• Mid 80s - 1995
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1998

Games Played Games Won Games Lost Games Drawn Bye Games Bonus Points Total Points Table Position
11 9 2 0 0 7 43 2nd
Finals
  • Round
    Date
    Match
    Result
  • Semi
    Fri 22 May
    Blues v Highlanders
    37 - 31
    12:00 a.m. Eden Park
  • Semi
    Sat 23 May
    Crusaders v Sharks
    36 - 32
    12:00 a.m. Lancaster Park
  • Final
    Sat 30 May
    Blues v Crusaders
    13 - 20
    12:00 a.m. Eden Park
Draw and Results
  • Round
    Date
    Match
    Result
  • 1
    Sat 28 Feb
    Sharks v Blues
    L 24 - 8
    7:30 p.m. ABSA Stadium

    Sharks
    24 (Jeremy Thornton, hentie Martens, Henry Honiball tries; Honiball 3 con, pen)

    Blues
    8 (Joeli Vidiri try; Carlos Spencer pen)

  • 2
    Sat 7 Mar
    Lions v Blues
    W 37 - 38
    7:30 p.m. Ellis Park

    Lions
    37 (Jannie van der Walt 2, Edrich Lubbe, Hennie le Roux, MJ Smith tries; le Roux 2 con, pen, Smith con, pen)

    Blues
    38 (Joeli Vidiri, Eroni Clarke, Michael Jones, Olo Brown tries, penalty try; Adrian Cashmore 2 con, 3 pen)

  • 3
    Sat 14 Mar
    Blues v Highlanders
    W 41 - 22
    7:30 p.m. Eden Park

    Blues
    41 (Lee Stensness, Jonah Lomu, Mark Carter, Robin Brooke, Paul Mitchell tries, Adrian Cashmore con, 4 pen, Hayden Taylor pen)

    Highlanders
    22 (Brendan Laney try; Tony Brown con, pen, Simon Culhane 4)

  • 4
    Sat 21 Mar
    Blues v Chiefs
    W 25 - 23
    7:30 p.m. Eden Park

    Blues
    25 (Joeli Vidiri try; Adrian Cashmore con, 6 pen)

    Chiefs
    23 (Roger Randle, Glenn Marsh tries; Matthew Cooper 2 con, 3 pen)

  • 5
    Fri 27 Mar
    Crusaders v Blues
    W 24 - 31
    7:30 p.m. Jade Stadium

    Crusaders
    24 (Tabai Matson, Daryl Gibson tries, Andrew Mehrtens 4 pen, con)

    Blues
    31 (Caleb Ralph, Jonah Lomu, Michael Jones, Royce Willis tries; Adrian Cashmore 4 con, pen)

  • 6
    Sat 4 Apr
    Reds v Blues
    L 33 - 18
    7:30 p.m. Ballymore Stadium

    Reds
    33 (Tim Horan, Shane Drahm, Ben Tune tries; John Eales 3 con, 4 pen)

    Blues
    18 (Lee Stensness, Caleb Ralph tries; Adrian Cashmore con, 2 pen)

  • 7
    Mon 13 Apr
    Blues v Waratahs
    W 47 - 25
    7:30 p.m. Eden Park

    Blues
    47 (Adrian Cashmore, Joeli Vidiri, Lee Stensness, Carlos Spencer, Ofisa Tonu'u, Andrew Blowers, Xavier Rush tries; Cashmore 3 con, 2 pen)

    Waratahs
    25 (Matthew Burke, Manuel Edmonds, Willie Ofahengaue)

  • 8
    Fri 17 Apr
    Blues v Bulls
    W 34 - 24
    7:30 p.m. Growers Stadium

    Blues
    34 (Adrian Cashmore 2, Jonah Lomu, Royce Willis tries; Cashmore 4 con, 2 pen)

    Bulls
    24 (Marius Goosen, Casper Steyn tries; Bramm van Straaten con, 4 pen)

  • 9
    Sun 26 Apr
    Blues v Stormers
    W 74 - 28
    7:30 p.m. Eden Park

    Blues
    74 (Mark Carter 3, Joeli Vidiri 2, Xavier Rush 2, Eroni Clarke, Carlos Spencer, Paul Mitchell, Caleb Ralph tries; Adrian Cashmore 7 con, pen, Spencer con)

    Stormers
    28 (Jopie Adlam, Andrew Aitken, Joggie)

  • 10
    Thu 2 Apr
    Brumbies v Blues
    W 24 - 27
    7:30 p.m. Canberra Stadium

    Brumbies
    24 (Stephen Larkham, Stirling Mortlock, Joe Roff tries, Larkham 3 pen)

    Blues
    27 (Joeli Vidiri, Paul Mitchell tries, penalty try; Carlos Spencer 3 con, Adrian Cashmore 2 pen)

  • 12
    Thu 16 Apr
    Hurricanes v Blues
    W 34 - 45
    7:30 p.m. Westpac Stadium

    Hurricanes
    34 (Jason O'Halloran 3 tries, Alex Telea, Tana Umaga tries; Jon Preston 3 con, pen)

    Blues
    45 (Joeli Vidiri 2, Jonah Lomu 2, Eroni Clarke, Xavier Rush tries; Adrian Cashmore 6 con, pen)

Coaching Staff

Graham Henry, Mac McCallion

Manager

Rex Davy

Captain

Michael Jones

James Kerr, a draft player from Auckland, scores a try for the Crusaders in the Super 12 final to snatch victory from the Blues and deny a three-peat as they go down 20-13.

ERONI CLARKE - 1998 Player of the Year

Blues structure changes

In 1998 major changes were made to the geographical make-up of both the Blues and the Chiefs. Counties-Manukau became part of the Waikato-based franchise, while North Harbour and Northland (previously under the Waikato Chiefs umbrella) headed north to join Auckland which created the Blues franchise we have today.

Blues on track for three-peat

Despite a couple of away losses, to Natal (then known as the Coastal Sharks) and to the Reds in Brisbane, the Blues topped the 1998 qualifying round-robin and looked poised to win the Super 12 for a third consecutive year. There were a couple of wobbles during the competition though no one foresaw the Blues were about to be dethroned by the Crusaders.

Injuries rock the Blues

One setback to the season was the loss of the great Sean Fitzpatrick when earlier in the year he finally succumbed to injury and retired. And for the final the Blues suffered a couple of key injuries, the first, a jet ski accident, which ruled out Fitzpatrick’s hooker replacement, Paul Mitchell, and the second to Jones who while he captained the side, did so only through an injection.

Crusaders snatch victory

But it was still a shock when on the Saturday afternoon final a late try by wing James Kerr, a draft player from Auckland, gave the Crusaders a 20-13 win. In many ways the Crusaders outsmarted the Blues, particularly with the contrasting use of substitutes.

Crusaders coach Wayne Smith made shrewd use of his bench in what was still something of an innovation in the game. Henry, on the other hand held his replacements back, calculating that with the score 13-all for much of the second spell extra time might be needed.

Still, the Blues might have won the final and many a Blues supporter remained convinced that a series of attacking scrums in the second spell should have resulted in a penalty try from referee Paddy O’Brien.

Although the final in 1998 resulted in a surprise defeat to the Crusaders, few thought then that the Blues’ successes in the next dozen or so years would be so meagre.

  • Mid 80s - 1995
  • 1997
  • 1999
  • 2001
  • 2003
  • 2005
  • 2007
  • 2009
  • #
  • #
  • 1996
  • 1998
  • 2000
  • 2002
  • 2004
  • 2006
  • 2008
  • 2010