KEY POINTS:
A month ago the Blues were leading the Super 14 and Luke McAlister was the midfield director.
When the second five-eighths flew to Perth yesterday, it was to reunite with a team in danger of missing the playoffs after their latest failure to stymie South African rugby muscle.
McAlister was powerless to halt the slide and will not solve the Blues' woes if picked for Friday's final pool game against the Force.
But his absence with a cracked cheekbone has reduced the Blues' attacking venom and direction as they have slid to three straight defeats.
They were beaten up by the Bulls on Saturday in Pretoria, pressured into handling mistakes and poor decisions under the relentless physical onslaught from their hosts.
"Yeah, it was hard work. They were trying hard but nothing came off," McAlister said of the 40-19 defeat.
"The Bulls defence was full on and they really got into it.
"The boys were gutted but I can't wait to play again. There is always pressure coming back from injury and one man doesn't make all that difference. But I like the pressure, we are in a tight sport, it is do or die this weekend if I get through training and make the side."
McAlister got medical clearance on Friday after being injured a month ago in the rugged local derby against the Chiefs. He had surgery to repair the damage and has been on a training diet of boxing, biking, running, weights and skill work since.
He has also watched the Blues slide to similar defeats in South Africa against the Stormers, then the Bulls. The Blues gained early leads in both matches and then shipped a swag of points.
On Saturday they still led, 9-6 after 30 minutes, before conceding 34 points while adding only an Isa Nacewa penalty and a final-minute converted try.
The Blues suffered a shabby ruling just on halftime when livewire Fourie du Preez picked up a Blues scrum feed which shot out the same tunnel and bolted 40m to offload for Pedrie Wannenburg to score.
It underscored the squeeze coming from the Bulls. They were relentless, confrontational and even without the injured Bakkies Botha were too potent for the visitors.
They dominated the scrums, Victor Matfield was too clinical in the lineouts and they won the collisions in what was a shuddering contest for much of the game.
For the Blues, Isaia Toeava was too much of a lone backline menace and Greg Rawlinson was prominent, as were Daniel Braid and Jerome Kaino, but much of the pack's work was patchy as they struggled against the Bulls' power and energy.
Somehow the Blues have to stop the rot against the Force or they could miss the playoffs.
Coaches David Nucifora and Joe Schmidt have made a drastic number of selection responses for the past two games and struggled with the integration of their four reconditioned All Blacks. Somehow they have to rekindle the conviction McAlister saw when he last played.
