having both won the two games they have played so far and receiving two bonus points each.
The initial rounds of this year’s Super Rugby tournament have once again provided a host of thrilling, close and surprising results.
With all 15 teams having now kicked off their 2013 Super Rugby campaigns the next poll asks fans which player they think has been the best buy amongst the Australian Super Rugby teams? David Pocock for the Brumbies, Michael Hooper for the Waratahs, Scott Higginbotham for the Rebels, Hugh McMeniman for the Force or Israel Folau for the Waratahs?
Have your say now.
