Chiefs 63
Blues 34
It had to be bad when Blues captain Kevin Mealamu began arguing with the referee. It was. And that before the end of the first quarter.
But the Chiefs produced the best performance in this Super 14 season and deserved all the plaudits for their nine tries to five rout of their neighbours, in which Sitiveni Sivivatu was the individual star with four touchdowns.
That glorious assault was garnished by the composed adjudication of referee Mark Lawrence in contrast to the dictatorial delivery of Matt Goddard in the weekend opener.
The 63-34 rout inflicted by the Chiefs was not the worst beating for the Blues this season. They had lost by a greater margin to the series leaders, the Bulls, but this was a more inauspicious result. Forget any excuses. This was the big game, the local derby, a mini-All Black trial, a pivotal part of the competition.
The Chiefs dominated the pace of the game, their attitude made up for any perceived deficiencies in the pack, they played with adventurous precision, they were switched on while the Blues offered intermittent attention.
Remarkably, the Blues' inadequacies meant they dropped just one position on the points table as a swag of messy results left them swapping places with their conquerors. It seemed daft that the Blues could lose by such a margin yet still collect a bonus point.
Defeat continued a win, loss sequence which - if it continues on Friday at Eden Park - will find them beating the stolid Waratahs who may be without injured captain Phil Waugh and will definitely leave behind damaged centurion Al Baxter.
The Chiefs travel to Brisbane to battle the Reds but before they leave, more applause should flow their way after that brilliant response to their neighbouring threat. Goodness knows how many tries Sivivatu might have scored had his buildup not been tarnished by the flu.
From skipper Mils Muliaina to Sona Taumalolo, the Chiefs were in sync while the visitors were flustered and individual. The home side's teamwork was outstanding, their preparation spot-on, their concentration full on. Those who follow rugby in what has been a difficult spectacle this season should pray for more.
The encouragement for the Chiefs must be that they have started their run into form earlier than usual, although the caveats about qualifying for the playoffs will revolve around their matches in South Africa.
But this was a game where Sivivatu, Richard Kahui, Brendon Leonard, Sione Lauaki, Craig Clarke and Aled de Malmanche were among the best vintages in the Chiefs champagne.
This week will be all about coach Ian Foster reminding his mob that the Sharks travelled to Brisbane unbeaten and got spanked by the Reds. If the Chiefs are to threaten this competition, they must win again this week.
They lead the New Zealand logjam which has a Chiefs, Blues, Hurricanes, Crusaders, Highlanders order chasing the Bulls, Sharks and Waratahs. The Hurricanes made a mess of their chance to join the leaders as they choked on their own errors and referee Goddard's baffling performance.
While the Highlanders collected another win after early struggles against the Cheetahs, the Crusaders reversed their barren run with an away victory in Sydney.
Try-saving tackles from Colin Slade and Ryan Crotty kept the defending champions in the match as their former coach Robbie Deans watched from the stands with his new Wallaby hat on. Even he might have felt a glow of appreciation when the defending champions broke late in the game for Leon MacDonald to cap a length of the field movement.
It was vintage 2009, now it remains to be seen whether there is more to allow a 2010 title defence.
