The Blues have blown away the NSW Waratahs for a 46-6 win at Eden Park.
The game was in the balance heading into the half-time break before the defending champions went up several gears for the dominant win.
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Centre Rieko Ioane completed a hat-trick, equalling Doug Howlett's record for most tries for the Blues with 55.
Winger Mark Tele'a complemented his haul with a double as the Blues scored twice before the break and quickly after the second half.
It puts the Blues in prime position to secure sixth place, with Moana Pasifika needing a bonus point win over the Hurricanes to leap them.
Despite being without injured stars Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen, skipper Jake Gordon and flankers Rob Leota and Charlie Gamble, the Waratahs were right in the must-win game for both sides after rookie flyhalf Jack Bowen slotted a 34th-minute penalty goal to reduce the deficit to four points.
Playing with spirit, as they should with their season on the line, the Tahs had winger Andrew Kellaway and rookie scrumhalf Teddy Wilson to thank for desperate try-saving tackles to stay in the contest.
But a Bowen blunder, when he slipped and failed to find touch for a clearing kick, and a touch of magic from two-time world player of the player Beauden Barrett blew the game wide open for the Blues in a twinkling.
Two tries in three minutes to brilliant centre Rieko Ioane, the second after the halftime siren when Waratahs opposite Henry O'Donnell couldn't handle a probing kick from Barrett near halfway, suddenly extended the Blues' tenuous lead from 10-6 to 24-6.
There was no coming back for the Waratahs when fullback Corey Evans strolled over untouched shortly after the break to extend the Blues' lead to 31-6.
The Blues' sixth try, to hooker Ricky Riccitelli, was more than academic.
It virtually secured a precious bonus point to pile the pressure on Moana Pasifika to produce a similar victory later on Saturday against the Hurricanes in Wellington to deny Vern Cotter's side a place in the finals.
The hosts' seventh five-pointer was more significant to Ioane, who equalled All Blacks great Doug Howlett's Blues try-scoring record with 55 after beating three Waratahs defenders to another menacing Barrett kick.
The Blues' biggest-ever victory margin over the Waratahs did not look likely when Bowen's two first-half penalties almost wiped out Mark Tele'a's 11th-minute try and then Ioane's first strike off a deft AJ Lam grubber.
But an hour later and the Blues were anxiously awaiting their finals fate, needing the fourth-placed Hurricanes to deny Moana an unlikely bonus-point triumph away in the NZ capital to push the title-holders through to the play-offs.
Tries: Tele'a 2, Ioane 3, Evans, Riccitelli
Cons: Barrett 4/7
Pens: Plummer 1/1
Pens: Bowen 2/2
BLUES (1-15): Joshua Fusitu'a, Ricky Riccitelli, Marcel Renata, Patrick Tuipulotu (c), Laghlan McWhannell, Anton Segner, Dalton Papali'i, Hoskins Sotutu, Finlay Christie, Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clarke, AJ Lam, Rieko Ioane, Mark Tele'a, Corey Evans
Replacements: Kurt Eklund, Jordan Lay, Angus Ta'avao, Josh Beehre, Adrian Choat, Sam Nock, Harry Plummer, Cole Forbes
WARATAHS (1-15): Angus Bell, David Porecki, Taniela Tupou, Fergus Lee-Warner, Miles Amatosero, Hugh Sinclair (c), Jamie Adamson, Langi Gleeson, Teddy Wilson, Jack Bowen, Triston Reilly, Joey Walton, Henry O'Donnell, Andrew Kellaway, Lawson Creighton
Replacements: Mahe Vailanu, Tom Lambert, Daniel Botha, Ben Grant, Leafi Talataina, Jack Grant, Tane Edmed, Darby Lancaster
Referee: Nic Berry
Assistant Referee: Paul Williams, George Myers
TMO: Brett Cronan
