Blues uncork magic late on

Rugby's natural order continued last night but the Blues were flattered by this victory as they preserved an unbeaten Super 12 record at Eden Park against the Reds.

For most of the match the Blues looked like two-cent chumps rather than the million-dollar babies touted to give the final year of the series a real shake.

They were out-hustled by a courageous but average Reds side who must have believed they were about to create this season's first boilover.

That dream evaporated in the final 10 minutes as Carlos Spencer and Luke McAlister scored tries to consign the Reds to tilts at the Crusaders and Chiefs in the next fortnight to find their first win in New Zealand since 1999.

Blues coach Peter Sloane had implored his side to build on the basics they took into their opening win last week. Instead they allowed the pressure to gnaw away at them after failing to score in the first half despite dominating possession.

While they failed to cross the Reds' line, Blues kicker McAlister also missed his first four penalties to increase the pressure, which sapped the Blues' confidence.

Sloane used an unchanged side, after the re-inclusion of Sam Tuitupou for the injured Ben Atiga, but promised them there would be changes if they did not push on from the steady start they had in Dunedin.

The coach's selection response for the next match against the Chiefs will be fascinating.

His halftime speech would have been worth listening to as well, as the Reds led by a solitary penalty.

Soon after the break Wendell Sailor figured three times in a breakout move the length of the field, broke Tuitupou's tackles twice and eventually scored a shock try, converted from the sideline by Reds captain Elton Flatley.

The pressure continued to build on the Blues and mistakes multiplied until they uncorked some magic in the final stages to pinch the victory.

For the opening 38 minutes there was no score. The score may have looked uninteresting but the tension levels rose, especially for the Blues, who spent most of the half parked deep in Reds territory.

Only once in that time did the Reds escape their half when Junior Palesasa fended off Tuitupou and only Mils Muliaina's speed cut down the threat.

The Reds, meanwhile, were in full defensive mode with Peter Hynes and Drew Mitchell making try-saving tackles and their looseforwards scrambling to defend the fringes.

Their scrum was under serious heat to clear the ball and both Sailor and Mitchell looked suspect under several testing Spencer bombs.

Somehow the Reds hung on and the longer they fended off the onslaught, the greater the anxiety in the Blues' ranks.

After McAlister missed two penalties, Flatley goaled from 26m just before the interval to give the Reds an unlikely lead.

Blues: (C. Spencer, L. McAlister, try; McAlister 2 pen, con)
Reds: (W. Sailor, D. Heenan, tries; E. Flatley, con, pen)