Mixed news on injuries for Blues

The architect of the Blues’ Super Rugby Trans-Tasman transformation is fit to play tomorrow’s final at Eden Park, though the news wasn’t so good around the bloke who has been the heart and soul of their engine room.

It was a good news-bad news team naming for the Blues ahead of their tilt at a first Super Rugby title since 2003’s triumph over the Crusaders when they take on the Highlanders in front of a crowd that will be in excess of 25,000.

Influential first five-eighth Otere Black, who has been pulling the strings behind a smarter and efficient Blues approach over the back part of their commitments in 2021, has shaken off a leg knock and been named to start at No 10 after taking a full part in training yesterday.

Not so fortunate was blindside

flanker Tom Robinson who led the team through the early part of the campaign and has provided a consistent physical commitment that has been infectious among his fellow forwards. All Black Akira Ioane replaces him in the

only change to the starting XV from last Saturday’s win over the Force in the final round-robin match.

Robinson took a head knock early in that match and has been ruled out around protocols associated

with that.

It was similarly so for powerhouse All Blacks prop Ofa Tuungafasi, who not only has failed to make the start-line for the final because of knee and finger issues, but has been scheduled for minor knee surgery ahead of the Rugby Championship.

Head coach Leon MacDonald, who played in that 2003 Crusaders side that went down to the Blues

at Eden Park, was rapt to have the in-form Black in his customary spot running the cutter for such a pivotal contest.

It also put to bed the attempted mind games the Blues played on Tuesday around All Blacks star Beauden Barrett’s appearance at training.

He was never going to be considered after playing the season in Japan and fresh out of two weeks in MIQ.