Rugby: How Lam's rabble plunged to a new low

Battling the brickbats in their bye week must seem a minor hassle for the Blues now with increasing condemnation for their latest sloppy performance. Thursday night's defeat to the Rebels was the nadir in an already decomposing season, a D-grade performance from a side who began with nine All Blacks and withered like a pick-up collection of rookies. It became the Rabble against the Rebels as they fell apart in the final quarter to lose the contest of the cellar-dwellers. The Blues leaked 20 points in the ragged final quarter to lose 34-23 and remain with one victory in six matches this season. The plan was to take it to the Rebels in the set piece, use the width that the Highlanders exploited for their win a week previously and avoid kicking to the Rebels' back three. Coach Pat Lam had "clarity" about the strategies the Blues needed, but his players were not on the same wavelength. Either the message had little impact, the players could not execute the plans or they did not have enough skill to deliver. "It is a hell of a blow really," Lam conceded. "We deserve criticism, we know that and we expect it. We were not where we should have been, we have let ourselves down. I have to focus on what I can do with this team. I have to focus on getting back to work and making sure we are ready to compete against the Sharks." The set-piece plan worked for the bulk of the match, but the Blues made consistent handling errors out wide relieving pressure. Lam also bemoaned several kicks which went to Kurtley Beale in the last quarter to allow the Rebels to build their counter phase play. Those mistakes altered the momentum. Losing was gnawing at the side's self-confidence, Lam said, and that showed in the amount of turnovers they conceded. Lam had vowed a resurgence in attitude and performance to begin a nine-game stretch before the Blues' next bye. But all the rhetoric counted for zilch with the Blues now matching the number of defeats they had in the entire 2011 season. They lost Daniel Braid in the warmup to the match when the openside flanker started vomiting from stomach cramps. His replacement Dan Pryor was industrious. No 8 Brad Mika twisted his knee and may be out for a few weeks with cartilage damage, while captain Keven Mealamu and centre Benson Stanley both retired with calf muscle problems. Loosehead prop Tony Woodcock also quit after 70 minutes when he felt some pain in his Achilles tendon. The agony will go on for the Blues after a week when Lam agreed his side's results warranted criticism. Melbourne was supposed to be a turning point, a game where the Blues could deliver evidence they were still a force in the Super 15. The rhetoric was positive, they had thrashed out their plans, pledged their unity and were committed to improvement. Instead they became an embarrassing doormat, lacking conviction and pattern. There is a malaise oozing through the entire Blues franchise. There is a lack of vitality and a lack of clarity about how they should be playing. Mealamu and Ali Williams have not sparked, Mika is not cutting it and the backs from Alby Mathewson through Gareth Anscombe and Ma'a Nonu are passing, kicking and running strongly but individually. They lack any great rhythm but they have also lacked time together. Lam acknowledged some of the nuances of team play were missing. Now he faces the choice of changing some of his misfiring men or giving the side a repeat shot against the Sharks in the belief they will be better with more rugby.