The Western Force are out of Super Rugby Pacific's top six after falling to reigning champions Blues 40-19 in Auckland.
The Force trailed just 12-7 at half time but couldn't keep up with Blues maestro Beauden Barrett, who orchestrated a second-half resurgence to secure bonus-point victory that launched the 2024 winners into sixth.
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Barrett laid on three try assists and two line break assists in a vintage performance while Blues flyer Cole Forbes (two tries) impressed on the right wing.
However, there were plenty of green shoots for the Force with the returning Kurtley Beale crossing for a try and combining strongly with fellow Wallaby Harry Potter (six tackle busts, 80 post-contact metres) while
"There were quite a few momentum swings there," Force skipper Jeremy Williams said post-game.
"The start of the first half we were fighting really well but there were probably just lapses and a couple of blocks where they got away from us
I think we fought back in it but it's a disappointing score line. They were probably treasuring the ball a bit more."
It took 19 minutes to trouble the Eden Park scorers despite a frantic start from both sides.
Williams twice shut down early Blues scoring opportunities - once via a stolen line out and again through a monster hit on halfback Taufa Funaki - while Dalton Papali'i produced a clutch turnover to defuse a Mac Grealy line break.
A trademark Carlo Tizzano charge saw the Force go close again near the 10-minute mark before Blues skipper Patrick Tuipulotu came up clutch with a try-line turnover.
Tuipulotu's efforts helped turn the tide with his side storming back upfield and forcing a scrum from which Marcel Renata crossed after 15 minutes to open their account.
A poor Force kick-off receipt saw their hosts regain possession deep in their attacking 22m and pressure paid dividends as Forbes sliced through shortly after to double their advantage.
Not to be outdone, the Force looked to their big guns and Potter delivered with a scything run down the right wing and was denied only by a marvellous Corey Evans covering tackle.
His efforts lifted the Force, who appeared to score through Tizzano but the try was called back for a Nic Dolly knock-on in the lead-up.
Undeterred, the Force pressed on with Potter sparking another counterattack and three consecutive penalties eventually saw the Blues' defence crack with Tizzano converting from the rolling maul.
The second half yielded plenty of highlights with Barrett's pin-point cut pass putting AJ Lam over in just the 41st minute and pushing the Blues ahead 19-7.
Beale announced his Super Rugby Pacific return shortly after as a escort penalty against Tuipulotu saw the Force march downfield and pave way for a Donaldson crosskick to Grealy, who kept his feet down the left wing and offloaded for Beale to slide over inside the left corner post.
Yet that was as close at the Force would get as Laghlan McWhannell and Forbes struck before the hour mark to stretch the Blues' lead to 19.
Nic Dolly's maul try in the 67th minute offered some brief hope but it was too little, too late as Josh Beehre restored the hosts' bonus-point lead with six minutes to play.
A valiant counter-punch threatened to cost the Blues a bonus point as the Force regathered Angus Ta'avao's attempted kick to touch and earned a penalty.
However the visitors couldn't convert their last-ditch line out with Barrett clearing in the 84th minute to seal victory.
BLUES (1-15): Joshua Fusitu'a, Ricky Riccitelli, Marcel Renata, Patrick Tuipulotu (c), Laghlan McWhannell, Anton Segner, Dalton Papali'i, Hoskins Sotutu, Taufa Funaki, Beauden Barrett, Corey Evans, Xavi Taele, Rieko Ioane, Cole Forbes, Stephen Perofeta
Replacements: Kurt Eklund, Mason Tupaea, Angus Ta'avao, Josh Beehre, Cam Christie, Adrian Choat, Sam Nock, AJ Lam
FORCE (1-15): Ryan Coxon, Nic Dolly, Tom Robertson, Jeremy Williams (c), Darcy Swain, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Carlo Tizzano, Reed Prinsep; Henry Robertson, Ben Donaldson, Mac Grealy, Hamish Stewart, Bayley Kuenzle, Harry Potter, Kurtley Beale
Replacements: Albert Alcock, Atu Moli, Josh Smith, Josh Thompson, Will Harris, Nic White, Max Burey, George Poolman
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe
Assistant Referees: Stu Curran, Jackson Henshaw
TMO: Richard Kelly
