AUCKLAND, March 23, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Coach Vern Cotter admits he is "hating it" that his Auckland Blues' have dived this season but believes their Super Rugby title defence can be revived.

Cotter said the 42-19 loss to the second-placed Canterbury Crusaders at Auckland's Eden Park on Saturday represented the low point of a miserable first six rounds.

"I thought we seemed a little lethargic. We weren't reacting as quickly as we could have been," he said.

"We seemed to, I'd use the word, unravel. We're going to have to go back and have a reset."

Five losses has left the Blues one point off the bottom of the table - their form a sharp contrast to last year's surge to a first title in 21 years, fuelled by a forward-based power game.

Cotter believes next week's bye for his team will be invaluable. It increases the chances key players will be available for the next match. They include All Blacks playmaker Beauden Barrett.

While the long medical list of up to 10 first-choice players had allowed some new names to experience Super Rugby, Cotter said it was painful to see his team regress so far.

"From a learning process for some of these players, I think it has been very good. But if I'm being objective about it, we're hating it," Cotter said.

"Losing at home, and losing by that amount of points. We'll use it as a vehicle to become better."

Crusaders counterpart Rob Penney endured a similar experience last year as his perennially strong team missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years.

Penney survived an off-season review of his job and said he had emerged stronger for the experience, along with his players.

"All you're ever after as a coach is for the boys to express themselves and feel as though they're getting something out of the game," Penney said.

"That was what made it hard last year. We were searching for things to try to get it to turn around, but it was just not happening."

The Crusaders' seven-try victory leaves them three points behind the competition-leading Waikato Chiefs, with a game in hand.

They host last-placed Moana Pasifika next week.