Match Details

Chiefs (NZ)

VS

Blues (NZ)

11

Hamilton Kick off times: 7:35pm (Local) Sat 31 Mar 5:35pm (AEST) Sat 31 Mar

18

The Blues have turned on a patchy display to narrowly overcome a spirited Chiefs side 18-11 before a packed house at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.

Rocked by the last-minute loss of skipper Troy Flavell to a groin strain, the Blues looked ordinary early as the Chiefs, fresh from back-to-back victories, delighted their supporters with some flashy play.

And in a first half dominated by handling errors from both sides, it was the Chiefs who made the most of their limited opportunities to take an 11-8 lead into the break.

Having hardly put a foot wrong all season, Blues playmaker Isa Nacewa had a forgettable opening 40 minutes, as did the rest of the visiting backline, as they amassed nine handling errors in the first half alone.

However, clearly fired up after a less than impressive start, the Blues began to find their form early in the second half and they wrestled control of the match when Keven Mealamu scored in the 56th minute.

Not content with their two-point buffer, though, the visitors then continued their second half resurgence with a further try to seal the thrilling match.

Less than two minutes into the contest, it was the hosts who broke the early deadlock when first five-eighths Stephen Donald slotted over an easy penalty goal after Nick Williams was penalised for a ruck infringement.

Eight minutes later and on the back of some mounting attacking pressure, the Chiefs extended their lead through Donald's boot when Blues prop John Afoa infringed at the breakdown.

Clearly unsettled by the Chiefs' bold start, the Blues began to up the ante and 14 minutes into the match, flanker Jerome Kaino capitalised on some sloppy lineout play from the hosts to muscle over out wide.

After retrieving the ball less than 10m from the tryline, the towering loose forward, helped by his powerful visiting forward pack, burrowed through the Chiefs' defence and, after a review by the Third Match Official, it was ruled a try.

However, despite surrendering their early momentum, the Chiefs soon regained control moments later when former Blues star turned Hamilton resident Tasesa Lavea crossed the chalk to restore a six-point buffer for the hosts.

Finding three attackers unmarked out wide, the Chiefs powered ahead before spinning the ball out to Lavea, who easily cantered over for the try.

Trailing 5-11 and with time running out in the first half, the Blues had the chance to reduce the margin in the 29th minute but first five-eighths Nacewa's kick from 46m out crashed into the post.

Six minutes later and in a much more handy position to the uprights, though, Nacewa made certain his next penalty goal went down the middle to reduce the Chiefs' halftime lead to 11-8.

In similar circumstances to the opening half, both sides continued to struggle to contain their errors after the break but it was the Blues, boosted in part by the return of All Blacks Ali Williams and Mealamu, who managed to break the monotony in the 56th minute.

After a lengthy period of attack deep inside the Chiefs' territory, Mealamu, minutes after running onto the field, charged over the line in a rolling maul to give the Blues a 13-11 lead.

Further compounding the home side's woes, the Blues stamped their authority on the match several minutes later when Doug Howlett, finding himself unmarked out wide, cantered down the wing to score his record-breaking 58th Super 14 try and seal the match for the visitors.

Blues 18

Tries: Kaino, Mealamu, Howlett

Conversions:

Penalties: Nacewa

Chiefs 11

Tries: Lavea

Conversions:

Penalties: Donald 2