The Blues haven’t reached the desperate stage, but a win over fellow Super Rugby strugglers the Lions will be hugely welcome.
The two sides head into their clash on Auckland’s North Shore on Saturday night at the foot of the table, both at 0-3 after three rounds.
Blues skipper Jerome Kaino says it hasn’t come to crunch time for his team, with still a long way to go in the season.
“But we really want to win,” he said.
“We need to get on the board to keep in touch with the rest of the competition.”
Two of the Blues’ defeats have been within the margin of a try, and they had their chances against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last weekend before being edged 25-24.
That contest had a controversial ending, the Blues conceding the game-deciding 78th-minute penalty after not engaging in a lineout maul.
The aim was to get the Cheetahs penalised for obstruction and the tactic had worked against the Stormers the previous weekend.
This time, the Blues were adjudged to have left the lineout.
Kaino said the ruling wasn’t the winning and losing of the match.
“If we count how many chances we blew, our mistakes far outweighed the referee’s call,” he said.
“We just have to focus on executing at critical times, and making sure we don’t throw 50-50 balls and are patient with ball in hand.”
The Blues will have some added motivation in wanting to mark Keven Mealamu’s big milestone in winning fashion.
Mealamu, 35, is back as the starting hooker after being rested during the first three weeks.
When he runs out, he will rack up a competition record 163 matches, going past retired Australian lock Nathan Sharpe.
Both he and Kaino, who made it 100 appearance for the Blues against the Cheetahs, will be honoured on the night.
Mealamu made his Super Rugby debut in 2000, playing for the Blues for all but one season when he turned out for the Chiefs.
Kaino said his fellow World Cup winner, who had amassed 123 Test caps, hadn’t changed in that time.
“He’s still running around like he’s a 21-year-old and he’s such a humble man,” he said.
“I think it has contributed to his longevity in the game.”
