Last week their timing sucked. This week it was sublime as the Blues snapped their three-game Super Rugby losing skid in the most glorious of style.
After being deadlocked 7-7 at halftime against a resolute Bulls side, the Blues exploded for five second-half tries to ease to a decisive 38-14 victory at QBE Stadium in Albany. It was stirring stuff as the home side unleashed that attacking firepower they had shown just a little too fleetingly in the previous round. Â
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Blues batter Bulls in Auckland
On the back of two tries to Matt Duffy and a dominant forward pack the Blues claimed victory over the Bulls.
With six tries to two Tana Umaga's men bank a much-needed bonus point victory. More importantly, they made the necessary improvements to go the full 80 this week and do the damage when it really mattered.
A week earlier they had fired all their bullets early against the Crusaders in Christchurch, coughing up a 24-5 led to go down 33-24. But this time there was to be no repeat.
At 7-7 the match was delicately poised at the break. But as Matt Duffie (twice), Ihaia West, Matt Moulds and Melani Nanai all crossed the line over the second 40 this was the Blues well and truly back in the race.
The victory was the Blues' 11th in 12 home games against the men from Pretoria who, frankly, travel about as well as Guinness. They have now dropped 10 of their last 11 matches in New Zealand, and have started the new season by losing all three road games en route to a 1-3 start.
Umaga will be rapt his team has snapped that three-game losing skid and doubled its win tally for the year. The Blues improve to 11 points with a 2-3 record, and remain fourth in the ultra-competitive Kiwi conference.
The home side had burst out of the blocks in Christchurch a week ago to lead 21-5 by halftime. This week there was a more meandering start, with a try apiece seeing honours even at 7-7 at the break.
The home side started promisingly, with livewire halfback Augustine Pulu dashing away for this third try of the season after some crisp work down the left touchline from Michael Collins and Nanai carved the opening.
But if the home faithful in Albany had sensed the floodgates opening, they were to be disappointed as the Blues could not add to the tally for the remaining 37 minutes.
They had their chances, with much the better of the field position for the half, but thereafter either the visitors' staunch defensive line held firm, or the errors came from a home side blatantly failing to make the most of pristine conditions.
Just past the quarter-hour mark the Bulls levelled the scores on the back of a brilliant 50-metre kick to the corner by Handre Pollard. The Blues held the initial lineout drive, but quick ruck ball allowed loosehead prop Lizo Gqoboka to burrow over for his first try at this level.
Whatever Umaga had to say at the break, it worked as the Blues came out and took a grip on the match as two tries to Duffie in the first quarter of an hour eased them out to 19-7.
The first came early when, from unpromising ball, Collins straightened nicely and offloaded to Duffie for a nice fend on Jamba Ulengo and an angled run to the line. The second was precision attack from a 5m scrum, with Piers Francis' crosskick inch-perfect for his wing unmarked out wide.
A yellow card to Jimmy Tupiu for a neck roll on the 58-minute mark briefly allowed the Bulls a passage back into the match, but it was closed abruptly when substitute first five West sliced through a Bull defensive line out of alignment to make it 24-7.
From there the Blues finished strongly, replacement hooker Moulds finishing a nicely worked attack out wide and then Nanai dashing 45m for a beauty straight from the restart, with West and Rieko Ioane carving the opening.
Pulu had another strong match in general, though his speed of clearance was sometimes found wanting, while Duffie ran hard out wide and Collins was impressive at the back in almost all he did. Up front no one ran harder and with more force than Jerome Kaino, while skipper James Parsons went up a level with the industry of his effort.
Whether the Blues are back remains to be seen. But they are certainly back on track.