REACTION: Blues coach Leon MacDonald has hailed the match-winning qualities of Mark Telea after the wing jumped to the front of a queue of contenders for an All Blacks Test jersey.
A brilliant Telea scored four tries and was comfortably the game’s dominant figure as the Blues beat the Hurricanes 36-25 at Eden Park on Saturday to climb to third in the Super Rugby Pacific standings.
Each try called on the two-Test back’s range of talents.
In the first, he carried three defenders over the line, the second showcased his acceleration, the third his footwork and the fourth his handling skill as he scooped up a slippery ball.
MacDonald struggled to remember the last time a wing had been so influential in any game – let alone in wet conditions where the forward battle traditionally determines the outcome.
“He’s on fire at the moment,” MacDonald told journalists when asked if Telea is New Zealand’s premier wing.
“He was the difference really – close to the line or in the middle of the field, or wherever he decides to pop up.
“And that’s probably his point of difference. He’s all over the place, and you can’t get away from him. He’s dangerous and he’s just hungry to get his hands on the ball.”
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