Blues play Russian roulette

The Cats' Jaque Fourie runs in for his third try chased by the Blues' Isa Nacewa. Touchline / Getty Images

Cats 34 Blues 33

A week ago the Blues dodged a bullet but yesterday in Johannesburg they turned the revolver on themselves.

In what should have been a decent chance to spread their ambition all over Ellis Park, the Blues repeated many of their annoying habits as they lost to the modest Cats side.

Test prop Tony Woodcock was also damaged, retiring with a calf strain which may impact on his All Black chances for the hit-out against Ireland in Hamilton on June 10.

It was a grisly finale to the Blues' offshore campaign as they became just the second side - after the Chiefs - to lose to the Cats this year.

In a remarkable coincidence, the score was identical to the Blues' victory against the Cheetahs last week when a final conversion attempt missed.

The scoreline yesterday shows the Blues lost by a point but that was an extremely flattering margin for the visitors when they mixed large doses of ineptitude with some sparky play.

Twice, the Blues conceded 20-point margins and it was only two converted tries in the last four minutes which allowed the Blues to entertain thoughts of a victory they did not deserve.

Tackling was sloppy from both sides and it was surprising they only managed nine tries between them. But the high error rate, the handling mistakes, the slapstick skills and careless contributions, cut into the try tally.

The Cats were up 20-0 after 27 minutes. Jaque Fourie had scored the first of his hattrick with a balanced incision through a vacant Blues backline defence and halfback Jano Vermaak darted over from a scrum.

From fractured play, Isa Nacewa and Anthony Tuitavake scored before the break and from there, the Blues should have prospered.

Instead their flaky defence yielded two more tries to Fourie and halfway through the second half, the Blues were 20 points adrift again.

They rustled up three tries as the Cats defence ruptured like a rotten peach as several John Afoa surges and offloads created touchdowns. As the Cats wilted, the Blues rose with no apparent problems with the altitude.

A point adrift, they reclaimed possession in the final minute and began another likely counterattack which foundered when replacement Tasesa Lavea threw the ball across five of his teammates straight into touch.

It was a messy and merciful end to a match of modest quality.

The Blues' Super 14 sheet shows six wins and six defeats this season, an indecisive record which will have its last examination against the Chiefs at Eden Park on Saturday.