Four-star Telea ace for Blues

ANALYSIS: Was that Blues speedster Mark Telea kicking clear of a pretty decent chasing pack for the All Blacks right wing spot in World Cup year?

Sure looked like it as he torched the Hurricanes on Eden Park last night with a brilliant quartet of tries to provide the most telling individual contribution to a 36-25 victory that was vital for the Blues as the Super Rugby Pacific regular season finish line approaches.

At the very least it was an inform wing looking for all the world like he’s finding some juicy form at the right time of the season, with Telea following up a star turn against the Reds last week with an equally devastating individual effort in this crucial 4 v 5 matchup that all but clinches a home quarterfinal for the Blues.

Sure, there’s still some water to flow under the bridge yet before coach Ian Foster makes his big decisions round, first, a squad and then his pecking order for the World Cup campaign, but in a highly competitive area, Telea’s sizzling form has to be notable.

Foster has a lot to think about around his back three, with Caleb Clarke and Leicester Fainga’anuku looking like the leading contenders on the left wing side, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie and Will Jordan all floating as pretty decent fullback options, and plenty of contenders emerging on the right flank.

With Emoni Narawa in careerbest form for the Chiefs (and generating plenty of noise with it), his team-mate Shaun Stevenson putting his hand up for multiple positions, and Jordan back in the flow for the Crusaders, albeit playing at fullback, where many believe he should also feature for the All Blacks, there are plenty of contenders for the No 14 jersey.

But none are playing as well as Telea right now.

The 26-year-old ran for 156 metres (on 15 carries), beat 11 defenders, scored one try and assisted on another last week against the Reds. Last night he surpassed that effort with four quite special tries, 52 metres carried (on a slippery night), 10 defenders beaten, three clean breaks and a whole team of Hurricanes befuddled as to how to stop him.

The Blues have talked about looking to peak a little later this season, after they felt they tailed off near the end of last year’s runner-up campaign, and also about getting more ball into the

hands of their outsides who have not had the opportunities they might have liked in some of the bigger matchups earlier.

Telea certainly looks for all money as if he has taken his game to another level as the regular season draws to a close, and he’s also lighting up in neon the benefits of getting ball in his mitts as often as possible.

His tries had a 21,000-strong crowd at times gasping in wonder, revealing the full gamut of his repertoire. His first showcased his strength, the second his speed and acceleration, the third his incredible dexterity on his feet in close spaces, and the fourth his consummate skill as he ran on to Bryce Heem’s kick-through to gather skidding ball that confounded the Canes defence.

It’s a well-known fact that All Blacks’ selectors only really start paying attention at the business end of the Super Rugby season. Big closing-round games with plenty on them and the knockout rounds are when they feel they get their best guide to international readiness.

Well, Telea, who came in from the cold on last year’s tour to finish the season as their first-choice No 14, looks like he is timing his run beautifully. He is fast, deceptively strong, has some sort of a nose for the tryline and is putting out the performances on a regular basis.

Coming into this match he led the competition in metres carried and defenders beaten, and was second in clean breaks. He is now also the leading try-scorer, with 11. It was a telling contribution for his Blues team, as they now take a firm grip on fourth spot, and are challenging the Brumbies for third. On a tough night, where the Hurricanes hung in there until the end, the Blues would probably not have won without their right wing’s contribution.

If the Blues hope to kick on from here, and capture that elusive championship, Telea shapes as a crucial figure.

The form he’s in, any ball in his mitts looks like coming up trumps.